Spring Semester Updates for Faculty and Students

Dear ECU Community,

For the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected just about every aspect of our personal and professional lives. I’m proud that Pirate Nation has responded with passion, compassion and resilience. So far, this spring semester brings hope. However, Spring 2021 is anything but normal, and we continue to cope with highly disrupted lives among faculty, staff and students. We should acknowledge that this is fatiguing and that our collective mental health has suffered. In addition, these disruptions and their effects are witnessed disproportionately by some. I have received numerous messages from faculty, staff and students, and I have listened carefully.

During the Faculty Senate meeting of February, I witnessed the continued excellent work done by Faculty Senate Committees. However, two recommendations gave me pause. They are Resolution #21-10 (Move the drop/withdrawal date during the Spring 2021 semester to the last day of classes), and Resolution #21-14 (Recommendation to use the Survey of Student Opinion of Instruction (SSOI) scores for the 2020-2021 Academic Year). Following provisions in the Faculty Manual, I met with the Faculty Officers and with the Chair of the Admissions and Retention Committee. During our meeting, I was given background for the recommendations, and I expressed my concern with both Resolutions. After serious deliberation, I will not approve these resolutions as originally presented by the Faculty Senate because I do not think that they adequately reflect the challenging circumstances that we are trying to cope with. We can illustrate our compassion with additional flexibility.

In the coming days more information will be forthcoming about these two initiatives. Faculty wishing to submit a COVID-19 impact statement for personnel decisions in the spring semester should discuss this with their unit administrator. Students are encouraged to initiate discussion with their advisors to help them plan the remainder of spring semester.

Thank you, Pirates, and do take care!

Regards,
RonM

Dr. Ron Mitchelson, Interim Chancellor

FACULTY EVALUATION AND COVID-19

ECU’s faculty have made profound adjustments to their work as a result of the pandemic. After consultation with Provost Hayes, Vice Chancellor Stacy, Vice Chancellor Van Scott and Faculty Senate Officers, Interim Chancellor Mitchelson is offering the following options to ensure that faculty efforts are appropriately recognized and evaluated.

COVID-19 Impact Statement

Faculty may choose to present a COVID Impact Statement, which can be added to the materials prepared and submitted for the reappointment, promotion and tenure process (beginning with AY 2021-22 cycle), progress toward tenure letters, and annual evaluation (beginning with AY 2020-21 cycles) as a discrete addition to their evaluation materials. Faculty should ensure that COVID impacts are clearly and explicitly presented to address the intent of this opportunity.

For each aspect of responsibility that has been affected, the faculty member may summarize changes in conditions that affected productivity, including but not limited to:

• Opportunities to demonstrate innovation and creativity;
• Modifications or increase to workload, activities or approaches;
• Canceled or delayed events, activities or work products;
• Reduced access to facilities, locations, personnel or partners;
• Opportunities to address emergent issues related to the pandemic and/or
• “Invisible” service to sustain departmental or other operations or to support students.

Impacts should be discussed explicitly in the faculty member’s statement as well as all assessments. In addition, each faculty member at their discretion may elect to address personal circumstances that affected overall productivity (e.g., increased caregiving demands) as well as other observed effects on productivity that may fall outside of specific aspects of responsibility. Adding information about personal circumstances is entirely optional. Please be advised the institution does not seek the disclosure of confidential medical information and note that any information voluntarily shared as part of the Impact Statement may become part of personnel record and may be accessible and viewed by others as part of the personnel process, including unit administrators and personnel committees.

To include a COVID Impact Statement in a PAD:

The COVID Impact Statement, where used, will be part of the optional candidate statement in the PAD.

To include a COVID Impact Statement in an Annual Review:

A COVID Impact Statement is considered “other pertinent information.” Faculty should consult with their unit administrator for any departmental preferences or procedures on including such a statement for annual review.

Annual Evaluation and Progress Toward Tenure Letters

Teaching effectiveness

The evidence of teaching effectiveness that faculty present this year may look different than normal. Spring, Summer and Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 SSOI reports will be used in evaluation materials at the discretion of the instructor. Disruption in the peer observation process also should be expected. The evaluation process should not disadvantage candidates because of these effects. Faculty are encouraged to highlight innovations and new developments in courses, curricula and programs in their self-reports. When evaluating performance in the teaching area, the candidate’s reflections and evidence of growth and learning through these innovations may be important considerations for evaluators.

Productivity in other areas of responsibility

COVID-19 may have changed, slowed or suspended the scholarship and creative activity for some faculty. Evaluators should recognize and account for the atypical circumstances of the pandemic as they evaluate research productivity.

Disproportionate effects on faculty

COVID-19 has been disproportionately disruptive to individuals with caregiving and other family responsibilities. These effects should be considered by evaluators of faculty performance.

Tenure Clock Extensions

Faculty were given the option to request COVID-related extensions of their reappointment and/or tenure clocks. Members of Tenure Committees are reminded that the extra time provided by extensions of the tenure clock, regardless of reason, should not be viewed in a manner that is harmful to the faculty candidate. Teaching loads should not be increased during the extra year(s) in the probationary appointment.

UNDERGRADUATE SPECIAL GRADING ACCOMODATIONS DUE TO COVID-19

ECU’s students have made profound adjustments to their academic life as a result of the pandemic. Upon consultation with Provost Hayes, Vice Chancellor Stacy, the Faculty Senate Officers and the Chair of the Faculty Senate Admissions and Retention Policies Committee, Interim Chancellor Mitchelson offers the following initiatives to help lessen the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pass/Fail Grading

Undergraduate students will be able to opt in to Pass/Fail grading for a maximum of two courses (up to 8 hours) in the Spring 2021 term. This means that, instead of keeping the letter grades they receive from their faculty, they can request a Pass grade for courses where a grade of D- or above is earned or a Fall grade for courses where they earned a grade less than D-.

Additional details:

• All academic transcripts will have a note added to Spring 2021 indicating the major disruption the coronavirus pandemic has caused to the academic experience.
• Students will be able to make Pass/Fail selections beginning Tuesday, May 11th at 8 a.m. until Wednesday, May 26th at 8 a.m. via PiratePort. Instructions about how students request Pass/Fail grading will be distributed in April, before the last of classes.
• Courses graded as Pass/Fail will count toward applicable curricular, major, continuation and graduation requirements.
• A grade of Pass/Fail will not count toward a student’s GPA but will count toward earned semester hours.
• Some programs/majors may require a grade of C or better for their course requirements and may be excluded from the Pass/Fail option.
• Some programs/majors may not allow a grade of Pass/Fail for certain prerequisite courses.
• All Fail grades result in no credit earned and cannot be used to fulfill any major or degree requirements. This can negatively impact financial aid eligibility and even delay student time to graduation.
• Pass/Fail course selections will be reviewed by an academic advisor after students request it. Students will be contacted if there are concerns that their choices will have a negative impact on degree progression or graduation timeline.
• If a Pass/Fail course request is flagged by an advisor or department, students will have a limited amount of time to decide if they want to adjust their course selection. Students should check their ECU email regularly up until June 7th, so they don’t miss time-sensitive information.

Course Withdrawal Options

The deadline to withdraw from 15-week Spring 2021 courses without a GPA penalty is April 27th. Withdrawal deadlines for Spring 2021 block courses are the last day of classes (March 5 for the first block and April 27 for the second block).

Any courses withdrawn from by the posted deadline during Spring 2021 do not count toward the 16-hour limit that is currently set by ECU’s course withdrawal policy. Students planning to withdraw from multiple courses or request the Pass/Fail option should talk with the Financial Aid Office about any potential impacts to their future aid eligibility.

Grade Replacement Flexibility

ECU’s current Grade Replacement Policy allows students to replace a grade up to four times for courses in which they have earned a grade C-, D+, D, D- or F. Any courses taken Spring 2021 semester will not count against the four-course limit for grade replacement if the student retakes the course(s) in a future academic term.

Before making decisions

Students should carefully consider all of the pros and cons before moving forward. To help them with their decision-making process, they can take the following steps:

• Talk with their advisor. Many departments/programs require grades of C or better for courses or prerequisites in their majors and will not allow Pass/Fail grades to satisfy these requirements. The student’s choice may also impact their competitiveness for future licensures, graduate programs or professional schools, and an academic advisor can help them make an informed decision.
• Calculate the impact to their GPA. Opting for Pass/Fail grading can protect their semester or cumulative GPA but may also negatively impact progress toward graduation because of credit earned/lost.
• Consult with the Financial Aid Office about possible impacts on future financial aid eligibility. If students are receiving financial aid, they still will be held to the required standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress.