Update on Remote Learning and New Initiatives

THIS POST IS A REPUBLISHED VERSION OF AN EMAIL COMMUNICATION SENT BY AUP PRESIDENT CELESTE M. SCHENCK ON APRIL 3, 2020, ABOUT REMOTE LEARNING. IT IS PART OF OUR SAFETY & SECURITY BLOG THAT ROUNDS UP ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

Let me begin by thanking you for the heroic way you have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent changes to the semester. We continue to listen to you as our response to this unprecedented challenge evolves, and we encourage you to reach out to us should you encounter any issues. We also recognize the sense of loss and dislocation many of you are experiencing and the challenges of making a timely and effective transition to remote learning. Rest assured that you are not the only student to feel this way. Faculty and staff at AUP are deeply committed to supporting your academic success and to helping you complete the semester.

Moving forward, we will be sending you emails every Friday to share the most important developments at AUP and to remind you of the services and tools that are always available to you, even online. One such service is the Academic Resource Center (ARC), which has moved all its offerings online: peer tutoring, writing help, research assistance, math clinics, support for students with learning difficulties and more. Contact arcaup.edu or writinglabaup.edu for help with your academic assignments.

As a reminder, please note again that, given the current circumstances, we have implemented a set of new measures designed to increase academic flexibility for students, take some pressure off the current moment and support the learning environment.

1. We have extended the deadline for withdrawing from a course to the last day of classes: April 28, 2020.
2. We will allow undergraduate students to opt for a credit/no credit grade for all of classes until the last day of classes.

Credit/no credit is equivalent to the pass/fail option that some other universities and colleges use. Exceptionally, any course graded as “credit” in Spring 2020 will count toward your credits needed for graduation and toward the fulfillment of core curriculum and major requirements for which the course may qualify. Furthermore, a grade of “credit” (CR) or “no credit” (NR) will have no impact on your GPA. As per existing policy, any undergraduate student who earns a grade of C or higher will receive a grade of CR (credit) for the course. A grade of C- or less will receive a grade of NC (no credit) for the course. Graduate students are not able to take courses credit/no credit but may choose to withdraw from any course by April 28.

We understand that this is a particularly stressful time. Do not hesitate to reach out for clarification about any of these issues, or if you are experiencing difficulties at any point between now and the end of the semester. Your first point of contact should be your course instructor. You may also contact Academic Affairs directly by emailing Sinead Foley at sfoleyaup.edu. Sinead will make sure that your query gets to the right person.

Last, I want to bring your attention to a digital space that we launched this week to provide you with new and exciting projects; to shed light on some activities taking place in clubs, Senate and groups across the digital sphere; and to give you access to all the essential tools for your remote experience. The AUP Digital Campus features a range of exciting initiatives, resources, tools and services to help you make the most of your transition to remote life and learning. New content will be published on a weekly basis, and daily podcasts and frequent posts on the AUP at Home blog and the Learning Laboratory video series will provide plenty of original content. There will even be a space for you to suggest your own new initiatives to bring together our student body and wider community: the Connect and Communicate page. If you’ve got an idea for a remote project and are looking for people to take part, get in touch with communicationsaup.edu.

Remember that we are here for you during this difficult time. Do not hesitate to reach out should you encounter any personal difficulties (studentdevelopmentaup.edu) or have concerns about your academic standing (sfoleyaup.edu).

Stay safe at home and take care of yourselves and your loved ones. We haven’t seen the end of this yet.