Dear Faculty and Staff,

It’s hard to believe that we are approaching the end of the spring semester. This term has been uniquely challenging, and I want to thank you for continuing to give each other — and our students — your best effort. Your resilience has helped us get through another semester and ensures that better days are ahead.

Commencement

A welcome sign of progress in our return to normalcy is our ability to host in-person commencement ceremonies. This is an exciting time, especially since we have not had an in-person ceremony since December 2019. We know this is a special day to share with students, but please be aware there will be capacity limits at the events. However, all ceremonies will be streamed live online, so you can join the festivities wherever you may be. Congratulations to all our graduates! You can find more information at utrgv.edu/commencement.

Summer 2021: Continuation of Limited In-Person Operations

Previous communications indicated that traditional on-campus operations could resume on June 1, provided we successfully vaccinate all willing individuals by late May. I want to be clear that this is not a mandate to return to campus at that time. Many offices have already returned, others never left, and many others are resuming on-campus operations beginning in June. Regardless of your situation, our focus will continue to be on a steady and safe return to campus in advance of the Fall semester. Please work with your supervisor to determine your work plan for your office this summer. As always, please reach out to our Office of Human Resources if additional guidance is needed. We owe our entire campus community a debt of gratitude for the ongoing support throughout the pandemic for our students and each other.

Additionally, all COVID-19 campus protocols, including the wearing of facial coverings and social distancing, will be enforced on campus this summer and until further notice.

This summer, we will continue to offer most of our courses remotely. Below is a breakdown of each summer session’s course modalities, as selected by the faculty:

Summer I:

• 84% of courses will be Online, Asynchronously or Synchronously
• 10% of courses will be Hybrid/Reduced Seating classes
• 5% of courses will be Traditional, face-to-face classes
• 1% of courses will be Interactive Video classes on campus

Summer II:

• 85% of courses will be Online, Asynchronously or Synchronously
• 12% of courses will be Hybrid/Reduced Seating classes
• 2% of courses will be Traditional, face-to-face classes
• 1% of courses will be Interactive Video classes on campus

Fall 2021: Full Return to Campus

Your safety and success are our top priorities as we prepare for a full return to campus this August. That’s why we are currently working to vaccinate all willing campus community members aged 16 and older as soon as possible. Protecting as many people as we can now through vaccination provides us with the best opportunity for a successful start to the new academic year.

The Fall 2021 semester at UTRGV will function like terms that took place before the pandemic, though a substantial number of courses will continue to have remote options. Here’s how classes will be offered during Fall 2021, also selected by the faculty:

• 52% of courses will be Traditional, face-to-face classes
• 31% of courses will be Online, Asynchronously or Synchronously
• 14% of courses will be Hybrid/Reduced Seating classes
• 3% of courses will be Interactive Video classes on campus

We know these modalities may not work for all students for a variety of reasons, including health concerns. If students have questions or need to explore options, please refer them to the Office of Student Life and Dean of Students or dos@utrgv.edu for assistance. Faculty are asked to create the syllabus for each course based on the modality selected. This includes policies such as attendance and grading.

While we expect a complete return to in-person operations this Fall, we do not yet know what protocols will be in place at the start of the term. However, we are monitoring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and expect those to be updated as more people throughout the nation get vaccinated. We will use the CDC’s recommendations to develop our protocols for the Fall 2021 term and will need to be ready to pivot our operations, including our courses, should such action become necessary. Please rest assured that our community’s health and welfare is our first priority, and this will guide our decisions.

Sincerely,

Janna Arney, Ph.D.
Deputy President and Interim Provost