March Letter to Faculty

March 30, 2022

Dear colleagues,

I hope this email finds you well and enjoying the start of the spring season. I write with some important updates.

Travel

CUNY has updated the travel policy for students, faculty, and staff. Highlights include the following.

All domestic travel is now permitted without a Petition to Travel. This does not impact other requirements for domestic travel, especially those in the Domestic Travel Guidelines (pdf).
The Petition to Travel form (pdf) (formerly Notification of Intent/Petition to Travel) has been streamlined (with Parts A and B consolidated) to address international travel. Please contact Mohamed Tabrani if you have questions and send all petitions to him for guidance and assessment.

Staffing

Professor Louise Hainline, who has served as Faculty Associate to the Provost for Research, will turn fully to her work in the Center for Achievement in Science Education (CASE) next year. I am so very appreciative of Louise’s generosity in service and her oversight of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs over the last few years. The COVID-19 years have been difficult, and Louise’s deep knowledge of grant funding has made a great difference for the office and our faculty. She has been an extraordinary grant research mentor to many faculty members. I am delighted that Professor Theodore “TR” Muth has agreed to take on this critical role next year. TR brings extensive experience as a researcher and scientist and ideas in abundance to this appointment. He will be working closely with me, Director Robin Nesby, and our faculty as we advance their grant-funded research.

Professor Maddy Fox will be on sabbatical next year and will step down as Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the end of this semester. I am so grateful to Maddy for her outstanding accomplishments in leading faculty development through the COVID-19 period, and I thank her wholeheartedly for her exemplary work. At the helm next year,will be Professor Malka Simon. Malka is brimming with ideas and energy, and I look forward to our work together next year as we continue to develop faculty opportunities for pedagogical development.

Please take a moment to thank Louise and Maddy for their outstanding service and to welcome TR and Malka to their new roles.

RRB

The RRB has continued to increase access to campus and to events as the COVID-19 environment changes. Please continue to consult the Returning Safely Together webpage for updates, and do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have any questions or concerns. The following restrictions exist as of today.

For information about student event policies, please contact Student Affairs.
You may request access through your department for individual guests who are fully vaccinated.
The Cleared4 and C-Entry systems remain operational at this time.
Indoor events involving 100 or more individuals require that attendees be fully vaccinated, unless a member of the CUNY community was previously granted a medical or religious exemption. Outdoor events of any size do not have vaccination restrictions. Unvaccinated individuals should be encouraged to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.
For further information about faculty and academic department events, please contact anne.lopes@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Non-CUNY guests are permitted to attend performances and events if fully vaccinated and cleared through Cleared4.
Eating is permitted in designated dining or break areas. Outdoor food and drinks are allowed in all sites and locations; outdoor locations are preferred over indoor locations. For indoor locations, the following stipulations and guidance apply:
- Eating is not allowed in classrooms, in certain library study areas, or in obligatory in-person meetings where social distancing is not feasible.
- Distanced seating is recommended where feasible.
- The use of a mask when taking a pause in eating/drinking is encouraged.
Individuals who are not fully vaccinated should continue to practice physical distancing of 6 feet and are urged to wear the most protective mask while around others.
The RRB has suspended specialized guidance for instruction (pdf); instructional requirements are now following general college policy and special departmental stipulations. Please check with your chair for any specialized requirements.

Religious Accommodation

Please be mindful of our University's commitment to accommodating religious observances and please make the necessary arrangements for students. The University’s policy can be found here. Please note as well the University’s calendar of religious and ethnic holidays.

Open Office Hours

I am holding open office hours in person on Wednesday, April 27 at 9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m. in my office. Please let Ronnie Khan know if you plan to stop by. As ever, I am available to you by appointment. Please contact Ronnie (ronnieK@brooklyn.cuny.edu) to schedule.

Best wishes for an enjoyable semester,

Anne

Anne Lopes
Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs