Fall 2020 Calendar, Academic Strategy/Contingency Subcommittee Report and FAQ

Dear Colleagues,

I know that many of you are working hard individually and at the department, program, school and college level to deliver summer courses online, support our students and prepare for the fall. I continue to hear from many of you and hope that you will not hesitate to reach out to me and other members of the Academic Affairs team with ideas, questions and feedback.

This week’s message includes the following updates:

• Additional details on the Fall 2020 modified calendar;
• A link to the report of the Academic Strategy/Contingency Subcommittee; and
• An update on panel discussions with faculty and frequently asked questions.

Fall 2020 Modified Calendar: Additional Details

In previous announcements, we highlighted the fact that the modified calendar will allow instruction to end prior to Thanksgiving to avoid unnecessary travel and the associated risk of COVID-19 transmission.

We have been asked for details on key dates, particularly regarding Labor Day and weekend instruction, to allow students and faculty to make specific plans. Instruction on Labor Day and on three weekend days is required to meet New York State guidelines regarding contact time for all course-schedule paradigms. The specific dates selected for weekend instruction were chosen to avoid several religious observances that fall on weekends this year and home football games. Students may use the normal religious notifications process to alert faculty about absences related to their faith observances on these dates.

These dates are:

Aug. 24 (Monday): First day of classes

Sept. 5 (Saturday): Wednesday classes meet on normal schedule

Sept. 7 (Monday): Labor Day—Normal instructional day, Monday classes meet

Oct. 25 (Sunday): Thursday classes meet on normal schedule

Nov. 8 (Sunday): Friday classes meet on normal schedule

Nov. 24 (Tuesday): Last day of instruction

Nov. 25-29: Thanksgiving break

Nov. 30-Dec. 2: Reading days

Dec. 3-4, 7-9: Final exam period

Dec. 21 (Monday): Grade reporting deadline

Academic Strategy/Contingency Subcommittee Report

As a follow-up to last week’s overview and in concert with the release of the SU Safe Public Health Framework, the Academic Strategy/Contingency Subcommittee report has been posted on the Fall 2020 website. The subcommittee’s University College Dean Mike Frasciello, Professor Marcelle Haddix, Associate Provost Chris Johnson and Graduate School Dean Peter Vanable have asked me to recognize and thank all of the faculty and staff whose participation on the committee and in a series of focus groups shaped the recommendations, many of which are already in process.

Faculty Panel Discussions

Over the past week, we have held panel discussions with faculty in just over half of our schools and colleges, including the Falk College, College of Law, College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences, the Maxwell School, School of Architecture, School of Education and the Whitman School of Management. The remaining discussions are scheduled to take place through June 24.

We want to thank all of the participants to date for their thoughtful questions. We are posting answers to the most frequently asked questions on the Fall 2020 website. We will continue to add to this page as additional questions are posed and more information is available. As a reminder, there are many resources available to you to help you transition to the various teaching modalities. I encourage you to please leverage those resources, particularly those available to you through ITS and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence.

Once again, thank you for all that you are doing to ensure that we can meet the needs of our students this fall while working to keep our community safe and healthy. Please don’t hesitate to let us know what you need to be successful this fall.

Sincerely,

John Liu
Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost