University Letter

UND's faculty and staff newsletter

Aug. 25 letter to faculty from Provost Storrs

Dear Faculty,

This email is to provide an update on the fall semester relative to our COVID-19 situation and the number of students testing positive or identified as close contacts.

The health and safety of staff, students, and our faculty is our priority.  We continue to monitor the number of cases, secure needed hotel rooms, and will continue to test and contact trace throughout the semester.  We continue to support the decisions of how faculty offer their classes and ask that you work through the approval process with your chair and dean and communicate approved changes to how the course will be delivered to students.

UND continues to test, contact trace, and quarantine students as part of our COVID-19 management plan. The UND Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR) coordinates UND’s effort to provide assistance and services to students who test positive for COVID-19 or who receive notification of close contact for COVID-19. We have tested students as they have arrived on campus, and the rate of positive results are consistent with the rates we saw early this summer. At this time, we have 238 active COVID cases, and our positive rate from recent tests is around 8 percent.

Responding to a positive test result.

As students are identified as close contacts or test positive for COVID-19, they have the option of either staying in an UND quarantine space or isolation space or moving to their private residence (which may be outside of Grand Forks) during their quarantine/isolation.

At the student’s request, OSRR will send a standardized notification (see below) to all their faculty in Starfish. Students are informed by OSRR they are responsible for requesting course adjustments from their instructors and that they should still attend class remotely. If they are ill, and cannot attend class remotely, they are asked to let their instructors know. In these cases, instructors are encouraged to work with students and determine whether it is best for the student to stay enrolled in the class, given their limited ability to engage for a few weeks (or possibly longer). In such cases, if you cannot support the student’s continued enrollment in your class, please refer them to their academic advisor who can work with the student to choose another section or drop the class.

Faculty who test positive and/or are identified as a close contact should report using the online reporting form (available here: https://und.edu/covid-19/employee-reporting-procedures.html) or contact their HR Manager. Faculty should work with their department chair to temporarily teach their courses remotely during the quarantined/isolated time period. After the isolation/quarantine period is over, the course can be moved back to an on-campus hyflex format. It will be important to communicate to students when and why such shifts occur and to keep the department chair and dean informed. If faculty become symptomatic and are unable to teach remotely, they may be eligible for sick leave and should work with their department chair and HR Manager. The department chair will be asked to find coverage for teaching, whether the course is delivered remotely or in an on-campus hyflex format.

Our gratitude.

You have worked hard this summer in preparation for what we are experiencing today. We appreciate that this enables you to accommodate students in quarantine/isolation, although it adds a layer of complexity to the hybrid class structure and practices.  We anticipate our most recent testing will result in more students being quarantined/isolated. Please be prepared to provide the remote option for those students who need it. If you are having challenges and need assistance, please contact TTaDA at 777-2129 or email und.academic.technology@und.edu.

Many of our students hope for a quick return to normalcy. For now, we must be patient and cautious, while continuing to deliver a rich educational experience. We must also set the example for how we engage safely: at a distance and with face coverings and clean hands.  Finally, we continue to support you in the decisions you make regarding the delivery mode of your course.

Please join us this Friday, Aug. 28, at noon for a staff/faculty zoom townhall to touch base and answer any questions you might have.

Faculty/Staff Town Hall
Friday, Aug. 28, noon

Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device.  Passcode: 396264.

Or join by phone. For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location: US: +1 669 900 6833, +1 253 215 8782, +1 346 248 7799, +1 646 558 8656, +1 301 715 8592, or +1 312 626 6799.

Webinar ID: 959 1826 1410
Passcode: 396264
International numbers available: https://und.zoom.us/u/aI00MjJM

Please let us know if you have any questions,

Debbie Storrs
Interim Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs

 Andrew P. Armacost
President, University of North Dakota


OSRR ABSENCE NOTIFICATION:

The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities was notified that STUDENT NAME (ID: 0123456) will be unable to attend your class on-campus due to being in quarantine or isolation for COVID-19. The student also may or may not be able to attend in a virtual environment. This notification serves as a courtesy notice and not a verification of their absence. The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities only notifies faculty regarding a student’s absence due to hospitalization, death in the family or other uncontrollable emergencies.  Faculty members have the sole discretion to determine if this constitutes an excused absence. Students are responsible for contacting each of their instructors regarding missed classes and expectations.

Please note that due to the nature of COVID the timeframe of the absence notification may change and as a result we have not included a specific date on this notification. Most students will be on isolation or quarantine for 10 to 14 days.

You are receiving this message as a member of the student’s network in Starfish. Please feel free to contact our office at 701.777.2664 if you have any questions or need a specific date range.