Faculty Relevant COVID-19 Policies
The COVID-19 pandemic has required a number of policy innovations affecting faculty and how we do our jobs. The following measures and links will be useful for faculty seeking guidance on the changes, procedures to follow, and resources. Please direct any questions to Bill Stanley, Associate Provost for Faculty Success, accessible through the UNM Directory.
Administrative Mandate on Required COVID-19 Vaccination
To protect and preserve the health, safety and welfare of the UNM community, the University of New Mexico will require all faculty, staff and students accessing University facilities and programs to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible, but no later than September 30, 2021. This mandate requires all UNM faculty, staff and students who access campus facilities, housing, programs, services and activities in person to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, subject to limited exemptions
Online Accelerated Program Exemption >
Junior Faculty Q&A
On May 8, 2020, Provost Holloway and Senior Vice Provost Rodriguez held a virtual town hall with junior faculty about how the university would conduct and safeguard mid-probationary and tenure/promotion reviews for faculty whose work has been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. They also addressed other issues particularly affecting junior faculty during this exception time. Their remarks and responses to questions are summarized in an FAQ for Junior Faculty.
Extension of Probationary Period (“tenure clock”) due to COVID-19
On April 10, 2020, Provost Holloway, in consultation with the UNM Committee on Governance, UNM Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee, and with the endorsement of the UNM Faculty Senate Operations Committee, enacted an automatic one-year extension to the probationary period ("tenure clock") for all currently appointed UNM tenure-track faculty who are not presently under review for tenure and promotion.
Faculty members who wish to opt-out of the automatic one-year extension are encouraged to consult with their department chair before making a decision on the timing of the review. To opt-out of the automatic one-year extension, faculty members must submit the Opt-Out notification form to the Department Chair, Dean, and Sr. Vice Provost. (To sign with your adobe digital signature be sure to download the form to your computer.)
Do you have questions about the extension of the 'tenure clock' due to COVID-19? Read the frequently asked questions (FAQs) associated with this new policy.
Spring 2020 Student Teaching Evaluation
On April 10, 2020, Provost Holloway, in consultation with the UNM Committee on Governance, UNM Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee, and with the endorsement of the UNM Faculty Senate Operations Committee, enacted a measure allowing faculty to opt out of implementing student evaluations of teaching (giving notice by April 23, 2020. Faculty who chose to implement student evaluations of teaching can elect to not have them used in annual and milestone reviews.
Information on this policy is available here.
Credit / No Credit Grading Option for Students
In accordance with a UNM Faculty Senate resolution of March 24, 2020, students had the option to elect a credit/no-credit (CR/NC) grading option without penalty up to May 21, 2020.
Information for faculty on CR/NC grades from Spring 2020 is available here.
The Graduate Studies COVID-19 information includes information on CR/NC for Graduate Students.
Self-reporting of Coronavirus Symptoms or Diagnosis
UNM has implemented a policy for self-reporting either symptoms of or a positive test for COVID-19 in order to support efforts to slow the spread of infection. This is both to connect Lobos to resources that can support them, and to help the University assess the community impact of the virus. All faculty and staff will receive daily symptom screening emails sent from covidscreen@unm.edu. Response is required before coming onto any UNM campus.
UNM Health Sciences Center has a separate policy.
Families First Response to Coronavirus Act (FFRCA)
The FFRCA provides for both emergency sick leave and extended family medical leave. The policies for faculty are available here.
ADVANCE at UNM
Advance at UNM hosts a special page on COVID policies and resources. The NSF-funded Advance project is dedicated to supporting the diversification of the professoriate, with particular emphasis on STEM fields. It has established itself as a strong advocate for faculty, and as an office that pays attention to the human dimensions of being scholar, teacher, and public servant. ADVANCE provides a number of supportive services that are particularly relevant during this unsettled time.
See https://advance.unm.edu for more information.
