Science has uncovered the secrets of relationships. Grab a date to join FAU’s relationship expert, Dr. Paul Peluso, as we explore science-based principles for deepening friendship and admiration in this activity-packed virtual relationship retreat. Romantic partners, BFFs, housemates, and family pairs welcome, because healthy relationships are for everyone.
Zoom Registration: tiny.cc/FAURelationshipRetreat
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As we continue to navigate through the challenges of COVID19, this October we ask our FAU community to focus attention and care for those who may find themselves in unsafe environments at home. Help us show support by wearing purple and posting on social media this October 1st using the hashtag #owlbethereforyou.
Caption your image with education about common Warning Signs of Unhealthy Relationships and our 24/7 Victim Services Hotline (561-297-0500). Please remember to tag @fauowlscare so we can share your post!
September 9, at 03:30 p.m. Click here to learn more.
FAU Research Cafe
Join us for two informal, 10-minute introductions and presentations by research faculty or graduate students.
– Learn about opportunities to collaborate with them
– Network with other researchers
– Find out about other happenings across campus
Speakers:
Heather Howard, Ph.D., Healing Mothers with Trauma and Lucia Carvelli, Ph.D., Drug Effects Across Generations
As we navigate these unprecedented times our students need us now more then ever. By offering up one to two hours per week you can help an incoming student succeed here at FAU!
Resident Students Move-In August 18 to August 23
University Housing for both the Boca Raton Campus and the John D. MacArthur Campus (Jupiter) will be conducting our annual move-in process from August 18-23. Move-In this year will from 8am-8pm daily. The following areas will be affected during this time:
We will be using all green lots near the residential halls for loading and unloading during the move-in period. The Green lots will close daily at 8pm to parking in order to prepare for the next day of move-in. Residential Student can begin to park in the green lots after August 23 at 8pm.
Visit us for more information about the university housing move-in process.
The Center for Global Engagement will host Part II of the Global Engagement in 2020 and Beyond webinar series via Webex on Thursday, July 30, 2020 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This session is open to all FAU faculty, staff, and students.
Join the discussion on expanding and adapting global engagement opportunities:
For more information, contact us at 561-297-3048 or at global@fau.edu.
I hope everyone is staying well during this continued time of uncertainty. Today, I’d like to once again emphasize the need for all members of our university community to wear face coverings on campus, and in public places throughout the communities.
It is important we all quickly adjust to this new way of living to help protect the health and safety of those around us. Individual actions, such as face coverings and effective physical distancing, will go a long way to help prevent the continued spread of COVID-19.
On July 1, Palm Beach County issued an order on face coverings, Martin County and St. Lucie County recently did the same, and Broward County has been under such an order since mid-April. Please familiarize yourself with these directives and follow them.
Face coverings are required on our campuses when entering and exiting buildings and while inside public spaces in all buildings, including restrooms, elevators and stairwells, classrooms, and on FAU transportation. In addition, the face coverings should be worn outside when close proximity to others is possible. Face coverings can be handmade and should be kept with you at all times.
Students who need special accommodations regarding face covering should contact Student Accessibility Services. Employees should contact the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Compliance.
Remember, Protect Your Owl Family is the theme of our health and safety efforts. Do not overcrowd spaces, stay six feet apart from other people, wipe down work stations, and wash your hands or use hand sanitzer regularly. If you are feeling unwell, stay home. If you are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, please seek medical attention immediately.
The dedicated COVID-19 website remains the best source of FAU-specific information and our Health and Safety and Cleaning and Disinfecting plans are available for review. The Campus Safety page of the site has detailed information about current policies and protocols, health and prevention practices, self-quarantine procedures, university travel, and more. The Guidance and Services page features an “A-Z” listing of items from around the university. New information is added to the pages as we confirm changes in our operations.
As information changes, we know there are many questions from our students, faculty and staff. We welcome your thoughts and questions via email to FAUCOVID19@fau.edu. All feedback will be shared with applicable departments across our campuses to ensure we make adjustments as necessary.
Finally, I hope all members of our university community have taken time to review the Re-Opening Plan for the Fall 2020 Semester that was approved June 23. It is a fluid document that can be adapted as the world around us shifts and every day brings new information regarding the COVID-19 situation.
Best Regards,
John Kelly
President
Mentoring makes a difference for new students.
Here at FAU, students paired with a mentor had almost a 7% higher retention rate than students without a mentor.
The Mentoring Project is seeking faculty, staff, and graduate students on the Boca, Jupiter, and Davie campuses who are willing to mentor a new first-year or transfer student. After filling out a brief profile, we match you with a student based on shared academic interests, activities, and goals.
Not sure you have the experience?
Previous mentees identified “an ability to listen” as the most important quality in a mentor. We seek mentors who have finished a bachelor’s degree – the goal that our undergraduates are working towards.
Not sure that you have the time?
Mentors and mentees agree to connect at least once per month during the academic year. In roughly eight hours, you could make a difference in a student’s decision to remain in college.
If you are willing to listen and to share your experience and advice, we have students looking to connect with you. For more information, visit fau.edu/mentoringproject or call us at (561) 297-2733. To sign up, please click here. We will begin matching students with mentors in early January 2021.
Thank you for the time you devote to FAU students and for your consideration.
I am pleased to report that earlier today the State University System of Florida Board of Governors (BOG) approved FAU’s Re-Opening Plan for the Fall 2020 Semester. It is important to note this plan was formalized with the health and safety of students, faculty and staff as our highest priority. All decisions were governed by the latest health recommendations from the state of Florida and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As you might expect, the report is long and detailed as it covers the many aspects of day-to-day life at FAU. It is a fluid document that can be adapted as the world around us shifts.
An exact timeline of when the university will begin its return to on-campus operations is still to be determined. Nevertheless, we soon will arrange town hall-type discussions so particular aspects of the plan can be addressed in detail by individual divisions and departments. It’s likely you will be contacted by someone in your area with more details.
Many aspects of the traditional campus experience will be markedly different this fall. However, it is FAU’s goal to resume face-to-face courses, student activities, and campus events in a manner appropriate to the current situation and at the appropriate times.
I will touch on a few highlights of our strategies in this message, but I ask all members of the university community to please review the re-opening plan, along with the Health and Safety and Cleaning and Disinfecting plans. You will not only see the scope of our efforts to ensure the safest environment possible, but also better understand what to expect as we move toward the start of the semester.
As you review these documents, we welcome your thoughts and questions via email to FAUCOVID19@fau.edu. All feedback will be shared with applicable departments across our campuses to ensure we make adjustments as necessary.
Remember, the dedicated COVID-19 website remains the best source of FAU-specific information. The Campus Safety page of the site has detailed information about current policies and protocols, health and prevention practices, self-quarantine procedures, university travel, and more. The Guidance and Services page features an “A-Z” listing of items from around the university. New information is added to the pages as we confirm changes in our operations.
Now, let’s get into some of the key aspects of the plan.
Health and Safety
Protect Your Owl Family is the theme of our health and safety efforts. I can’t emphasize this next point enough. Individual actions, such as effective physical distancing, and our testing and contact tracing protocols, will go a long way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 on our campuses. Remember, if you are feeling unwell, stay home. If you are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, please seek medical attention immediately.
Please wear face coverings in public areas on our campuses. Face coverings are required when in close proximity to others, in restrooms, elevators and classrooms, and when using FAU transportation. Do not overcrowd any of these spaces. Face coverings, which should be kept with you at all times, can be handmade, such as those fashioned from a scarf, bandana, handkerchief or tee-shirt.
Sanitizing wipes will be available in various venues to wipe down surfaces, such as classroom desks, work areas, and in food service locations. As part of our cleaning and sanitizing protocols, it is necessary to wipe down high touch surfaces often, and before each use.
All students, faculty and staff must complete a required online training course to become familiar with our health and safety guidelines. Information about this training will be forthcoming.
Academic Instruction
We all had to quickly adjust to remote learning in March. For the fall semester, our academic instruction is planned as a combination of remote learning and on-campus classes. FAU will continue to provide a high-quality learning environment for our students, with all needed resources available virtually, and eventually in person if physical distancing can be maintained.
Class schedules will be finalized in early July. Much of the instruction will be fully remote, including any classes with more than 50 students and all graduate-level coursework, unless specially approved. Most on-campus instruction will also rely on classrooms that are equipped to stream or record content for students who cannot attend class meetings in person. Classrooms will operate at no more than 25% capacity. Faculty members and students will follow strict physical distancing protocols in all classrooms and labs, with face coverings required.
All classes will transition to 100% remote instruction following the Thanksgiving break. Our faculty have already been asked to adjust syllabi and class meeting schedules accordingly.
Faculty members are encouraged to avail themselves of the resources on the Keep Teaching website, while students should visit the Keep Learning website if they are struggling with remote learning challenges.
COVID-19 Testing and Contact Tracing
FAU’s Student Health Services will conduct voluntary and targeted testing, by appointment, for COVID-19 for employees and students. Student Health Services has tested students since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and employee testing will be available later this summer.
Individuals testing positive or with COVID-19 symptoms, along with anyone in close contact with those individuals, will be subject to all isolation and quarantine practices contained in our health and safety plan, and in accordance with current guidelines from the CDC.
All positive cases of COVID-19, even if diagnosed by an outside healthcare provider, must be reported to Student Health Services. Those with symptoms, or those who have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, can be tested at Student Health Services.
Individuals will be required to quarantine or isolate at their place of residence and must be medically cleared by Student Health Services prior to returning to campus activities. Housing and Residential Education will work with resident students directly on quarantine and isolation protocols.
Student Health Services can be reached at 561-297-3512 (after hours, please select option 3). Employees should also notify their supervisors if they test positive.
Student/Campus Life
Campus life and residential housing are vital components to the university experience for all students. We will continue to honor housing contracts for the fall and expect our residence halls to be at or near capacity. The Housing and Residential Education office is working on establishing the protocols for on-campus living.
Student Organization events will be limited in attendance and to certain locations that can accommodate groups and physical distancing requirements. The Campus Recreation teams are working toward limited capacities and a reduction in classes while continuing to offer virtual sessions. In addition, Student Government has continued to conduct its business throughout the past few months.
Faculty/Staff
Much like our approach to academic instruction, the return to campus work for faculty and staff will be a hybrid model. FAU’s Department of Human Resources’ Return-to-Campus Plan is being finalized and will be shared when ready. There are a few highlights of that plan I wanted to detail in today’s message.
Employees will need to complete a health screening in Workday, along with the online training about our guidelines, prior to returning to campus. Accommodations can be made for employees that are in the “vulnerable population” or live with someone in that category.
Of course, just one of our many challenges is a phased return of staff in a coordinated process to ensure appropriate physical distancing. We initially will expand staff based on mission-critical operations, the ability to control and manage specific work environments, and the necessity to access on-site resources. Those decisions will be approved and communicated through the appropriate channels.
Physical distancing will continue into the foreseeable future. Units or individuals that can effectively work remotely will likely do so until restrictions are eased for larger gatherings. When employees are instructed to return to on-campus work there are several options that can be considered to reduce population density. These include, remote work, alternating days, and staggered reporting, lunch and departure times.
Whenever possible, employees should continue to avoid in-person meetings, to not gather in conference rooms or kitchen areas, and to remain flexible in adjusting schedules as required to perform university functions.
There is still a hold on non-essential travel unless approved by the president, or appropriate vice president or college dean.
Human Resources recently launched a Talent Share Program that is designed to connect eligible FAU employees affected by a reduction in work with FAU colleges and units that have temporary projects or assignments. Human Resources can be reached by calling 561-297-3076 or by email at gzaidman@fau.edu.
Summer Commencement and University Events
We are developing virtual commencement plans and will communicate more information when it is available. It remains my long-term goal to invite all our spring and summer graduates to return for an in-person ceremony when health and safety guidelines permit.
Finally, a quick note on general campus events. For any event, organizers should plan for physical distancing of at least six feet between people whenever possible and to limit gatherings to 50 or fewer. Events where physical distancing is not possible are prohibited. We hope these restrictions can be eased in the coming weeks and months.
All of the plans I’ve mentioned above are the result of work by the university’s Emergency Operations Team (EOT), which consists of nearly 70 FAU employees representing numerous areas of the university. Several working groups and task forces stemming from the EOT are continuing to meet regularly to adjust our plans and to determine how we will increase operations.
I will continue to share important information and updates throughout the summer. Please monitor your email and the FAU coronavirus website. In the meantime, I wish you all good health.
Best Regards,
John Kelly
President
A long overdue and important conversation around systemic racism and violence against Black people in America has awakened our country. The injustices and violence that marginalized the experiences of people of color, particularly Black/African Americans, at the hands of those in positions of authority is real and devastating. Florida Atlantic University condemns and will not tolerate such acts of violence, and is dedicated to addressing racism, discrimination and injustices in all aspects of university life.
Ranked among the most racially and ethnically diverse institutions in the country, FAU’s commitment to diversity does not stop at the make-up of our student body. We recognize that in order to dismantle systemic discrimination we must take actions to ensure our students, faculty and staff have the opportunities, support and resources necessary to succeed in their academic and professional lives. We also recognize that eradicating racism requires developing responsible citizens by examining the ways power and privilege affect society and by developing pathways to meaningful, positive and lasting change.
With input from the Florida Atlantic University Diversity Council, some of our immediate measures include:
With educational programs spearheaded by entities such as the FAU Diversity Council; Peace, Justice, and Human Rights initiative; the Center for Inclusion, Diversity Education, and Advocacy; the Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education; and the Women and Gender Equity Resource Center, FAU is not only coming together in conversation, but actively building on existing initiatives and seeking new ones. We invite you to visit www.fau.edu/diversity-platform to learn more about FAU’s ongoing efforts to diversity, inclusion and equity.
John Kelly
President