Provost's Message to the Faculty

Dear Colleagues,

I know many of you have been impacted by the wildfires, and I pray that you, your families, and your homes are safe.  Please continue to call on your university colleagues if there is anything we can do to assist you, and please notify your dean and/or department chair if you determine you are unable to meet any scheduled classes next week.  By Monday, October 29 human resources will have a designated phone line to handle specific needs and requests from our faculty and staff.

Many are beginning to plan for the resumption of classes next week.  Given the complexities of university-wide calendaring, it is not feasible to designate particular dates as campus-wide make-up dates.  The law school is exploring such an option, and law faculty will be notified by Dean Cole of any such decision.  For all other faculty, I encourage you first to revise your syllabi and assignments to reflect that the semester class time is shortened by one week.  In the event you need to schedule a make-up class, please coordinate with your dean or his/her designee.  We must be sensitive to our students’ schedules that may be impacted by multiple make-up sessions.  Also, for those of you teaching undergraduates, the deadline for mid-term grades has been extended to 5:00 PM on Friday, November 2.

President Lyons graciously invites any faculty (particularly new or junior faculty) who would like to share and discuss ideas for revising their syllabi for the rest of the semester to come to campus on Friday at noon for lunch and conversation with your colleagues.  Our experience after events such as this and the 2003 Cedar Fires tell us that students’ anxieties about their well-being, their families, and their studies are extremely high.  This lunch conversation may also surface helpful suggestions for recognizing these while, at the same time, continuing the business of the semester.  We encourage senior faculty and department chairs to also join us and share your valuable perspectives and prior experiences. 

In order to determine the appropriate venue and to order sufficient lunches, please respond to RSVP@sandiego.edu by noon on Thursday if you plan to attend.  We are very sensitive to the fact that many of you are dealing with family and personal circumstances and/or cannot or should not travel at this time.  This is only an opportunity to gather for those who want to and can access it.  Anyone unable to attend and seeking assistance, please call on your colleagues, department chair, or dean. You may also access a summary of the dialogue on the USD Center for Educational Excellence website.

Sincerely,

Julie H. Sullivan, Ph.D.
Provost