In a message sent yesterday to the University community, President Sarah Mangelsdorf and Interim Provost Sarah Peyre shared further details on planning for the return to Eastman and River Campuses next week and anticipating how spring semester operations will look based on Medical Center guidance, and county and national data. Read the full message here.
Here’s what is staying the same:
All undergraduate and graduate students should plan to return to campus as scheduled;
Classes will begin, in person, as scheduled;
We will conduct orientation for the cohort of new students as scheduled;
Research activities will continue to be conducted in person, following COVID safety measures (vaccination, masking);
Intercollegiate athletics events will continue, in keeping with current NCAA guidance;
River Campus and Eastman Dining Services will be fully operational with many Grab & Go options.
Here are some changes in the near term:
All instructional faculty must be masked in class, regardless of the distance between the instructor and the students, until February 1;
All student extracurricular activities will be held virtually until February 1; all other planned activities, such as lectures and conferences, are strongly encouraged to be moved to online when possible, for the month of January;
The Rettner Hall COVID testing site on River Campus will only be testing unvaccinated faculty, staff, and students who have exemptions—those individuals required to participate in weekly surveillance testing—and symptomatic students as directed by UHS.
A reminder on face masks: they must be worn properly, covering the nose and mouth, indoors on the University’s campuses and properties. Visit the face mask FAQ page for full information. Face masks with air valves are not permitted, nor are face shields alone without a proper face mask underneath.
Konar Foundation gives $1.75 million to the Warner School to support literacy
The William & Sheila Konar Foundation recently made a $1.5 million gift to establish the Sheila Konar Professorship at the Warner School of Education. The gift will forever support a faculty member who has a strong focus on literacy learning, is engaged in community-based instruction programs, and is involved in partnerships that elevate reading and comprehension skills for marginalized students. The foundation also made a $275,000 gift to support the Project READ Fund, which will provide immediate support for the program along with related literacy book pilot projects.
“According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity-related illness kills 325,000 Americans every year. Meaning that we are literally eating ourselves to death. But what is it we are eating? It isn’t real food, it is the packaged, highly refined, chemically laden products marketed to us as “food” that are killing us, and will continue to do so until we reframe what is being perpetrated on consumers in terms of addiction,” writes Susan Peirce Thompson, an adjunct associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences.
Celebrate a deserving colleague for their hard work and dedication by submitting a nomination for one of the annual President’s Staff Awards. The nomination period is now open for the following awards:
The Witmer Award for Distinguished Service honors a select number of employees for careers characterized by outstanding and sustained contributions to the University.
The Meliora Award recognizes a staff member or team of staff whose work and performance exemplify the University’s motto, Meliora.
The Staff Community Service Award honors a nonmanagement staff member whose volunteer service to the University or a nonprofit within the Greater Rochester community is outside of their usual assignment.
The Lamar Riley Murphy Leadership Award recognizes a staff member for innovative and proactive leadership.
Workshop series on supporting students‘ mental health
The Mindful University Project is continuing to offer workshops to help faculty and staff learn practical strategies to support students’ mental health and navigate any challenges that may arise in the upcoming semester with ease. Dialogue topics include creating a contemplative classroom, suicide prevention, using motivational science to improve student motivation and well-being, and the “good enough” professor. These workshops will be held via Zoom starting today, January 5. Find the full lineup of offerings and register here.
Health Bites: Trending now in nutrition
Join experts from Well-U’s lifestyle management team on Tuesday, January 11, at noon EST for a deep dive into trending diets. Learn how they stack up to recommendations and discover how and what you should be eating to help prevent disease, increase energy, and improve overall health. Register here to attend.
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities seed grant funding
The Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center announces the availability of seed grant funding towards cell and molecular imaging and translational neuroimaging and neurophysiology. The awarded funds are intended to enable new and established Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities investigators to generate preliminary data that will lead to competitive applications for extramural funding. Applicants can be awarded up to $7,500 by completing a short application. Application and requests are due by January 21. Email Sherry Mentor with questions.
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