Communications

To all Twin Cities undergraduate, graduate, and professional students: If you are currently enrolled in a May or Summer course and it will be delivered remotely, you do not need to do anything to remain enrolled. If a course in which you are enrolled cannot be delivered remotely, you will be informed directly. Research experiences, internships, and other summer curriculum will proceed if they can be completed remotely. Otherwise they will be cancelled or postponed.

To all faculty and summer 2020 instructors on the Twin Cities campus: Based on projections by health experts and actions by Governor Tim Walz, we have decided to transition May and Summer 2020 sessions to be fully remote. There may be exceptions available for clinical courses in the health science areas at the request of the appropriate Dean to Vice President for Clinical Affairs, Dr. Jakub Tolar.

To select groups of faculty and academic leaders on the Twin Cities, Morris, and Rochester campuses: This memo provides information about changes to our policies related to promotion and tenure and course evaluation. These changes were developed after consultation with faculty governance and many others, and are meant to recognize the unique challenges we are currently experiencing.

To all faculty and senior leaders systemwide: As we continue to focus on the many challenges of advancing our mission during this time, the important and ongoing functions and activities of the EVPP office also continue. I rely on your partnership and your willingness to resiliently adapt, as well as the steady work of our experienced EVPP staff team. I look forward to meeting with many of you, online in the near term and in person later, as we navigate this uncharted territory together.

To all Twin Cities students: An FAQ has been developed to answer the questions we have received regarding this change. For more information, review the Twin Cities S/N grading basis FAQ. Please carefully consider your option to change to S/N and consult with your academic advisor.

To all faculty and instructors systemwide: the University of Minnesota remains steadfastly committed to protecting your academic freedom, to protecting our instructional environments from intimidation and harassment, and to ensuring the privacy of our instructors and students.

To all faculty systemwide: we are proposing a change that would allow all undergraduate students on all campuses to have the opportunity to change their grade basis from A/F to S/N. Second, each school, college, and program would determine if (and then which) graduate and professional courses would include an option for students to change their grade basis from A/F to S/N.