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.
Last week you heard from Dean Gallimore about supporting each other through the election. The day has come and gone, but for many, the stress has not. Ruminating on how this election might impact your wellness, your relationships or the issues that you care about can be overwhelming. Connect with your support systems or reach out to U-M’s Counseling and Consultation Office at any time.
UNDERGRAD STAY-IN-PLACE ORDER ENDED
The Washtenaw County Health Department’s order for U-M undergraduate students ended Tuesday morning following a decrease in the proportion of county COVID-19 cases associated with U-M. Laboratory access and student team activities for undergraduates may resume to pre-order status.
WINTER 2021 PLANS
The University announced today the plans for Winter semester, which include:
- No significant changes to instructional methodology
- Increased testing protocols
- De-densification strategies
The College is reaching out to all of our students to make sure they understand key elements and remind them of supporting resources. Undergrads living in residence halls will be most affected. The plan does not include operational changes for graduate students or engineering faculty and staff, although an emphasis has been placed on increased choices, access to testing and mental health.
The Office of Student Affairs has established various resources to help our students who are living in residence halls that may be affected by the de-densification strategies. Please direct students that need assistance to OSA, who will work to connect them with the support they need. Students can email coe-studentaffairs@umich.edu or call (734) 647-7118.
PREPARING FOR ONLINE EXAMS
On Monday, instructors received an email with reminders and resources. While we encourage holistic methods of assessing student learning, many instructors still need to administer timed online exams. Help you and your students be prepared for technical difficulties during the exam:
- Include a statement on your syllabus
- Be prepared with a list of technical resources
- Review the suggested back-up plans
Read this post from the Faculty Resources Blog to learn about key steps, options, and considerations for administering timed exams via Canvas.
GOOGLE APPOINTMENTS & ZOOM 1:1 OFFICE HOURS
Many faculty host open office hours, but may still be looking for an effective way to schedule individual student appointments. To reduce administrative effort and enable students to self-schedule directly on your calendar, consider using the Appointments feature and integrating Zoom with your Google Calendar. To learn more about these tools, read this Nexus Faculty Resources Blog post.
TWO FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
- Lab and Design Course Materials
The College is accepting funding requests to cover additional course material costs (e.g. lab kits and shipping) for lab and design courses. 25% department cost share is required. Additional info and funding request form. Deadline: Dec 7, 2020.
- Academic Innovation
The Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education (ADUE) is accepting proposals for two academic innovation funding opportunities:
- Extended Reality (XR) Clinic Individual Grants: Up to $25,000 over two years (proposals due early Feb 1, 2021, up to four projects will be funded). Link to RFP
- Educational Innovation Accelerator Grants: Up to $100,000 over two years (proposals due March 1, 2021, one project will be funded). Link to RFP
ADUE will hold a Town Hall for engineering faculty to learn more and ask questions Friday, Dec 4 from 10-11AM. Please RSVP for the Town Hall via this link by Tuesday, Dec 2.
RECORDING: STATE OF THE COLLEGE
Here is the Dean’s State of the College presentation to staff on Oct, 15.