COVID-19 policies and resources for UNM faculty

advance 0 Comment May 14, 2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNM administrators have made a variety of changes to university policies including on grading, the tenure timeline and teaching evaluations. See our list below and drop us a line if you have a question that hasn’t been answered about these policies. Our list of resources for teaching and working from home have been added to this compilation.

Note: We’ve deliberately repeated information in a couple of places to make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for. Do you have suggestions for other links and information we should track? Is there additional support that ADVANCE can provide? Let us know! We’ve also been collecting information on research at UNM related to COVID. See that here.

WeR1: Investing in Faculty Success

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), in collaboration with Academic Affairs and ADVANCE at UNM, has launched an institutional initiative to support main campus faculty in navigating the post-pandemic world.

More About the WeR1 Initiative

UNM data show that during the pandemic, many faculty members spent less time on research and scholarship and related professional development as they revised their teaching and dealt with new and different demands in their home lives. As we transition out of the pandemic, the WeR1 Faculty Success Program seeks to support UNM faculty in new and creative ways.

Our overarching goals are to:

— Modify institutional policies and processes to support faculty retention and advancement, increase transparency, decrease administrative burden, and work towards balanced service and teaching loads;

— Create structures that acknowledge and address the impact of the pandemic, which may last well into the next decade;

— Provide resources that allow faculty to transition, rebuild, recover, and/or refocus their research, scholarship, and creative work, through support that encompasses both small steps and expansive interdisciplinary initiatives;

— Develop new mechanisms for recognizing faculty success in all areas of the university’s mission;

— Build communication, collaboration, cooperation, and community across all UNM campuses.

Stay tuned for upcoming announcements on various parts of the program.
Help Available For Teaching Duties

Tenured and tenure-track faculty can request a one-semester, one course teaching release or 10 hours/week of graduate project assistant time to assist with course-related duties through the Faculty Scholarship Time (FaST) program. The program will be available for Spring 2022, Fall 2022, and Spring 2023. Applications for Spring 2022 are due September 3^rd. Approximately 20 faculty will be supported each semester, and chairs, directors, and deans will be consulted.

This program is part of an on-going effort to assist faculty whose research, scholarship, and creative work has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. Priority will be given to non-tenured, tenure-track faculty, especially those who are close to major T&P milestones; faculty significantly impacted by the pandemic, including faculty whose research semesters or sabbaticals occurred during the pandemic; and faculty with significant teaching loads. Read more here.
Awards of up to $5,000 for Summer 2021

For Summer 2021, a new initiative offers up to $5,000 to faculty who are working to catch up on research and scholarship that were affected by the pandemic. Among other things, the awards can be used for:

— Stipend support for graduate or undergraduate research students
— Equipment, materials and supplies, including replacement of supplies that were lost during the pandemic (e.g., outdated chemicals, expired samples, etc.), including combining these funds with other resources (e.g. startup funds) to purchase capital equipment.
— User fees for specialized equipment/analysis.

Learn more.
Faculty Professional Development Assistance for Women Assistant and Associate STEM Faculty

Do you need extra help from a grad student right now? Assistant and associate women STEM (broadly defined) faculty are eligible to request up to 40 hours of support from Advance during Spring 2021.

Use this form to describe a specific project (10 hours or less) for which you are requesting graduate student support from Advance. Please indicate which graduate student you would like to request (the Advance team can also provide options if needed). Please note that you are able to request additional support once this project is completed.

The support must be linked to your professional development (broadly defined). Examples include (but are not limited to) enhancing quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills, data management and archiving, data visualization, interdisciplinary approaches to literature searches, and developing new collaborations. Please contact advance@unm.edu if you have questions about the suitability of your project.

Use this form to report completion of your project. Graduate students involved in your project should use this form to report completion of their work.
$25,000 - $75,000 Grants for Equipment Available

This request for proposals to the Program for Enhancing Research Capacity (PERC) supports acquisition of shared instrumentation or enhancement of shared facilities that enable major endeavors to advance discovery, creativity, and innovation across campus. This program seeks to add or augment research capacity through the acquisition or upgrading of instrumentation for use by multiple investigators. Thus, the proposed equipment must be housed within a space accessible to more than one PI/lab group and must have multiple committed users either within a single department/college, or preferably from multiple departments and colleges. Up to $400,000 will be invested in each funding cycle with two funding cycles in the 2021-2022 academic year. Future funding will be dependent on availability of funds and program outcomes.

Please see the full RFP here for additional details, eligibility and submission instructions.

Timeline:
RFP Release Date: June 21, 2021
Proposal Application Window: July 6, 2021 to 11:59 pm August 2, 2021
Proposals Awarded: September 10, 2021
Funds must be expended within 6 months of award

COVID-19 Vaccine

Booster Shot Information
Info on Vaccines for Children

Many parents are anxiously awaiting a COVID vaccine for children under 12. Read this story from the Washington Post on current clinical trials by Pfizer-BioNTech. This piece from NBC News also has information about the plans to get younger children vaccinated.

Read more on the vaccine for kids between 12 and 15 from the Mayo Clinic here.
UNM COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

On August 2, UNM announced a vaccine mandate, effective August 5. All UNM personnel and students who access any UNM facilities, housing, programs, services, and activities are required to be vaccinated by September 30 or undergo regular COVID-19 testing. The vaccination policy and the process for requesting exemptions are here.

As per an update Oct. 1, 90 percent of students on UNM’s main campus have partial or full vaccinations. Read other updates about the community’s vaccination progress here.

UNM also has outlined the ramifications for not following the mandate here.
Registration and State Plans

Find UNM’s vaccine information page here.

Information and plans for vaccinating faculty is here. (Last updated Jan. 15.)

Register for the COVID-19 vaccine here. Stay updated about the State’s 4- phase vaccination schedule and learn more about the vaccine here. The number for the NM COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline is 1-855-600-3453.
Information About the Vaccine

Every Covid-19 Vaccine Question You’ll Ever Have, Answered (Elemental Medium, Dec. 2020)

The New Covid-19 Vaccine: Answers to All the Hard Questions (Yale Medicine, Dec. 2020)

CDC information for vaccine recipients

WHO information on Covid-19 vaccines

Mayo Clinc resources on Covid-19 vaccines

The CDC, WHO, and Mayo Clinc links also have information on how mRNA vaccines work. For a more musical approach, Johns Hopkins has created “I’m a Vaccine” inspired by Schoolhouse Rock.

Campus Mask Policy

UNM Following CDC Guidance on Masks

The COVID Safe Practices Policy on masks was updated on August 2nd. Everyone (faculty, staff, students, visitors), regardless of vaccination status, is expected to wear masks indoors in group settings, including classrooms at the Albuquerque, Taos, and Valencia campuses. The most recent update allows for vaccinated instructors to remove their mask while teaching if the classroom allows for appropriate distancing. Masks are not required when eating or drinking, working in an office alone, or when outside (if you are vaccinated). See the guidelines here.

This new guidance is based on changes in CDC guidance that fully vaccinated people wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. The definition of “substantial transmission” is 50 cases/100,000 people in a 7-day period while “high transmission” is 100 cases/100,000 people. You can look up county transmission rates here. Rates are updated daily. UNM campuses in Los Alamos and Gallup are not included in today’s announcement since their current transmission rate is below the CDC threshold.

APS announced yesterday that masks will be required of everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in all APS schools and offices. Masks will not be required outdoors. See the announcement here.

The NM Public Education Department announced mask guidance shortly before the new CDC guidelines were released and are now revisiting this.

Semester Plans

Spring 2022 Temporary Voluntary Reduction
Spring 2022 Teaching Modalities
Fall 2021 Syllabus Language
Fall 2021 Classroom Guidelines

COVID-19 Updates for Instructors on UNM’s main campus Fall 2021 as of Aug. 20, 2021.

From the Provost’s Office:

1. Indoor Masking: Because of the current rates of community transmission of COVID, and to provide good modeling of mask wearing and model proper behavior for students, instructors will wear masks while teaching in-person, until conditions allow more flexibility. The previously provided instructor exemption allowing vaccinated instructors to teach unmasked when sufficiently distanced from learners is therefore in temporary abeyance. At the start of the semester, instructors should be masked. The advisability of instructors teaching without masks will be re-evaluated in early September and, if the exemption can be restored, it will be.

Instructors will likely find it easier to teach in disposable masks, rather than reusable cloth masks. We have ordered and will distribute silicone mask inserts to units who have faculty who wish to use them while lecturing (please be mindful of fit and seal). Instructors can call 277-5757 option 2 for information on check-out of microphones. The Academic Technologies staff in the AT annexes in DSH, CTLB, and MITCH can assist with microphone check-out. The UNM Bookstore is selling clear masks for $4.50 or less.

The following recommended syllabus language should be changed to remove the lined out sentences and add the underlined sentence:

UNM Requirement on Masking in Indoor Spaces

All students, staff, and instructors are required to wear face masks in indoor classes, labs, studios and meetings on UNM campuses, see the masking requirement. Qualified music students must follow appropriate specific mask policies issued by the Chair of the Department of Music and the Dean of the College of Fine Arts. Vaccinated and unvaccinated instructors teaching in classrooms must wear a mask when entering and leaving the classroom and when moving around the room. When vaccinated instructors are able to maintain at least six feet of distance, they may choose to remove their mask for the purpose of increased communication during instruction. Instructors who are not vaccinated (because of an approved medical or religious exemption), or who are not vaccinated yet, must wear their masks at all times. Students who do not wear a mask indoors on UNM campuses can expect to be asked to leave the classroom and to be dropped from a class if failure to wear a mask occurs more than once in that class. ~~With the exception of the limited cases described above,~~ Students and employees who do not wear a mask in classrooms and other indoor public spaces on UNM campuses are subject to disciplinary actions. UNM will periodically evaluate and update the mask policy relative to public health conditions.

2. Air exchange: Information is available about UNM building HVAC systems and air exchange which are set to CDC guidelines.

3. Classroom occupancy levels: The average classroom occupancy level for Fall 2021 is 50% of capacity. 70% of classes are at 60% capacity and below. 48% of classes are at 45% capacity and below. Departmental decision-making about classroom preferences and enrollment led to scheduling some classes at greater than 80% capacity.

4. Current UNM Main campus vaccination rate: Self-reporting and vaccination validation in the UNM community indicate full vaccination of 85% of faculty, 67% of staff, and 58% of students. See https://covid.unm.edu. We are anticipating updated data from the NM DOH which will give us insight into vaccinated individuals who have not yet reported their status. These occasional reports generally confirm higher vaccination rates than the UNM dashboard shows.

5. Disciplinary action for students who do not comply with the mandate: instructors are not responsible for disciplinary action relative to a student’s non-compliance with the vaccination mandate. UNM is reviewing the best course for student disciplinary action.

6. Microphones for faculty teaching mid-sized to large classes: Instructors can call 277-5757 option 2 for information on check-out of microphones. The Academic Technologies staff in the AT annexes in DSH, CTLB, and MITCH can assist with microphone check-out.

7. UNM Main Campus on-site Vaccination Clinics: UNM is offering free on-site COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics at Main Campus and Valencia Campus locations. Vaccines are available in the Student Union Building (SUB) Atrium, Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Aug. 27 and the same times during the whole month of September.

Aug. 30 and 31 there will be clinics offered at the Valencia Campus, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Learning Resource Center, Learning Rooms 101A and 101B. The vaccine is free and no appointment is necessary.

Covid-19 Vaccination at a variety of locations may also be scheduled through the New Mexico Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccination site.

8. Requests for accessing a face-to-face or hybrid class remotely: Instructors should not feel that they must offer a course simultaneously in person and remote streamed (sometimes called “hiflex”). Students may request accommodations by working with the Accessibility Resource Center. Possible accommodations may include attending class remotely but only in cases in which the instructor agrees that remote attendance will not lessen the learning experience and only when the student has a documented need for an accessibility accommodation.

9. COVID-19 Symptoms and Exposure, Academic Flexibility and Student Support:

UNM’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Team (RRT), comprised of medical and emergency response professionals, will operate in Fall 2021 and in coordination with the New Mexico Department of Health and its contact tracing team. RRT evaluates a range of COVID-19 transmission and positive data, addresses exposure events from positive students and manages follow-up around communication, medical care, testing, and isolation.

All positive cases in the state are reported to the New Mexico Department of Health, which provides follow-up contact tracing. Faculty are not responsible for identifying potential contacts of students who report having tested positive for COVID-19.

If a student is feeling sick and is experiencing symptoms of illness, consider extending flexibility around academic deadlines. Provide information about student support resources (see http://goweb.unm.edu/studentguide/ and https://students.unm.edu for quick links), including mental health resources, student resource centers, peer tutoring, and crisis support and offer affirming referrals to services.

Students experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 should not attend class or come to campus and should be advised to consult with Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) at (505) 277-3136 or their regular medical provider. Individuals do not need to seek medical attention if they are asymptomatic.

Students who are asymptomatic but afraid of having been exposed to COVID-19 can self-monitor for symptoms and seek medical attention if symptomatic (Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) at (505) 277-3136). Encourage students concerned about COVID-19 to consult the New Mexico Department of Health website for information about vaccination efficacy and COVID-19 symptoms and transmission. Share information about widely available and free COVID-19 testing and vaccination.

10. Main Campus Course modality: 66% of our courses are face-to-face, 12% are hybrid, and 22% are online max.

11. Individuals who are immunocompromised can receive a booster by registering at https://goodtimes.vaccinenm.org/stay-ahead-nm/.

What To Do If

Information on Positive COVID Tests and What Constitutes an Exposure

There is new guidance out as of 9/3 on what to do if a student tells you they have tested positive for COVID-19. Read it here. Undergraduate and graduate students with Coronavirus health concerns can find resources here.

If you test positive for COVID-19 should tell your Department Chair and fill out the self-report form. You might be eligible for expanded sick leave.

Local Information Dashboards

UNM

UNM’s main COVID-19 information page is here.

UNM’s daily COVID-19 Dashboard, reporting number of tests, people coming to campus, and COVID cases is here.

Changes in policies impacting faculty are negotiated with the faculty union, UA UNM. The current MOU between the academic leadership and UA UNM regarding COVID-19 is here and available through the UA UNM Bargaining Tracking Tool.

Read about COVID related research at UNM here.
APS, CABQ and Bernalillo County
State of NM

Faculty Support

New Milestone Review Policy Changes

The Provost’s Promotion’s Tenure Guidelines for the coming academic year are now available.

One important change is that there is a new template for letters going to external referees. This template is the result of a discussion with main campus chairs last fall, recommendations from studies of the pandemic impact, and from our evaluation of UNM’s parental leave policy. The
template does the following:

— Reminds referees about the pandemic (this will be more important in the coming years)

— States that referees should consider that the candidate is coming up at the right time for our institution and not pay attention to time since degree or time in rank (this addresses issues related to any sort of tenure extension and variations in time for promotion)

— Does not ask that candidates be compared to other scholars of similar experience (particularly important in the light of differential pandemic impacts)

The Provost has stated that faculty have flexibility in addressing (or not) the impact of COVID-19 in annual and milestone reviews. Some of the options include discussing the impact of COVID-19 in research, teaching, and service statements; adding an overall impact statement as a supplementary document; using a checklist (see an example here); referencing lists of potential impacts; or not discussing it.
New Requirement for Faculty Who Teach Online
UNM Associate Provost for Student Success Pamela Cheek announced a new requirement for faculty who teach online.

“The U.S. Department of Education is implementing new regulations for what is required to ensure regular and substantive interaction in online courses. In order to ensure UNM’s compliance with this new regulation, UNM Online, the Center for Digital Learning, and the Office of the Provost collaborated to develop the “Regular and Substantive Interaction Training” (RASI Training) to ensure our online instructors understand these new requirements and are properly trained to maintain quality in all online courses at UNM. Instructors teaching classes that are not fully online, but still contain online components, will find several benefits from completing this training.

Moving forward, instructors teaching courses scheduled as “Online” or “Hybrid” at all campuses must complete the RASI Training in Learning Central prior to the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester. This training takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. If the instructor has completed the Evidence-Based Practices for Teaching Online (EBPTO) training since Fall 2019 or a relevant and documented training at a branch campus, then the RASI Training is not required. UNM must require this training to be compliant with state, federal, and accreditation policies on remote or distance learning. The RASI Training is now available on Learning Central by searching “Regular and Substantive Interaction Training.”

The RASI Training is now available on Learning Central by searching “Regular and Substantive Interaction Training”:
- Go to https://learningcentral.unm.edu
- Log in with UNM net id
- Click on left-hand menu “To-Do: Take Courses”
- Select and click on “Complete online course Regular and Substantive Interaction Training”
- Click on Red “Start Course” button
- Click on Blue “Regular and Substantive Interaction Training”
- Start Course.
- The narrated content is the same as the written content. You can move through the written content by clicking the advance buttons.”
Peer Learning Facilitators Can Help Faculty This Fall

Associate Provost for Student Success Pamela Cheek also announced a new program to hire students to help others in the classroom.

“The UNM Peer Learning Facilitator program supports instructors and students by enabling greater utilization of active, collaborative assignments and discussion during class time, as well as extending the options for support and mentorship of students. PLFs are skilled undergraduates who are academically qualified in particular courses and trained to help their peers succeed through collaboration and mentorship. At the same time as serving in this role in your class, they are enrolled (or have completed) a 3-credit hour training course in the College of Education. PLFs are paid per hour for their service (not including their 3-credit hour course).

The Program is a collaboration between the UNM Provost’s Office, Student Affairs and the College of Education and has funding from student fees. We are now accepting instructor proposals requesting to work with the PLFs. Applications that utilize active learning in significant portions of class time as well as clear relationship-building plans for the PLFs are considered especially competitive.

Applications from large classes that serve as gateways to a major and those that have a high level of student difficulty are particularly encouraged. The minimum class size supported is 35, with priority given to larger classes. Where possible, one PLF is assigned for classes of 50 and below, 2 PLFs are assigned for classes between 50 and 150, and 3 PLFs are assigned for classes larger than 150.

Fill out the proposal form to the best of your ability by midnight on Friday May 21st. You will receive an email confirmation when we receive your proposal. Instructors will be notified of PLF placement by June 1st.”
Faculty Professional Development Assistance for Women Assistant and Associate STEM Faculty

Do you need extra help from a grad student right now? Assistant and associate women STEM (broadly defined) faculty are eligible to request up to 40 hours of support from Advance during Spring 2021.

Use this form to describe a specific project (10 hours or less) for which you are requesting graduate student support from Advance. Please indicate which graduate student you would like to request (the Advance team can also provide options if needed). Please note that you are able to request additional support once this project is completed.

The support must be linked to your professional development (broadly defined). Examples include (but are not limited to) enhancing quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills, data management and archiving, data visualization, interdisciplinary approaches to literature searches, and developing new collaborations. Please contact advance@unm.edu if you have questions about the suitability of your project.

Use this form to report completion of your project. Graduate students involved in your project should use this form to report completion of their work.
COVID Related Agreements with Faculty Union

Members of the administration and faculty union recently have come to a series of agreements related to Spring 2021. Read the MOU for union Unit 1 here and Unit 2 here.

The following is the complete recent joint statement, released Jan. 14.

“Over the past year, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, we, and our students, have worked diligently to meet the challenges of this unprecedented context. Faculty have revised curriculum, learned new technical skills for online teaching, problem-solved approaches to on-going research, and oftentimes increased their service responsibilities in order to support students and sustain departmental or other operations.
As we know, these challenges to our work will continue through the spring 2021 semester. While these trials affect most aspects of our work, if not all, the uncertainty of the moment is perhaps felt the greatest in preparation for annual or milestone reviews, including mid-probation, tenure and promotion, and promotion.
United Academics of UNM (UA-NM) and UNM Administration want to remind faculty that departments should decide, consistently for all department faculty, whether to include peer evaluations of teaching as part of a faculty member’s annual review (see section B4.2.3 of the Faculty Handbook). Also, while peer evaluations are to be included in dossiers for mid-probationary and tenure and promotion reviews, UA- UNM and the Administration agree that those required reviews may come from courses taught prior to the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Furthermore, as per the previous semester, students’ evaluations of faculty from spring 2021 will not be used as a required evaluative tool or a required component of pending or future dossiers for annual reviews, mid-probation, tenure and promotion, or promotion.
UA-UNM and UNM Administration also recommend that bargaining unit members address the impact of the pandemic on their work by integrating information in their research/creative works, teaching, and service statements that are prepared for annual and milestone reviews. Of course, faculty are welcome to describe the ways they have worked to meet the challenges of the pandemic. However, in addition, for each realm of responsibility that has been affected, faculty are strongly encouraged to summarize the changes that have taken place in one’s practice, particularly as it has affected productivity (e.g., canceled or delayed events, activities; reduced access to facilities, personnel, research sites, research participants; reduced service responsibilities, etc.).
Those reviewing faculty performance from 2020 and 2021 shall take account of the disruptive, ongoing negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on faculty working conditions and student learning conditions when making evaluative decisions about faculty.
For faculty looking for support with their teaching, please refer to UNM’s Center for Teaching and Learning website (https://ctl.unm.edu) for the following faculty services:· Center for Teaching Excellence (https://cte.unm.edu)· Center for Digital Learning (https://cdl.unm.edu)· Writing Across the Curriculum Program (https://unmwac.unm.edu)
Also, see CTE’s new page, A Guide for Observing Teaching (https://cte.unm.edu/resources/docs-videos- links/observe-teaching.php), for formative, supportive strategies on peer observation for face-to-face,hybrid, and online courses.

We are grateful to all of you, our UNM colleagues, as we continue together to rise to the occasion of working during a global pandemic. Thank you for your continued commitment to delivering substantive,thoughtfully-prepared courses and contributing valuable scholarship that are worthy of UNM’s educational and research mission.”
Recent Updates in Faculty Policies and Processes

Academic Affairs has released guidance for faculty and department chairs on incorporating the impact of COVID-19 into annual reviews. See the complete information here. Prefer having a checklist to show the impact of COVID in your annual review? Thanks to the History Department, we’ve got one here.

The Office of the Provost lists other faculty-relevant COVID-19 information here.

Temporary Voluntary Reduction (TVR) of FTE: Faculty can receive a one-course reduction during Spring 2021 by temporarily reducing their FTE from 1.0 to 0.93 for the academic year. The best consideration deadline is Oct 30th, and the information on requesting the FTE reduction is here. Faculty considering the TVR should consult hrbenefits@unm.edu to ask questions about the impact of the FTE reduction on benefits. Additional information about this opportunity can be found here.

Provost Holloway has consistently stated that milestone evaluations (mid-probationary, promotion & tenure, promotion to professor) are based on faculty records of research, teaching,and service and are not impacted by budget constraints.

Faculty can choose to include sections on the impact of COVID-19 in research, teaching, and service statements as part of milestone evaluation dossiers (mid-probationary review, P&T, promotion to professor), as well as in annual review information.
Automatic Tenure Extension

The automatic tenure-extension applies to all assistant professors, including those starting this year. The policy and an FAQ document can be found on the OFAS home page as well as in the Provost’s COVID-related information for faculty. A key element of this policy is that faculty don’t have to decide about the extension until the Spring before they are scheduled to come up for tenure.
Spring and Fall Student Evaluations of Teaching

Student evaluations of teaching for courses taught during Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 can’t be used in annual or milestone reviews of faculty unless the faculty member being reviewed chooses to include them. Additional information is in the MOUs with UA-UNM and on the Provost’s COVID-19 Page.
Hear it From the Provost

Provost James Holloway and Senior Vice Provost Barbara Rodriguez had a Town Hall in May with assistant professors who are scheduled for a milestone review in the next two years. They answered a range of questions including about the tenure extension policy, on-going support for current faculty, considerations in promotion & tenure decisions, and planning for the fall. Read an edited transcript here.

The Provost had an October session with faculty who were recently promoted to Associate Professor. Watch that meeting here.
On-going Discussions and Efforts

Some ideas require multiple discussions and consultation with faculty and staff, in addition to negotiations with UA-UNM. On-going discussions with Deans and Chairs:

– The Provost meets with Deans every other week. There was a Deans’ Council discussion on the ADVANCE Faculty Experiences report, including encouragement to do “less with less” re service, committee work, and curricular changes. Discussions on COVID-19 impacts and ideas in support of faculty, staff, and students are usually on the agenda.

– Deans and some Chairs have been reminded that they can balance faculty workload across multiple fiscal years.

– Some Deans have followed up on Deans’ Council meetings by discussing options for doing “less with less” in meetings with Chairs and Directors, some of whom are having conversations in departments and programs.

– Department Chairs and Directors met with Provost James Holloway, Senior Vice Provost Barbara Rodriguez, and Associate Provost for Faculty Success Bill Stanley to discuss aspects of P&T. Provost Holloway started and ended the meeting with reminders that COVID-19 will be impacting us for years and that it needs to be taken into account in faculty reviews (annual or milestone). He also said that Chairs should expect less from faculty and from themselves while we are dealing with COVID-19.

– AP Bill Stanley met with Department Chairs and Directors to discuss peer evaluation of teaching during COVID-19. This is a current topic of discussion between the academic leadership and UA-UNM.

Annual and Milestone Reviews (starting next year for P&T and continuing for the indefinite future):

– Template for letters to external reviewers are being developed, reminding reviewers that the evaluation period includes COVID-19.

– Deans and Chairs have been reminded that the impacts of COVID-19 will have to be taken into account in annual and milestone reviews. Discussions so far are preliminary. The reminder that things are not normal and the impact will be felt for years is an important start.

Student Support

How to Help UNM Students Experiencing Anxiety

We know UNM students are struggling with the weight of the pandemic. In the fall of 2020, researchers from the Nutrition & Dietetics in the Department of Individual, Family, and Community Education at UNM conducted a student survey that found 52 percent experienced anxiety in the two weeks before taking the survey in September to October.

Of those, nearly one in four reported severe anxiety. According to the study, “groups with the highest prevalence of anxiety included non-cisgender students (74%), the youngest age group (18-20 years of age; 62%), undergraduate students (61%), and Hispanic/Latinx students (58%).”

Faculty should know that many UNM resources are available for students. Read more and learn how to help students below.

Anxiety and Eating in UNM Students
Updated Semester Plans
Switching to CR/NC grading
Resources for Assisting Students

Need help supporting your students? UNM Dean of Students, Nasha Torrez, the Director of Counseling, Dr. Stephanie McIver, and Lisa Lindquist, the Director of the Lobo Respect Advocacy Center, along with other support staff can visit your class to answer questions and help students understand that they are not alone. Presentation topics include how to receive support, including mental health support, food, emergency loans, and financial capability coaching. Use this link to schedule a visit.

Students can stay informed about student activities and resources by signing up for weekly info. Send an email request for a subscription to depar@unm.edu

Students also can sign up with a Lobo Social Pack here and find out about study spaces on campus that are open here.

For students who need to learn about time management, the Center for Academic Program Support (CAPS) has on demand virtual workshops, including a “Time Prioritization” Series and workbook at this link (click on “On Demand Series”)

This document has additional information about mental health, food, financial, and crisis support as well as opportunities to connect with campus life.

If you aren’t sure where to direct a student for questions during these times, the LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center is a great starting point. They provide a wide range of services including confidential support, helping students navigate academic pressures, and access to the Lobo Food Pantry.

Additional support is available through the Women’s Resource Center, the Veteran’s Resource Center, The LGBTQ Resource Center, African American Student Services, El Centro de la Raza, American Indian Student Services, and the College Enrichment Program.

UNM has consolidated mental health resources in a website page. If you are concerned about the health and safety of a student, fill out a CARES report.

The Computer Lab in Dane Smith Hall is remaining open for students who need internet access. Hours of operation and other information can be found at the consolidated Computing Resources Site. This site includes campus-wide software licenses, computer purchases, WiFi access, the student computer loan program and other resources available through IT, University Libraries and HSC.

CAPS, the Center for Academic Program Support, is offering on-line tutoring.
Resources Specific to Graduate Students

Graduate Studies has made changes to deadlines and policies to support graduate students, found here. Note that the Spring 2020 semester is not counted in the time-to-degree.

The Advance workshop on mentoring graduate students, and related material, can be found here.

If your students will need IRB approval for their research, consider having them do their CITI training now or suggest an IRB workshop. There is extensive information available on the IRB Training website.

Research Support

Current Research Operations and Guidelines

UNM’s Vice President for Research Dr. Ellen Fisher released the following information on research practices on April 26. The new guidelines are effective from May 16 to August 2.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, UNM Research is working closely with UNM Leadership to update requirements surrounding the return to campus. Attached is the draft update to the Guidelines for Main and Branch Campus Research, effective May 16–August 2, 2021. Research is classified as an essential, non-retail business, meaning that with Bernalillo County at Yellow Level restrictions, there are no limits on capacity, but operations must be limited to only those absolutely necessary to carry out essential functions. It is critical that all researchers at UNM comply with CDC and NMDOH guidelines regarding face coverings and social distancing. For questions specifically regarding human subject research, please contact Linda Mayo (petreel@unm.edu).

Travel restrictions for University business will be lifted as of May 16, exceptions for research activities will no longer be required, and additional information and guidelines are currently in development for the Fall Semester.

This link has the most updated information. All information is subject to change; Please continue to check the NMDOH coronavirus website for updates regarding the restriction status of Bernalillo County. We encourage the UNM community to get vaccinated as soon as possible! Information on vaccines in New Mexico can be found at cvvaccine.nmhealth.org.”
COVID-19 Funding Opportunities

The Office of the Vice President for Research lists funding opportunities related to COVID-19 and the impact of the pandemic here.

NSF has written a Dear Colleague Letter that highlights the opportunity for supplemental funding to help researchers confronted with increased dependent care responsibilities. The goal is to ensure that NSF-award-supported research can continue. See the letter here.
Faculty Research Development Office
National Labs

The Sandia Labs Academic Alliance 2019 Collaboration Report is now available here. UNM is one of 5 academic institutions included in the alliance. As a reminder, you can find the video from our recent workshop on developing collaborations with Sandia here. This webpage includes a short guide on ways UNM faculty can initiate interactions with Sandia scientists and engineers.
IRB

The UNM IRB has prepared a plan to address the gradual resumption of in-person human research activities. This guidance is meant to assist researchers with considering and preparing plans to address risks related COVID-19 exposure when conducting in-person study procedures. The UNM IRB will neither consider nor approve any requests to resume UNM-affiliated in-person research until UNM Administration releases official guidance on restarting research on campus.

A schedule of IRB workshops is here.
University Libraries
IT and Computing Support

The Computer Lab in Dane Smith Hall is remaining open for students who need internet access. Hours of operation and other information can be found at the consolidated Computing Resources Site. This site includes campus-wide software licenses, computer purchases, wifi access, the student computer loan program and other resources available through IT, University Libraries and HSC.

Adobe Creative Campus information is here.

Research IT has announced a Research Technology Catalogue that includes information on data management, storage, and security; HPC services, getting an IT consultation, etc.

Resources for Teaching Online

Implementation of UNM's new LMS
Updated Security Info for Using Zoom
Current Information from the CTL
UNM Online Teaching Resources
Online Teaching Tools to Know About

Techsmith, which makes several helpful online teaching tools like screencast recorders, is offering some of its software for free during the pandemic.

Zoom and Zoom Pro can help professors hold class meetings. It is free with a UNM net ID. You can share your screen with students.

This video, How to hold a class with Zoom, an iPad and a digital pencil by Michelle Pacansky-Brock @brocansky has helpful hints.

Google Hangouts allows groups to join a video conference. Allows screen sharing.

Blackboard Collaborate, which is built into Learn, allows group video chats and has a white board function that allows you to share Power Points, etc.

Skype is another free tool for delivering class lectures online. Here’s a video tutorial.
Other Tips for Managing Online Classes

How to Make Your Online Pivot Less Brutal is a good place to start.

The Teaching Effectively in Times of Disruption guide by technology specialists at Stanford University is full of recommendations and resources.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has this guidebook for teaching online.

Inside Higher Ed has this piece where 17 instructors offer their peers advice on teaching online.

The EduBlogger has this extensive list of resources and other info for teaching online, written by Kathleen Morris (@kathleen_morris).

Building Rapport to Improve Retention in Online Classes, by Rebecca Glazier Offers tips on how to build rapport with students in online classes in order to increase student success.

Inside Higher Ed also offers advice here: So you want to temporarily teach online.

Other UNM Resources and Support

Mental Health
OEO

The OEO and Title IX Offices are operating. You can learn about recent changes to Title IX policies in this short video, part of the ADVANCE “5 Things to Know” series. This document from the Office of Equal Opportunity has a variety of support resources for the campus community.

You can report concerns anonymously through the UNM Compliance Hotline and on-line via Ethicspoint.
DEI

The DEI COVID-19 page is here and a list of Post Election Resources is available here.

DEI has had four panels on the impact of COVID-19, focusing on students, faculty & staff, UNM community members who are Asian & Pacific Islanders, and parents. Links to all of the panels can be found here. A link to the Town Hall “Addressing Anti-Blackness at UNM” is also available on page.
IT and Computing Support

UNM has added a new level of security to Zoom meetings. Read more here.

The Computer Lab in Dane Smith Hall is remaining open for students who need internet access. Hours of operation and other information can be found at the consolidated Computing Resources Site. This site includes campus-wide software licenses, computer purchases, WiFi access, the student computer loan program and other resources available through IT, University Libraries and HSC.

Adobe Creative Campus information is here.

Research IT has announced a Research Technology Catalogue that includes information on data management, storage, and security; HPC services, getting an IT consultation, etc.

Parenting and Childcare

K-12 School Updates

We are tracking the latest news on K-12 school reopenings in New Mexico.

Officials from the state Department of Education on March 8 said schools should open for in person learning April 5. Read more.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Jan. 26 that schools may return to some in-person learning Feb. 8. Listen to her State of the State address here. The decision about returning is up to individual districts, however. Read more here.

Her announcement comes as the CDC on Jan. 26 said researchers found scant evidence of virus transmission in schools when precautionary measures are taken. Read the researchers’ report in the Journal of the American Medical Association here.
Childcare Resources

Distractions for Everyone

Fun Stuff For The Whole Family

Ask the Maxwell: The UNM Maxwell Museum of Anthropology has a range of resources online. One potentially fun opportunity is the “ask Maxwell Friday.” Ask a question or encourage your kids to send questions!

The UNM Art Museum has virtual exhibitions here.

You can engage with the Albuquerque Museum online. In addition to on-line content, watch for special events during 3rd Thursday Online.

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History has a number of Science @ Home resources.

Albuquerque Murals Tour is an informative and beautiful tour of murals throughout Albuquerque.

There are interactive educational resources for parents and teachers on the ABQ Biopark Connect.

“Try This at Home” includes local resources consolidated on this city website.

Check out the creative activities for family fun at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. They also have parts of the collection on-line, as well as webinars for adults.

The New Mexico Museum of Art has a searchable art museum and some on-line exhibits.

Links to museums on Santa Fe’s Museum Hill are here. Most of them have extensive online content. For example:

– The Museum of International Folk Art has thousands of objects on-line and allows you to search through them a number of different ways.

– The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture has on-line exhibits, in addition to educational resources, and a coloring book.

– The Wheelwright Museum has a number of video interviews with, and about, artists.

This New York Times article provides links to The Best Live Animal Feeds from Around the World. Don’t forget to check the Panda Cam to watch the baby panda at the Washington Zoo.