[Summary: Instructional faculty reappointment letters will be sent over the next weeks; teaching in the next academic year will require flexibility by all faculty; we are forming an FAS committee on instructional faculty.]
Dear FAS Colleagues,
I am writing to let you know that, in the next weeks, the FAS Dean’s Office will issue reappointment letters to instructional faculty. We are glad to support every instructional faculty member who had been a part of our curricular planning prior to COVID-19. The presence of these valued colleagues greatly enhances our undergraduate curriculum and our academic community.
Because we do not yet know all of the ways in which the pandemic may affect teaching and scheduling, the letters will lack some of the details typically included in such an appointment. In the coming academic year, the University must maintain flexibility in order to protect the health of its faculty, students, and staff and manage the myriad effects of the pandemic. In response to these shifting circumstances, we may need to explore alterations to the academic calendar and adjustments to our methods of teaching and mentoring. We are still in the early stages of considering and planning for a range of contingencies. I look forward to working with all of you as we jointly confront these challenges.
Being flexible is not new to any of us. This is especially true of our instructional colleagues. The current situation underscores how important it is to recognize their contributions to our community. Structures of equitable governance are critical to ongoing recognition and inclusion. To ensure that our decisions are informed by the perspective of all faculty, the FAS Dean’s Office plans to establish a committee composed of instructional faculty to engage regularly with divisional deans.
With great appreciation for all that you bring to our community, I offer my thanks.
Stay safe, stay well,
Tamar
Tamar Szabó Gendler
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Vincent J. Scully Professor of Philosophy
Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science