The College of Engineering’s weekly update aims to provide transparent and frequent information about how the College is operating, adapting and caring for its community. Updated information can always be found at the College’s COVID website. Questions and feedback can be submitted here.
Next Wednesday (2/24) is the first of two scheduled University well-being breaks. All academic activities should be paused so that our community can reflect and recharge. If you are on campus, you can add free coffee and doughnuts to your well-being breather. MDining and OSA have teamed up to safely distribute free coffee and doughnuts on Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. in the Duderstadt Connector.
Supporting each other and our students is of critical importance. Flexibility and empathy are virtues that have helped our community navigate the semester. Thank you for living these values and please don’t forget about these important resources.
BENCH LAB RESEARCH EXPANDED
Starting February 16, UMOR has relaxed some rules governing bench lab research:
- The fraction of bench lab spaces used IN EACH BUILDING can be expanded to 75% (up from the current 60%).
- A subset of Tier 2 human research studies (those classified as an observational study or Benefit Level 4) is allowed to resume.
All other COVID-19 research requirements remain in place. For example, there remains a personnel capacity limit for each lab as defined by its square footage, and cohort groups are still required to stay together. Moreover, the current process for reopening lab spaces is unchanged, and EHS will continue to spot check our buildings for compliance to the safety protocols delineated in the SOPs. All students entering labs need to complete the MyLinc module Working safely in UM Research Labs and perform the daily health attestation on Responsiblue along with mandatory testing.
The College will continue to work with your teams to assist with opening labs (until we hit the 75% fraction of available spaces). Faculty should continue to work with their UAs to develop/maintain their cohort lists, which can be sent to the ARD office for processing.
VIRTUAL GRADUATION PLANNING
The University announced the decision to host a virtual commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 1. We are working with departments to develop a virtual program for our Engineering graduates. Our planning has been informed by student input and includes a variety of speakers and creative celebrations.
A College-wide ceremony will be followed by departmental ceremonies for individual student recognition.