[Academic-Affairs] Starting our Spring 2022 semester

[Office of the Provost/VPAA]

Dear Colleagues,

I’m writing to update you on a few matters as 1/31/22, our first day of
classes, is fast approaching.

First, I wanted to make sure you were aware that all of our current
start-up policies for the Spring 2022 are posted via a tab on our
homepage.  See here:

https://www.plattsburgh.edu/covid-19/index.html

The masking policy indoors, including all classrooms, continues as a
mandatory safety practice for containing the spread of COVID and its
variants on our campus.

Our Enrollment and Student Success division (ESS) and Health Center have
been busy regularly and repeatedly communicating to students that per SUNY
policy, they must be vaccinated and boostered (if eligible) if they plan to
access campus facilities/buildings this spring.  I’d like to share a moment
of appreciation for TJ Myers, our Chief Information Officer, whose team is
working at great speed to ramp up the technological services required to
track student documentation of testing before they return to campus as well
as booster status.  This is really a massive undertaking.

Faculty should be aware that students are being advised, repeatedly, to
please stay home if they have a positive test just prior to their planned
date of return to campus.  Thus, I would predict that there may be some
number of students contacting faculty during that first week about their
inability to attend a first class or two that is in-person because they are
observing this safety protocol.

I am also aware from various conversations with faculty, especially at the
end of last semester, that students, especially first year students, seem
to be struggling more than usual with focus.  Over the winter break, I saw
some interesting informal survey data that two of our Psychology faculty
members, Jeremy Grabbe and Eddy Sturman (Queensbury campus), collected
regarding student learning perceptions from the fall semester.  It was
clear from open-ended comments that many are very aware that they are
struggling with focus, in particular.  For students transitioning out of a
high school experience that was largely remote, these types of comments
were repeated: “Harder to focus on material when in class.” and “in person
classes are now a struggle for me. I can’t stay concentrated with in-person
now.”

I am sure this type of student experience is posing new challenges for all
of you as you work to teach and meet your students’ needs.

I wanted to remind you that Jessamyn Neuhaus, Interim CTE Director, has
uploaded a large set of resources for teaching–many of which are specific
to current COVID challenges–via the CTE Website and Moodle Page:
https://www.plattsburgh.edu/about/centers/cte/support.html

I also received this article from one of our faculty members on the concept
of Cognitive Load Theory in relation to COVID.  Sharing just as an FYI, if
you are interested.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201103-cognitive-load-theory-explaining-our-fight-for-focus


Lastly, don’t forget that we are *all* required to test during the first
week of classes; an alphabetical schedule was sent out earlier to the
campus, but if you missed that email, here is the link:

https://www.plattsburgh.edu/covid-19/covid-19-testing.html

Hoping that you all enjoy the remaining week of winter break.  Best wishes
as you prepare for another semester.

Sincerely,

Anne
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