Research Infrastructure, Teaching

We’re currently working toward getting some general information on matters such as shipping, mail, essential versus non-essential activities, on the website in the next few days. We are still getting information from Campus on how various deliveries are going to be handled, as I type. In the meantime, here are a few updates.

Research and Research Infrastructure

1. VPN- we’ve been fielding numerous complaints. Jen sent out a workaround to issues related to accessing journals, yesterday (sent to all at 3:57pm, 25 March 2020). The bigger recommendation from Brian Crouch for working remotely is to remote desktop to your system at work. Please contact ITG if you need help with remote desktop.
2. We are considering shutting off natural gas service to the Chemistry Building during the hibernation period. If you will need natural gas in Chemistry for essential research during this time, please let Jon Karty or Matt Kovach know by noon on Friday.
3. Reminder: Chemical waste will be collected by EHS today from 2:30-3:30 in their usual room on the loading dock.

Teaching

1. Petitions for using S/F grading were submitted yesterday afternoon. For those who took this option, thanks for getting your thoughtful rationales to me so quickly.
2. Please inform your students at the start of online instruction if you have chosen to move to S/F grading. We’ve been told that the academic advisors have been given specific information on advising students on what they are allowed to do in terms of electing to change to S/F if the course is using letter grades, requesting a letter grade in an S/F class, etc. Just be aware that students have these options- hard to predict how many will take them. Questions about this should be directed to Martha.
3. Please check with your students on their connectivity. vpsa@indiana.edu will try to help them with connectivity problems.
4. As was implied by the message sent to all instructors this morning, remote teaching from your office space and use of classroom and lab facilities for preparing online content is considered acceptable by the College during the hibernation period.

Let us know if you have any questions. There are still a number of outstanding issues from previous messages. We’re still waiting for some information and directions for providing essential personnel with some documents, which we’ll get it out as soon as it trickles down.