[Academic-Affairs] Holiday message to Academic Affairs

[Office of the Provost/VPAA]

Colleagues,

By now, I hope your grades are in, and you can finally begin to plan for
some well deserved rest and rejuvenation.  I've been sick over the past
week myself.  Maybe the flu? (I did get the flu vaccine.)  I was
disappointed to miss commencement as a result.  I'm just back at my desk
today and hoping to be 100% by Christmas.  Thank you for all you have done
during another challenging academic semester.

A few quick updates:

It was my pleasure earlier today to prepare sabbatical approval letters for
four faculty members who submitted proposals for the 2022/2023 academic
year.  Given the budgetary challenges, I am relieved that we have not had
to delay this essential support for faculty scholarship.

Another quick update: There is a committee that has been making good
progress on the purchase of software that will finally allow us to move our
faculty review processes fully online.  Imagine not having to lug binders
around anymore!

Lastly: I want you to be aware that there is ongoing conversation about
whether we may have to start the semester with one or more weeks of remote
teaching.  If you follow the Chronicle, you will have seen that there are a
number of schools that have already announced this type of adjustment to
their spring delivery of classes.  The Omicron variant is spreading at a
speed that we did not face earlier with the Delta variant and this causes
new concerns about how we can best protect our campus.  As soon as we are
back after New Year's, I know our policy group on campus will be discussing
the latest health and safety recommendations.  Some faculty may wish to
have contingency plans in place for Zoom and Moddle planning, should we
ultimately need to alter our start-up schedule.

Here is some information from John Locke that is intended to help support
faculty planning:

*As the situation becomes less certain with respect to the impact COVID may
have on our plans this Spring, when designing course content for the
upcoming semester, TEL suggests that we hope for the best, but plan for the
worst. That means Zoom alternatives at the ready, assignment drop boxes in
place, instructions clearly documented as though we’re teaching on line…
most of us know the drill by now. It’s easier to build it and not need it
than to not and wish we had. *

*For new faculty and those who were not able to attend our intense Teaching
with Moodle workshops in the summer of 2020, please consider attending our
Moodle: Teaching With Moodle workshop. This online workshop covers all
aspects of teaching in Moodle over a period of five consecutive days. Three
hours each day will be spent in Zoom sessions covering the tools available
to you in the Moodle system, and an estimated four hours each day will be
spent in Moodle itself, completing readings, watching videos, completing
written assignments, and participating in forums. Following the successful
completion of the workshop, attendees will be certified to teach fully
online and remote courses at SUNY Plattsburgh.*

*Note: The Zoom sessions will run from 9:00am through 12:15 each day.
Workshop runs from Monday, January 10, 2022 9:00 AM to Friday, January 14,
2022. Access to the corresponding Moodle page and invitations to Zoom
sessions will be delivered via email before 9AM on January 10. Please visit
https://facweb.plattsburgh.edu/workshops/
<https://facweb.plattsburgh.edu/workshops/> for more details and to
register.*



Yesterday was the Winter Equinox, the shortest day of our winter season.
Now we will begin to have more Light each day--certainly a lift to my
spirits, and I hope yours.

Wishing that you will all stay healthy and well during this holiday season,

Anne
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