November 12, 2020
Preparation for fall break, remote instruction and finals week
Dear Colleagues,
As we are getting ready to transition to fall break and remote instruction, I am writing to share updates and reminders to help facilitate your planning.
1. Academic calendar reminder. The last day of classes is Friday, Dec. 4, with finals week from Dec. 7-11. The last day for in-person on-campus instruction will be on Nov. 20, right before the student Thanksgiving break. Following the break, the last two weeks of the semester, including final exams, will be completed using distance methods.
During the period of remote instruction, the university will remain open with an emphasis on de-densifying our physical spaces. We strongly encourage units to consider their staffing plans to support de-densifying campus, providing virtual service and support for students, and staffing offices as necessary to successfully complete the semester.
2. Final exams. No final exams will be given in-person. For faculty teaching online courses, guidance regarding final exams is available.
3. Availability of study space/building access. Several of you have asked about access to study space for students who elect to remain on campus during the remote instruction period following fall break, including final exams. There will be space available.
For the Manhattan campus, K-State Libraries will be open Nov. 30 through Dec. 11. The hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 1-5 p.m. Saturday and 1-10 p.m. Sunday. The Libraries will be closed after Dec. 11 for final construction phase and will reopen the weekend before classes start.
The K-State Student Union will be open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday during the last two weeks of the semester. Building hours and services are provided on the website.
Holtz Hall will be open for private study space Nov. 30 through Dec. 11 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Academic buildings hours will remain largely unchanged during the final two weeks of the semester. Most buildings will be unlocked/locked on the same schedule on record with Facilities; exceptions include West Memorial Stadium, which will be unavailable, and Bluemont Hall, which will close at 5 p.m. Following Dec. 11, hours may be adjusted to support safety and security considerations because of a reduced physical presence in buildings. Unit heads may adjust the hours their buildings are open by completing the Request for a Standing Building Order and sending to rooms@k-state.edu. If multiple units are in a building, unit heads should coordinate and submit one request for a change to building hours.
For the Polytechnic campus, the Library will be open during the hours posted on its website.
4. Academic integrity in the classroom. Earlier this week, I shared a message about promoting academic integrity in the classroom. Please take a moment to review the information and resources available to support you and our students.
5. TEVALS. As a reminder, faculty are required to administer TEVALS. Faculty members have the option of including or excluding their fall 2020 student evaluations from any and all types of evaluations in the future. If faculty choose to exclude the evaluations, they shall not be subject to any negative consequences from the department head, evaluation committee, senior faculty, or dean. Additional details are available in my July 22 message.
6. Event and class limits. The university remains in Phase 3 of the COVID recovery plan. Events, gatherings and classes are limited to no more than 50 people. Given the surge in COVID cases in Kansas and the onset of cold and flu season, the university is adhering to the limit on gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
The next few weeks will be important as we finish the fall semester. Thank you for your support for our students in the successful completion of their academic work and your care and support for each other.
Sincerely,
Chuck Taber
Provost and executive vice president