August 30, 2024
From Provost Mendez: Wildcat Pause Day instructional guidance
Submitted by Jesse Perez Mendez
Dear Colleagues,
As I announced on K-State Today this past June, K-State's inaugural Wildcat Pause Day will be Friday, Oct. 11. This is a pilot wellness effort that creates a break in the semester that will offer an opportunity for students to replenish for the second half of the semester. In my original note I stated that on this day we will stop all instruction, in all modalities, and we will not have any assignments due. To facilitate the spirit of this pause, I also encourage faculty to avoid scheduling major examinations or large assignments on Monday, Oct. 14.
Some faculty have reached out to request clarification and additional instructional guidance for 8-week courses which end on Friday, Oct. 11. We ask that all instruction should be completed and all major assignments should be collected prior to Friday, Oct. 11, to align with Wildcat Pause Day.
In addition to the daylong pause in instruction, there will be wellness programming and opportunities scheduled throughout the week of Oct. 7-11 to educate the university community on how we can integrate wellness practices into our everyday lives. The particulars of these activities will be shared with the campus in coming weeks.
Thank you for creating this semester pause for your students. I know it takes effort to modify instructional schedules and plans, but we also know that K-State faculty and staff are committed to student success and wellness for all. Thank you for contributing to a successful inaugural Wildcat Pause Day.
Go 'Cats!
Jesse Perez Mendez
Provost and executive vice president