Wednesday, March 25, 2020
The following updates were sent to the University of Iowa campus community on March 25, 2020:

Covid-19 Campus Update for Faculty and Staff

Dear faculty and staff:

Please see these important COVID-19-related updates as they pertain to summer programming, academic deadlines and policy changes, library resources and help, COVID-19 testing, and study abroad.

SUMMER PROGRAMMING

University administrators are currently working with collegiate and department leadership, including shared governance, to determine appropriate next steps for summer programming. Our first priority remains protecting the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the university.

Many of the summer courses provided by the university are already delivered completely online but there are many in-person experiences that occur on the UI campus every summer. The university will provide additional direction by Friday, April 3, 2020.

Study Abroad: Because the U.S. Department of State has issued a Global Level 4 Health Advisory advising all U.S. citizens to avoid international travel, International Programs is canceling all 2020 summer study abroad programming.

POLICIES RELATED TO FACULTY EVALUATION AND TENURE

  • Teaching observations: Due to the challenges faculty are facing to rapidly move all courses to virtual teaching for the rest of the spring 2020 semester, no teaching observations will be conducted during the spring semester. If teaching observations were performed prior to the move to virtual teaching, these will be included in the annual review.
  • Student evaluations: Students will have the opportunity to provide feedback to instructors on their virtual learning experience. However, these evaluations are for formative purposes and will not be used for faculty evaluation.
  • Faculty reviews: Annual and reappointment reviews for both probationary and non-tenure track faculty should still be completed for this academic year (virtually), using current practices. The deadline for completion and submission to the Office of the Provost has been moved back to June 1, 2020. Departments and colleges should try to complete annual post-tenure reviews (virtually) whenever possible. If not possible, post-tenure annual reviews may be postponed to the fall 2020 semester. Post-tenure peer reviews may also be postponed until the fall semester.
  • Probationary and tenure clock extensions: Effective immediately, the university is providing all tenure-track probationary faculty a one-year automatic extension of their tenure clock. The extension will apply to the current probationary period and may lengthen the time to the first probationary review (year three or four, depending on college) or the time to tenure review. The Office of the Provost will enter the extension into Workflow effective May 1, 2020. You may decline the automatic extension, but after declining you will not be able to reinstate the extension. Remember that the tenure expectations remain the same whether an extension has been applied or not. Faculty who are affected by this extension will be contacted individually with more specific information.

For details on these changes, please see https://provost.uiowa.edu/temporary-changes-faculty-policies-spring-2020.

STUDENT ACADEMIC DEADLINES AND GRADING OPTIONS

  • Early registration for the fall 2020 semester is being moved back by one week to allow more time for students to connect with their advisors. Early registration will now take place from Monday, April 20, through Friday, May 1, 2020.
  • A designation will be added to all students' transcripts indicating the extraordinary circumstances encountered during the 2020 spring semester.
  • Deadlines will be extended for course drops and withdrawal updates, as follows:
    • Undergraduate programs: Individual courses and complete withdrawals (dropping all classes) for the spring 2020 semester may be completed, with advisor authorization, through May 8. After May 8, students will need to petition for a late drop or late withdrawal, and the dean’s permission will be required.
    • Graduate programs: Individual courses may be dropped with advisor authorization through May 8, and the requirement for dean’s permission is removed. April 14 is the deadline for complete withdrawals for the spring 2020 semester. After April 14, the dean’s permission will be required.
    • Professional programs: Colleges will communicate with their professional program students regarding course drop and semester withdrawal changes.
  • Temporary grading options will be added for the spring 2020 semester:
    • Undergraduate programs: A temporary Pass/Nonpass (P/N) grading option has been adopted for all undergraduate courses taught during the spring 2020 semester. Students will choose to receive either the letter grade recorded by the instructor, or a P/N designation for each of their courses by Friday, May 8.
    • Graduate programs: A temporary Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading option has been adopted for graduate courses taught during the spring 2020 semester. Students will choose to receive either the letter grade recorded by the instructor, or an S/U designation for each of their courses by Friday, May 8.
    • Professional programs: Colleges will communicate with their professional program students regarding grading option policies.

 

Details regarding these temporary changes to academic deadlines and policies are available at:

 

Please also remember that https://coronavirus.uiowa.edu will continue to be the hub for COVID-19 information as it relates to the UI.

 

LIBRARY RESOURCES AND HELP

All seven UI campus libraries and Special Collections are open online with 24-hour Hawk-ID access to databases, e-books, e-articles, streaming video, and e-images. If you need help with course reserves or library instruction, library staff are available during the following hours via chat or email:

  • Art Library — 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (email)
  • Business Library — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (email)
  • Engineering Library — 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (chat and email)
  • Hardin Library for the Health Sciences — 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (chat and email)
  • Main Library — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (chat and email)
  • Music Library — 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (email)
  • Sciences Library — 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (chat and email)
  • Special Collections — 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (email)

COVID-19 TESTING

The State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa has received $900,000 ($525,000 through a supplemental state appropriation approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, and $375,000 through an amended contract with the Iowa Department of Public Health) to increase testing capabilities and support response operations for COVID-19. The laboratory has implemented extended shifts and is operating seven days a week to manage the dramatic surge in demand for testing under the IDPH criteria. The university thanks the laboratory staff members for their tireless efforts to protect the health of all Iowans and is committed to ensuring staff have the resources necessary to continue this critical work.

 

COVID-19 Campus Update for Students

Dear UI Students:

 

Please see these important COVID-19-related updates as they pertain to summer programming, study abroad, academic deadlines and policies for students, library resources and help, and COVID-19 testing.

 

SUMMER PROGRAMMING

University administrators are currently working with collegiate and department leadership, including shared governance, to determine appropriate next steps for summer programming. Our first priority remains protecting the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the university.

Many of the summer courses provided by the university are already delivered completely online but there are many in-person experiences that occur on the UI campus every summer. The university will provide additional direction by Friday, April 3, 2020.

Study Abroad: Because the U.S. Department of State has issued a Global Level 4 Health Advisory advising all U.S. citizens to avoid international travel, International Programs is canceling all 2020 summer study abroad programming.

TEMPORARY CHANGES TO ACADEMIC DEADLINES AND POLICIES FOR STUDENTS

  • Early registration for the fall 2020 semester is being moved back by one week to allow more time for students to connect with their advisors. Early registration will now take place from Monday, April 20, through Friday, May 1, 2020.
  • A designation will be added to all students' transcripts indicating the extraordinary circumstances encountered during the 2020 spring semester.
  • Deadlines will be extended for course drops and withdrawal updates, as follows:
    • Undergraduate programs: Individual courses and complete withdrawals (dropping all classes) for the spring 2020 semester may be completed, with advisor authorization, through May 8. After May 8, students will need to petition for a late drop or late withdrawal and the dean’s permission will be required.
    • Graduate programs: Individual courses may be dropped with advisor authorization through May 8, and the requirement for dean’s permission is removed. April 14 is the deadline for complete withdrawals for the spring 2020 semester. After April 14, the dean’s permission will be required.
    • Professional programs: Colleges will communicate with their professional program students regarding course drop and semester withdrawal changes.
  • Temporary grading options will be added for the spring 2020 semester:
    • Undergraduate programs: A temporary Pass/Nonpass (P/N) grading option has been adopted for all undergraduate courses taught during the spring 2020 semester. Students will choose to receive either the letter grade recorded by the instructor, or a P/N designation for each of their courses by Friday, May 8.
    • Graduate programs: A temporary Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading option has been adopted for graduate courses taught during The spring 2020 semester. Students will choose to receive either the letter grade recorded by the instructor, or an S/U designation for each of their courses by Friday, May 8.
    • Professional programs: Colleges will communicate with their professional program students regarding grading option policies.

Details regarding these temporary changes to academic deadlines and policies are available at

Please also remember that https://coronavirus.uiowa.edu will continue to be the hub for COVID-19 information as it relates to the UI.

LIBRARY RESOURCES AND HELP

All seven UI campus libraries and Special Collections are open online with 24-hour Hawk-ID access to databases, e-books, e-articles, streaming video, and e-images. If you need help with course reserves or library instruction, library staff are available during the following hours via chat or email:

  • Art Library — 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (email)
  • Business Library — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (email)
  • Engineering Library — 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (chat and email)
  • Hardin Library for the Health Sciences — 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (chat and email)
  • Main Library — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (chat and email)
  • Music Library — 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (email)
  • Sciences Library — 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (chat and email)
  • Special Collections — 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (email)

COVID-19 TESTING

The State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa has received $900,000 ($525,000 through a supplemental state appropriation approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, and $375,000 through an amended contract with the Iowa Department of Public Health) to increase testing capabilities and support response operations for COVID-19. The laboratory has implemented extended shifts and is operating seven days a week to manage the dramatic surge in demand for testing under the IDPH criteria. The university thanks the laboratory staff members for their tireless efforts to protect the health of all Iowans and is committed to ensuring staff have the resources necessary to continue this critical work.