COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR FACULTY:
In order to protect State university faculty, coaches, counselors, and their families from the life-threatening consequences of COVID-19 and its high potential for airborne spread in confined indoor settings, and after reviewing the scientific evidence and conferring with others in higher education, as well as our members, the Inter Faculty Organization established the following positions:
Employees whose work can be performed remotely should be permitted to telework if they choose, and faculty should be permitted to teach (and advise) remotely if they need/want to.
Employees whose work cannot be performed remotely should be accommodated if they establish that they or a member of their household are at increased risk for severe illness as defined by the CDC.
Faculty, staff, and students should be required to be vaccinated or submit to regular testing if they are on campus in a setting that may put others at risk.
As always, we welcome your questions and concerns. Please contact us by email at advocacy@ifo.org.
As you take steps to protect your health and that of others, keep in mind that we are fighting a virus, not members of our communities. Discrimination, stereotypes, xenophobia, and racism remain as harmful to our campus and local communities as before the emergence of COVID-19.
FAQ’s and Helpful resources
Chancellor Announces Limited Student Vaccine Requirements
COVID Vaccine/Testing Policy for State Employees
Click Here to Learn More About the MN COVID Vaccine Connector Tool
Data for K-12 Schools: 14-day COVID-19 Case Rate by County
Updated every Thursday
Number of cases by county of residence over 14 days, per 10,000 people.
Faculty mental Health Resources
SEGIP Wellbeing: https://mn.gov/mmb/segip/health-and-wellbeing/
The Employee Assistance Program provides 6 free counseling sessions per person per issue per year. https://mn.gov/mmb/segip/health-and-wellbeing/eap/eap-work-life.jsp
More COVID-19 related information for State employees may be found on MMB’s website.
Information for showing videos during virtual classes
Will this impact tenure, promotion, or the PDP/PDR process?
The IFO and local faculty associations will work with the campus administrations to ensure the circumstances of the pandemic are taken into account during these processes.
Will this change how courses are delivered in the future?
The decision to move to online course delivery was based on the health concerns of the pandemic. Once the health situation resolves, faculty and departments will return to making decisions on course delivery based on professional judgment and pedagogical considerations. The IFO stands ready to challenge any campus administration’s attempt to implement fundamental changes beyond the course of these exigent circumstances.
How will this impact use of 19B funds?
Faculty may submit reimbursement receipts for non-refundable fees and costs incurred related to professional development activities (e.g., airfare, hotel, registration fees, etc.), even if the activities were canceled due to COVID-19.
How will this impact licensure/accreditation requirements?
The System Office will seek faculty input and decisions related to any modification of curricular requirements. The System Office has indicated their top priority is, if possible, to hold students harmless in terms of additional financial cost or a burdensome amount of extended time to completion.
How will this impact students in academic internships, student teaching, clinical experiences, and other licensure requirements?
Due to the disruption caused by the pandemic response and now the stay-at-home order by the Governor, a potential issue for students unable to complete the face-to-face requirements for accreditation or licensure. When a student is enrolled in these applied experiences, they are covered by a university’s liability insurance policy, so the question will arise if the student needs to complete the face-to-face hours sometime after this spring semester and students will not be required to re-register (to avoid additional costs to the student), will the university insurance policy cover these students who are not official registered? The MinnState Academic and Student Affairs Division will continue to investigate this issue and try to cover the students and hold them harmless.
Is the IFO advocating for our students who do not have the tools or access needed to complete courses remotely?
The IFO continues to address our concern for those students who are and will experience inequities with technology, Wi-Fi access, personal computers, learning styles not suited for online delivery, and other personal and financial commitments. Low-income, first-generation, and historically marginalized students will likely be impacted more adversely as a result of our pedagogical adaptations to this pandemic. The IFO has suggested the universities and the System begin to monitor and eventually assess the negative impacts.
LINKS/DOCUMENTS:
MN Dept of health Covid situational updates:
General updates webpage
Daily Update
Testing
Minnesota Case Overview
Hospitalization
Case Demographics
Likely Exposure
Residence
Weekly Report
Care Facilities
Other COVID-19 Data and StatisticsMDH: Guidance for Mitigating COVID-19 at Higher Education Institutions (8/18/2020) - (https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/schools/guideihe.pdf) – please note the new guidance regarding class sizes.
MDH: Recommendations for Different Levels of COVID-19 Transmission Among Higher Education Institutions (8/14/2020) – (https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/schools/iherecs.pdf)
Vulnerable/High-Risk Populations for COVID-19 in Higher Education
COVID-19 College and University Owned and Operated Residential Life Refund or Credit Policy
MinnState 2021 Spring Planning Guidance Memo (9/9/20)
As always, the safety of faculty, staff, and students remains our top priority. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at advocacy@ifo.org.