Dear Colleagues,

Now that the fall semester is underway, I want to once again thank you for all you’ve done to make the start of the semester a successful one. We have just completed our census day enrollment period and are proud to report that UTRGV has reached another enrollment milestone with 32,618 students this fall (undergraduate, 27,275; graduate, 5,122; and School of Medicine, 221). Importantly, more than 80% of our first-year students returned for their second year this fall in spite of COVID-19 – a true testament to the resilience of our students. 

Beginning this week, students who were eligible for the cash grants will receive the second installment of $500 as part of their Fall Relief Package. Students received the first installment a couple of weeks prior to the start of the semester. Thank you for submitting your course requirements a bit earlier this year. We are hopeful that by doing so the students were able to use their first installment for purchasing needed technology and course materials. 

A couple of weeks ago, I sent a message with a list of resources. Please let us know of other information that would be helpful to include. 

Faculty Review Process

Also underway this fall is our faculty review process. As of last Friday, we have met with each college to discuss the importance of the review process but also to highlight the unique circumstances experienced by all faculty the past two semesters. The message in those meetings was that UTRGV’s commitment is to engage in a holistic, adaptive, and compassionate approach to faculty review during these challenging times. Our overall approach must be adapted to take into account the disruption that COVID-19 has caused for all faculty in terms of teaching, research/scholarship/creative activities and service. While the patterns and effects of this disruption may differ by discipline and individual, the impact and demand to adapt to extraordinary circumstances is experienced by all faculty. Thank you for your continued commitment to retaining the integrity and value of the faculty review process. 

Spring Semester

I know we just started fall, but it is time to begin our modality planning for spring. As we did with fall, we will leave the modality choice up to the discipline experts, our faculty. Later today, the Registrar’s office will reopen the spring scheduling system to allow each of you to work with your chair to make adjustments in modality for your spring courses. Chairs will have until September 30 to complete those selections. 

Based on current conditions, our commitment to keep on-campus attendance to a safe minimum remains our priority. However, we ask you to consider your current experiences, your students’ experiences, and the possibility of improving community health conditions when selecting your spring modality. We encourage you to provide as many online synchronous and hybrid (reduced seating) options as possible, particularly for lower-division courses. By choosing a hybrid option, for instance, should community health conditions improve, you would have the ability to bring students back to campus for classes at some point during the semester. This flexibility will allow us to be prepared for what the spring may hold. Early feedback from students, especially those in their first year with us, is indicating that many of them are struggling to remain engaged and on track in some of their asynchronous classes. We know that the connection first-year students are able to build with you, their peers, and the entire academic community is a powerful catalyst for students’ success. We appreciate you taking the time to consider how your choice of modality can both keep everyone safe, as well as offer students the best opportunities for engagement and learning. 

Thank you for your continued support of our students, each other, and the communities we serve.

Sincerely,

Janna Arney, Ph.D.

Interim Provost and Deputy President