Student support and resources through finals

Dear Twin Cities faculty and instructors,

As we approach the end of the semester, I want to acknowledge and appreciate how resilient you and your students have been. You have all worked tremendously hard to get through an extremely challenging year, and the stress of the Chauvin trial, compounded by Daunte Wright’s tragic death, have made this semester even more difficult.

In this context, I want to underscore the need to continue offering empathy, support, and flexibility to your students as they wrap up their coursework this spring. The accessibility resources I wrote about in my message at the end of last semester are still relevant, as is the guidance included in my message about ensuring respectful classroom conversations earlier this month. If you have concerns about a student’s welfare or health, there are several resources available through the Office for Student Affairs for referral and consultation. I also call attention to the resources at the Trial Community Support and Education webpage that President Gabel has referenced in her recent messages.

Flexibility may include providing expanded opportunities for students to receive no-excuse-needed extensions or to make up work (see the related policy and FAQ), which they may need because of mental health challenges, vaccination appointments, or illness due to vaccination. Please note that students who are receiving their first vaccinations now may have second appointments scheduled during finals, so I ask that you accommodate them to ensure they receive these important second doses before leaving campus and returning to their home communities.

Additionally, many students are reporting added stress when strict monitoring settings for electronic exam proctoring are used. In a message sent earlier this semester I recommended that, when possible, faculty and instructors develop alternative assessments that do not require e-proctoring, and that for situations where instructors believe that e-proctoring is required, you customize the level of monitoring used to suit the task. If you choose this route, please be sure to communicate with your students regarding the level of monitoring you have chosen.

As you attend to the needs of your students in the next few weeks, I hope you will also do what is needed to take care of yourselves. This includes communicating with your unit heads, other colleagues, and me to express your thoughts and your needs for advancing your teaching, research, and outreach. I have learned so much from—and am so appreciative of—your input and partnership throughout the past year, and will continue to rely on it going forward.

Thank you, again, for your resilience and empathy, and especially for the care you are providing to each other, to our students, and to the community as a whole. This care, and the relationships we build and nurture as a result, will both get us through these times and will remain a source of strength for years to come.

Sincerely yours,

Rachel T.A. Croson
Executive Vice President and Provost

email sent April 21, 2021 to all Twin Cities faculty and all instructors scheduled to teach in spring semester 2021