AS&E Faculty and Staff Deans' Message
June 23, 2020
Subject: A follow up to President Monaco’s Fall 2020 Announcement
Dear AS&E Faculty and Staff,
Earlier today you received a message from President Monaco about Tufts University’s plans for the Fall 2020 semester.
While our commitment to academic excellence and creating transformative experiences for students remains steadfast, campus life this year will be, by necessity, significantly different.
The campuses will re-open for the Fall semester as scheduled, with classes starting on September 8. We will follow the scheduled academic calendar, while being fully prepared to implement changes should circumstances require us to do so.
We are deeply grateful to our faculty and staff for their significant efforts to adapt curricula in new ways and to provide the support necessary to give our students the flexibility to continue their studies at Tufts either on campus or remotely. Student experience, course formats and size, classroom layouts, pedagogical approaches, and faculty preferences were all taken into consideration in our development of Fall academic plans. Liberal arts and sciences and engineering courses will be offered in various formats: some will focus on in-person lectures and discussions, others will be offered fully virtually (and will be recorded and available online), and many will have a hybrid or multiple modality model, combining a mix of remote and in-person instruction. Virtual learning may be available either synchronously – live, with students all participating at the same time – or asynchronously, enabling students to participate at a time that works best for them. The studio arts curriculum offered by SMFA at Tufts has been completely redesigned by the faculty to mix in-depth virtual instruction with options for students to receive supplies and equipment at home or to access studios and facilities in person to complete coursework.
To create a safer environment and minimize the risk of transmitting COVID-19, we must operate with de-densified campuses. Currently, the schools’ leadership teams are working with each department/unit to develop operational plans that include schedules for employees’ return to campus. Staff who are deemed “essential” for campus operations, in meeting the in-person needs of our students, and/or have jobs that cannot be done remotely will be considered for a return to campus. We are taking many precautions to ensure the safety of those who are asked to return and to encourage remote work, when possible. Staff members are expected to continue working from home until their supervisor notifies them of a return date.
The university has taken extraordinary measures to provide for the health and safety of everyone returning to campus. The Operations and Facilities Services Guidelines have been developed and detail some of these efforts. In addition, we are asking for your cooperation. All faculty and staff who return to campus will be expected to follow safety protocols regarding navigating the workspace, to take required measures for personal health and safety (e.g. wearing face coverings, practicing hand hygiene, etc.), and to practice social distancing. The schools are working collectively to develop centralized procedures for these initiatives and will be distributing materials to promote personal health and safety, including masks and sanitization supplies, among other measures.
In addition, everyone returning to campus will need to be tested for COVID-19 (testing frequency and methods will be specific to each person’s level of risk, and more details will be provided shortly.) Faculty and staff are asked to complete an online training module and review the learning guide to prepare for the new safety protocols. Once the module has been completed, faculty and staff are asked to complete and submit an acknowledgement form. The training course is available for completion on the Tufts Learning Center website.
In the coming weeks, you will receive additional communications from us to provide further information. In the meantime, if you have any specific questions or concerns, we ask that you work directly with your supervisor, chair, director, or academic dean; read the Faculty and Staff Return to Campus Guide; or email covid19@tufts.edu. If you are a supervisor, please review the Return to Campus Manager’s Guide.
Please note that our students are receiving follow-up emails today from our schools with important details about the Fall. If a student reaches out to you with any question you cannot answer, please direct them to our Student Service Desk at studentservices@tufts.edu or 617-627-2000.
Although this is a deeply challenging moment in global history, we have faith in the collective strength of our community. Thank you for your tremendous efforts.
Sincerely,
James M. Glaser, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Jianmin Qu, Dean of the School of Engineering