Spring 2021 Welcome

January 14, 2021

Hi everyone,

I hope this email finds you well and having a relaxing break between semesters. While I was able to recharge some from the continual efforts we all put in every day to provide a great educational experience to our students during incredibly difficult times, the events in Washington, D.C. on January 6th shook me. I found myself very emotional watching what looked like our country crumbling and felt overwhelmed wondering what our future brings. While I still do not know what is in our future, even as the pandemic surges, watching the bipartisan condemnation of the attack on the Capitol gave me hope. It gives me hope that we can see across our differences and work towards a better future for all of us. We must continue to stand for democracy and stand up against attempts to challenge it with mistruths and deception. We must continue to support each other.

We have done that in many ways on our caring campus. We continue to have a lot of work, discussion, debate, and understanding needed to make our campus a truly welcoming and inclusive one. I have every confidence that we can and will succeed. I have already seen the work and care we have put into supporting our students and each other during the pandemic. We have transitioned our campus to a mostly virtual experience out of necessity and we need to keep it up for another semester. We are all exhausted and we miss interacting with one another. Those days will come again and we anticipate being back on campus in some form next fall. Until then, we have another virtual semester ahead of us and we must continue to protect ourselves and one another from the virus. It will require us all to continue to be flexible, caring, and understanding of how we are each struggling and how we can succeed together. I know you already have been carrying out this Herculean task for nearly a year now, but we must continue.

Among the many ways we adjusted last semester was with the implementation of some emergency policies and procedures described in my messages from August and September and this video. As we continue to experience the effects of the pandemic, we must maintain these policies and procedures, including those explained in the interim course syllabus policy.

The aspect of these policies and procedures which has received the most attention is the section regarding webcams:

To support student privacy and for equity reasons students shall not be required by faculty to allow live access to a webcam. This includes proctoring, discussion, class sessions, office hours, or other consultation. Courses (or departments) that must require live access to a webcam for course pedagogy (e.g. American Sign Language courses, theater and dance courses) must obtain an exception from the Department Chair and College Dean before the start of the semester.

The equity concerns regarding access to high-speed internet and technology continue, and thus we shall maintain this aspect of the policies and procedures. With that said, I have heard from some faculty that they would like to encourage students to turn on their cameras to increase engagement. I understand that and I agree it could enhance a student’s ability to be engaged in a course. Faculty should feel free to explain the benefits of having cameras on and how it can improve everyone’s experience. However, a student should not be penalized if they are not able or willing to turn on their camera. Our collective goal is to support one another, with care and compassion.

Delivering an education virtually would have been impossible without your work and the support of IRT over the past 10 months. IRT has done a tremendous job supporting the needs of our students, faculty, and staff and we owe them a big Thank You! If you or your students have technology needs, please look here for resources available.

This coming semester we should look to the future, one with a challenging budget yet also one with many possibilities. We will continue to strengthen and innovate in the ways in which we support our students. We will continue working on our campus antiracism plan. And we will continue to expand our activities to support our region as an Anchor Institution. We have learned many things about what we can do in this last year. Now we need to determine what of this we want to continue doing and how else we can evolve and innovate to provide the best education possible for our students. Our first step will be to plan how to accommodate the likely need for high flexibility in the fall 2021 semester. We do not know exactly what it will be like, but we can plan for a semester that supports a combination of face to face, virtual, and highly flexible courses to meet the varied and changing needs of our students, staff, and faculty. I hope you share my optimism about the coming semester and the future ahead.

Once again, thank you for all you are doing to support our students, each other, and the region. We have faced so many challenges and difficulties in the last year and done so with grace, care, and understanding. We will face more, and I know we can get through them together.

Take care, Steve

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Cameron Law Appointed Executive Director of the Carlsen Center

Cameron Law Appointed Executive Director of the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

December 22, 2020

Just over three years ago, Sacramento State was fortunate to receive a generous gift from alumnus Dale and Katy Carlsen to establish a Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship on campus. The Carlsen Center, as it has come to be known, is quickly becoming a jewel in the crown of Sacramento State’s Anchor University initiative, which merges “town” and “gown” in mutually beneficial ways. Because of its strategic importance, I’m excited to announce that a formal selection process has yielded the appointment of Mr. Cameron Law to the position of Executive Director of the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Mr. Law is a Sacramento native, and received his bachelor’s degree in managerial economics from the University of California, Davis. He then traveled to University of Queensland where he earned a Master of Business in Social Impact and Sustainability degree. Returning to Sacramento, he was a Sustainability Associate for CleanStart Sacramento as well as an Innovation Programs Associate for Impact Venture Capital. For two years he also served as Executive Director of Social Venture Partners of Sacramento. Mr. Law has taken on numerous leadership roles in the Greater Sacramento community as well, including committee member of City of Sacramento’s Inclusive Economic & Community Development Investment Committee, lead organizer of 1 Million Cups, and regional coordinator of Sacramento iHub.

In October 2019, Mr. Law was appointed Interim Executive Director of Sacramento State’s Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. While growing the Center, he has truly modeled what any start-up enterprise has to do to succeed: “pivot” toward new operations when circumstances change. He has steered the Carlsen Center in new and exciting directions, with the promise of much more to come. His orientation is firmly rooted in Sacramento State’s student success mission, and I look forward to seeing the additional ways in which he will position the Carlsen Center to participate in the vision of the University as anchored in and by the community. Please join me in congratulating Mr. Law on this well-deserved appointment.

Robin Carter Appointed Dean, College of Health and Human Services

Robin Carter Appointed Dean, College of Health and Human Services

December 17, 2020

“Made At Sac State” is not just a slogan for our University, it is a declaration of excellence. We can be proud of our graduates, and even more proud when they come back to devote their career to serving those students who follow them. That’s why I’m especially pleased to announce that Dr. Robin Carter, who is “Made At Sac State” twice over, has accepted the permanent appointment as Dean of the College of Health and Human Services. Her appointment follows a competitive national search and is based on the advice of a selection committee acting in accordance with shared governance.

Dr. Carter earned both her baccalaureate and master’s degrees in social work at Sacramento State. After working in social services, she returned as a professor. She went on to earn both her master’s and doctoral degrees in public administration from the University of Southern California. Since returning to Sac State in the late 1980s she has progressed through the leadership ranks of her division as graduate program director, project director for a child welfare training grant, department chair, and associate dean. She also served as the inaugural Interim Executive Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, and has led her College as its interim dean since July 2019. Dr. Carter’s deep and abiding commitment to this University over multiple decades is evident in everything she has done, and I have every confidence the College will continue to flourish under her leadership. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Carter on this well-deserved appointment.

Sincerely,

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Lisa Hammersley Appointed Dean, College of NSM

Lisa Hammersley Appointed Dean, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

December 17, 2020

After months of dealing with the global pandemic, it may seem like any message sent to the Hornet Family with the word “science” in it won’t be good news. In this case, I’m thrilled to share the news that after a sweeping national search, we have named a new Dean for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Dr. Lisa Hammersley was recommended for appointment by a selection committee adhering to shared governance processes, and she has graciously accepted the offer.

Dr. Hammersley came to Sacramento State as an Assistant Professor by way of a geology baccalaureate degree from the University of Birmingham in England., followed by a Ph.D. in the same discipline from the University of California, Berkeley. Among her accomplishments is a decade-long association with CSU-LSAMP, an alliance of each of the CSU system’s 23 campuses in partnership with the National Science Foundation to increase the number of bachelor’s and graduate STEM degrees awarded to students from underrepresented populations. Sacramento State is the Lead Institution for the Alliance, and Dr. Hammersley now serves as the Project Director. In addition, she has served as a Faculty Fellow in her College, as well as Associate Dean for Student Success, and oversaw a massive health and safety audit by the state and overhauled the safety processes of the College. She took the helm of the College in August 2019, shortly before the opening of the new Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex, which represents new horizons for Dr. Hammersley’s leadership vista. Now, more than ever, an accomplished leader is needed in Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Sacramento State is lucky to have that leader in Dr. Hammersley. Please join me in congratulating her on this well-deserved appointment.

Sincerely,
Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Grading for Fall 2020

December 2, 2020

Good morning everyone,

We are very close to the end of the semester and I want to once again thank you for all you have done to help keep our Hornet family as safe and healthy as possible under very difficult circumstances. In November, we received permission from the Chancellor’s Office to determine if we wanted to institute a course grading policy that incorporated more use of credit/no credit (CR/NC) as we did in spring 2020.

Due to the lateness in the semester and that implementation of a full CR/NC options would necessitate putting other important processes (such as transcript and degree processing) that impact students on hold, we cannot implement a full CR/NC option this semester. Additionally, in our conversations over the last several months regarding CR/NC grading, many concerns have been brought up regarding whether it is in students’ best interest to have the option of changing a grade from A to C- to a CR or some type of D to a NC.

Last week, the Associated Students, Incorporated (ASI) Board passed a resolution calling for a CR/NC option for students this semester. In response to that resolution and after talking with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, we have decided to implement a partial No Credit policy. In an effort to give support to our students who have been so significantly negatively impacted by our current circumstances, to partially address the concerns raised about CR/NC, and to implement something feasible given the very short time frame, we have decided to implement an ABC/NC for undergraduate students and AB/NC for graduate students.

Undergraduate Students:

• Undergraduates who earn an A to C- will receive that letter grade and not be able to petition for a CR.
• Undergraduate students who receive a D+ to F can petition after the semester to have it changed to a NC.
• It is the intent that undergraduates that receive any type of D and petition for a NC will have the petitions reviewed to ensure the student is not better off keeping the letter grade.

Graduate Students:

• Graduate students who receive an A to B- will receive that letter grade and not be able to petition for a CR.
• Graduate students who receive a C+ to F can petition after the semester to have it changed to a NC.

The timing of these petitions is still being determined, but the petition process won’t begin until late January. In an effort to act quickly, we are sharing this information now. Faculty will grade as they normally would and the change would be made by the Registrar’s Office if the petition is filed and processed.

To implement this, we need to identify any courses or programs that need to be exempted from this plan so that our Information Resources and Technology (IRT) team can exclude them from the process. Since it is so late in the semester, we need that information by midnight on Sunday, Dec. 6 in order for IRT to get their work completed before grade rosters are available on Friday, Dec.11 (a hard deadline). I have asked the Deans to work with departments to get that information.

I know this decision is late in the semester and feels rushed. However, given the circumstances and timing of the receipt of information, it is what we must do to address the needs of our students.

Thank you again for all you continue to do to support our students, each other, and our region. You are truly making a difference.

Take care,
Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

End of Fall 2020 Semester and Realistic Expectations

November 13, 2020

Hi everyone,

As we head into the end of the semester, I want to take a minute and reach out to you all. We have almost made it through a very different semester thanks to the work you all have done to keep our students’ success at the forefront of all we do. Thanks to that work and support, our students have been able to be successful in their classes, retention rates are at a high, and we’ve been able to do it in a relatively safe and healthy environment. We continue to have obstacles ahead of us that will challenge our abilities. With the same type of commitment and care, we will overcome them. Thank you to you all.

At the same time, we need to guard against stretching ourselves so thin to the point of over stress or illness and/or being unable to support our students and each other. We rightfully hold ourselves to very high standards both personally and in our ARTP processes. We should have high standards, because we can do great things. But, we must not forget that our current environment presents challenges to everyone and these challenges are experienced differently by each individual and may impact an individual’s ability to reach their own high expectations and those in our ARTP policies. So, while we should not change our long-term standards for success, we should also be flexible in our expectations during these difficult times.

As we are into the season for ARTP review, I want to remind you of the message that I sent on July 28. In that message, I addressed what I know are concerns for many of our probationary faculty, the challenges that they may encounter in meeting the traditional standards for evaluation. Again, these are very difficult times; certainly, the most difficult times that our campus has faced in its history. The criteria that departments have developed for tenure and promotion serve as a pathway for your career. However, the criteria were developed for a different time and what we would normally like to do or want to do may not be possible.

If you are reviewing files, please remember that the last nine months are unlike anything that we have seen as a campus and realize that many of us are working in a space and time that are exceedingly challenging. This is a time to support each other.

While those reviewing files are likely already aware of the challenges, if you are still in the process of preparing your files, I hope that you will take the time to explain how COVID has affected your work. If you have already submitted your file, please take advantage of the opportunities afforded to you in our policies that allow you to respond to evaluations if you feel that the impact of COVID was not sufficiently explained in your file. As you plan for the next months and years, I ask you to discuss with your Chair and Dean and develop an understanding of what you can expect to accomplish and what you may need to adjust accordingly. It is very important to have honest and open discussions. In these discussions, talk about expectations and try to identify areas where you are continuing to progress and where COVID will hinder your progress.

Those involved in these discussions with your colleagues, continue to be cognizant of the differential impact that the global pandemic has on different people. Some of our colleagues may not be as productive in their scholarship or service areas as they might have hoped prior to the pandemic. That being said, we want to continue to support our evergreen priorities of student success, inclusion and antiracism, and anchor institution activities.

To all of our faculty, it is the time of year to reflect on our shared experiences. You have moved mountains and done what we would have previously thought to be impossible. Please share the pride that I have in what we have been able to provide our students, each other, and our region; finish the semester strong; and take time to interact with people you love.

As always, thank you for the support you show our students and each other, Steve.

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020-Week of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

November 9, 2020

Greetings Hornet Family,

We hope that this email finds you well and gearing up for a great week.

We at the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship are excited about the jam-packed week of virtual programming we have put together for this year's Global Entrepreneurship Week. Global Entrepreneurship Week takes place from November 16th through 20th and is a week-long celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship, which takes place in communities around the globe. At Sacramento State, we are excited to have partnered with Western Health Advantage to bring a full week of events, activities, competitions, and networking focused on innovation & entrepreneurship.

This year we are proud to have partnered with all the Colleges on campus as well as community partners to bring 22 virtual events and activities your way. Be sure to learn more about your College's event below as well as the host of regional events we have taking place.

We hope to see you for this virtual celebration. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Carlsen Center at carlsen.center@csus.edu.

Thank you,
Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Register for GEW Events.

Covid Self-reporting

November 2, 2020

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all doing well. During these challenging times, it is sometimes hard to know what to do when facing an unfamiliar situation. As faculty and staff in Academic Affairs, we are often the first to come into contact with students, and a student may tell you they think they have COVID or have been exposed. A natural reaction is to tell others about this information in an effort to take care of others. However, in so doing, you may inadvertently share private medical information and/or make contact tracing more difficult.

Please do not share COVID information about students or anyone with other people. If someone tells you they have COVID or suspect they have been exposed, refer the person to this link (https://sacstateshcs.wufoo.com/forms/covid19-illnessexposure-report/) so they can self-report to Student Health and Counseling Services. Student Health and Counseling Services will reach out to the person and determine the appropriate next steps as well as who else should be contacted. If other students in a class need to be notified, SHCS will notify the other students.

Thank you for all you do to support our students and each other,

Steve

Take Care of Ourselves and Each Other

October 15, 2020

Hi everyone:

I hope this email finds you doing well. We are almost through the first half of the semester and I want to take a moment to reach out to you all with this video. You are all doing incredible things to help our students and each other be successful. But, more importantly we are here to support each other. In these very difficult times, please be sure to recognize in yourself, as I have, that you may need support from others. And please recognize when others may need support from you. We will get through the multiple crises we are facing, and we will do it together.

Thank you for all you do to support each other, Steve.

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Anti-Racism Planning

October 6, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

Sacramento State has committed to a collective process for the creation of an Antiracism and Inclusive Campus plan. As part of this process, seven Action Planning Groups will be established based on the framework. Please follow this link to learn more about the Antiracism and Inclusive Campus Plan framework. In order to make sure campus-wide representation, we are now extending an additional invitation to staff (i.e., non-MPP) to apply to serve on several Action Planning Groups that still need additional members. Applications are due by Sunday, October 11th.

In particular, we are looking for additional staff representatives to serve on the following six Action Planning Groups with the number of additional members needed indicated in the parenthetical:

• Mattering and Affirming (3)
• Cross-Racial and Inclusive Engagement (2)
• Antiracism Learning and Literacy (4)
• Encounters with Racial Stress and Bias (3)
• Institutional Commitment (2)
• Impact on and of the Sacramento Region (4)

Staff members serving on an Action Planning Group are asked to attend the following orientation and planning sessions:

Planning Sessions
Fri., Oct. 23, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Orientation/Planning Session
Fri., Nov. 6, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Planning Session
Fri., Dec. 4, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Planning Session
Fri., Jan. 22, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Planning Session
Fri., Feb. 19, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Planning Session
Fri., Mar. 19, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Planning Session
Fri., Apr. 23, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Planning Session

The Cabinet will ensure that selected candidates will be supported and allowed the required time for participation by their supervisors. Please use this link to access and complete the application.

Please consider applying to serve in this important role on campus.

Thank you.

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Convocation Reminder

September 23, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for all you have done to help get us through the first three weeks of the semester and set us up for success. I want to remind you again that the Fall Virtual Convocation is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, 2020 from 1:00 to 5:30. The theme for the Convocation is Advancing our Commitment to Antiracism. While we face numerous challenges from all directions, the Convocation gives us the opportunity to come together to listen, learn, and grow.

As you know, we have the opportunity to learn from two keynote presentations from Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Dr. Shaun Harper. Additionally, there several great breakout sessions that will be lead by our colleagues. Please take the opportunity to join me at the Convocation and share this information with your students.

It is important to know that if you are interested in attending, you will need to register and that the deadline for registration has been extended to September 27^th. Please visit the Convocation website for more information.

In accordance with University policy, students should not be penalized for attending the Convocation if their classes are not dismissed. It is my sincere hope, however, that we will all be focused on the Convocation and collectively commit to advancing antiracism at Sacramento State.

Again, thank you for all you do to support our students, each other, and our region. The Convocation represents a crucial opportunity for us to come together and continue to build the campus community we all want.

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Feedback Regarding Interim Policies and Procedures

September 14, 2020

Hi Colleagues:

We’ve made it through the first two weeks, and I want to thank you for all you’ve done to provide a great education in these unbelievably difficult times. What you are doing is truly amazing and I can’t say how much I appreciate it.

I received feedback from my email regarding the interim syllabus policy and procedures put in place due to the pandemic. This feedback came in two themes: the timing of the message right before the semester began and the desire to require the use of WebCams to facilitate exam proctoring. If you would prefer to watch a video with this information, here is a link. In that video, I refer to an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education that you can access here.

I’m sorry I couldn’t share the information sooner. It would have been much better to have gotten it to you earlier. Unfortunately, under the circumstances, I got the information to you as soon as possible. Again, I’m sorry it wasn’t sooner.

I also wish I had shared more context regarding the reasoning for the restriction against requiring WebCam usage to help you understand that decision along with the interim syllabus policy. Under normal circumstances we could have had widespread discussion regarding the impact of the policies. So, let me provide more context and initiate that widespread discussion.

In short, requiring WebCams is an equity issue exacerbated by our students’ needs and the challenges they face during the pandemic. We should explore all alternatives for our students including looking into the logistics of operating a testing center on campus. We want all of our students to have the opportunity for success in our classes. It may not be possible for some students to be in front of a computer with access to high band width internet and ensure there are no technical or personal interruptions. In order to treat all students equitably, a solution is to not require WebCams and to assess our student learning through a lower bandwidth methodology where possible.

Having said that, we need to balance meeting students’ needs and ensuring they are learning the course objectives. I am very sympathetic to the difficulties you are facing due to the pandemic and changes in how we interact with our students (among what seem like infinite other challenges). In some instances, it may be impossible to adequately assess our students’ learning without actively observing them. As such, we have allowed waivers for WebCam use to be granted by the department chair and college dean.

I understand there remains consternation regarding proctoring of exams using Zoom when students don’t enable WebCams and when internet connections are unreliable. As such, I believe it is worth considering what possibilities should be allowed, and this discussion is properly situated in the Faculty Senate (as the elected body of the faculty) with input from Associated Students, Inc. (as the elected body of the students). While we have these conversations, I will ask that all possible solutions include a viable alternative to students who do not have reliable high-speed internet connections and/or decline to use WebCams.

I’d like the discussions described above to occur very soon and we will explore the logistics of opening a testing center to allow students to reserve a time to take a proctored exam in person on campus. In the interim, if a faculty member cannot transition the assessment for a given course to one that does not require all students to have reliable internet and to use a WebCam, the faculty member can submit a request through the normal University process for campus access to proctor the exam for those students in a computer lab.

These types of discussions represent what makes Sacramento State such a great place. They include the perspectives of everyone with the aim to find the best solution while taking into consideration everyone’s needs and exhibiting care for each other.

Thank you again for all you to do support our students, each other, and our region.

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

2019-2020 Faculty Equity Program

September 4, 2020

Dear Faculty Colleagues:

On September 17, 2019, President Nelsen announced that Cabinet approved a $500,000 equity program for faculty. The Office of Faculty Advancement (OFA) and the Capitol Chapter of the California Faculty Association (CFA) began working on a program to address equity concerns immediately. The COVID-19 situation did require these discussions to be placed on the back burner for a few months. This summer, upon returning to the discussions, OFA and CFA were able to develop the 2019-20 Faculty Equity Program as described below. The program was submitted to and approved by Provost Perez and President Nelsen.

There are two components to the program, one addressing lecturers and the other tenured faculty and are retroactive to the beginning of the 2019-20 academic year. Please see below for details of the components.

The estimated total cost from the components is $358,500/yr. The remainder of the $500,000 commitment goes toward projected benefits costs associated with the increases (as in past equity programs).

The Office of Faculty Advancement has posted some FAQs about the 2019-20 Equity Program on their website.

I would like to thank our colleagues from the Capitol Chapter of the California Faculty Association and the team in the Office of Faculty Advancement for working so carefully and collegially on this program.

Sincerely,

Steve Perez

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

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Lecturers

The program will address faculty who have been teaching at Sacramento State for a long time and have not yet reached the SSI maximum. The goal is to move them toward eligibility for a Range Elevation.

Eligibility:

As of Spring 2019, lecturers need to have been in the same rank for 12 or more semesters. Those who were reviewed for range elevation in 2019-20 are excluded from eligibility; if not granted range elevation, they will then be eligible for this program.

Program:

Lecturers meeting the requirement will have their base salary adjusted up toward the SSI Maximum, capped at a) the amount needed to bring them to the SSI Max or b) a base salary increase of $2650/year, whichever is lower.

Faculty at less than a 1.0 timebase will have their salary adjusted proportionally to their work assignment.

Impact:

Estimated annual cost: $234,000 (based on projection of their 2019-20 workload in subsequent years).

Tenured Faculty

The program will address tenured faculty who have an inversion of salary within their department, or a potential inversion upon promotion of a colleague of lower rank. Prior equity programs have left few actual inversions within a rank, but there remain potential inversions (i.e. a 9% raise of an associate professor will lead to an inversion for an existing full professor).

Eligibility:

Actual Inversion - A faculty member who is an associate or full professor that has a colleague in the same department with a base salary (academic year) higher than theirs.

Potential Inversion - A faculty member who is an associate or full professor with a department colleague of a lower rank (who has been in that rank for less than 8 years) who projects to have a base salary (academic year) inversion upon factoring in the impact of a 9% promotion raise to the lower-ranked faculty member.

Program:

Tenured faculty meeting the requirements will have their base salary adjusted by a) the amount required to eliminate the inversion (or potential inversion) or b) a base salary increase of $2650/year, whichever is lower. For those individuals with actual and potential inversions, the program will address the potential inversion as in all cases it is the larger of the two.

Impact:

Estimated annual cost: $121,500 to base salaries. There is an additional ~$3000 of costs due to the way base salary factors into the appointments of department chairs.

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Advancing Our Commitment to Antiracism Convocation

August 26, 2020

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

I hope you, your loved ones, and friends are safe and healthy during this chaotic time. As you develop your course schedule and assignments for your Fall 2020 classes, I want to remind you that the Fall Virtual Convocation is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, 2020 from 1:00 to 5:30. The theme for the Convocation is Advancing our Commitment to Antiracism. As President Nelsen articulated in his May 30th message to campus, “we must all commit to this work and commit to holding one another accountable for our actions (and inactions) that perpetuate racism, hate, bias, and violence in our communities and our country.” I encourage you to see the upcoming Convocation as relevant and valuable for your professional development and important to our students, no matter the course or area of study. I recommend that you attend the Convocation and not just suspend classes on that day, but also integrate the event into your curriculum.

In addition to several helpful breakout sessions, many of which are being facilitated by your faculty colleagues, the Convocation will include two keynote presentations from Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Dr. Shaun Harper. Additional information about the keynotes is provided below. If you are in need of equity, inclusion, and/or antiracism resources as you develop course content or assignments related to the Convocation some materials that may be useful have been compiled here.

Ibram X. Kendi is the National Book Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author, and Director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. Professor Kendi is the author of several books including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America and How to be an Antiracist. Additional information about Professor Kendi can be found here.

Shaun Harper is the Provost Professor of Management and Organization and the Executive Director of the Race & Equity Center at the University of Southern California. Dr. Harper is a prolific scholar who studies racial, gender, and LGBT issues in a range of institutional environments and is the current President of the American Educational Research Association. Dr. Harper’s scholarship includes serving as the principal researcher for the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC), a survey specifically designed to understand the racial climate on college campuses. Additional information about Dr. Harper can be found here.

In accordance with University policy, students should not be penalized for attending the Convocation if their classes are not dismissed. It is my sincere hope, however, that we will all be focused on the Convocation on Tuesday, September 29th and collectively commit to advancing antiracism at Sacramento State.

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Emergency Policies and Procedures

August 26, 2020

Dear faculty colleagues,

Under normal circumstances I would be sending you a welcome message for the new semester with the hope that you all had a restful and productive summer. As you know, these are not normal circumstances. The smoke is covering our region, the COVID-19 global pandemic has changed how we operate, and ongoing acts of racism and violence have once again highlighted the differences in the lived experiences of our students, our colleagues, and our friends on our campus. We have a lot of work to do and I have every confidence that we can continue to provide our students with access to a high-quality education while working to build Sacramento State into an antiracist campus.

We have developed a one-stop information site to answer all COVID related questions. Please look through it for answers to commonly asked questions and let us know if there is something that is not covered.

We have transitioned approximately 95% of our course sections to a fully virtual learning experience for the fall semester. Approximately 800 of you participated in Summer Camp to enhance your skills in this new virtual teaching environment, and I am sure that almost everyone has had to rethink how you will deliver your courses this fall. We have worked hard over the summer to prepare for the fall semester. As you make final preparations for classes to begin, I want to make you aware of some interim policies made necessary by our current circumstances. Over the past month, Academic Affairs has worked with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to develop an interim Syllabus Policy and some additional emergency procedures to follow while we continue to navigate the impact of COVID-19.

There are two main goals of both this policy and these procedures: to maximize the amount of communication to our students in a consistent way and to minimize the impacts COVID-19 can have on our students, often in differential ways.

The interim syllabus policy can be found here. As you can see, there are several pieces of information that will need to be added to all syllabi to ensure that our students have consistent information about how you will manage your course(s). There are also some additional expectations for courses that offer some face-to-face content or experience.

The policy suggests language regarding resources available to students in need and/or in crisis along with expectations regarding health safety measures and suggestions of how to respond to students who do not follow these measures.

As faculty, you are often the first line of response for students in need and you are often the first to know when a student is unwell. Please review this information and familiarize yourself with what resources are available to help our students. Additionally, it is worth reinforcing how you should respond if a student (or anyone else on campus) reports to you that they have tested positive for COVID-19. For many of us, me included, our natural reaction will be to notify as many people as possible to be sure that everyone has this information. However, in doing so, you would violate the privacy of your student by sharing private medical information. Instead, please immediately report the information to Student Health and Counseling Services using this form. Student Health and Counseling Services will follow up with the student and determine what needs to be done and who needs to be notified. This chart provides directives for employees who are experiencing symptoms, have been exposed, or who have tested positive for COVID-19.

We also developed emergency procedures (detailed at the end of this message) to:

• Significantly limit the requirement of live access to our students’ webcams to protect privacy and equity for our students;
• Control how students add courses after the beginning of the semester to limit the number of people in a face-to-face component of a course and allow faculty to communicate how to access virtual components of a course; and
• Establish Canvas as the central place for students to go for course information and materials to minimize confusion in the event that a course or the campus must change strategies during the semester.

Normally, we would not develop policy and procedures related to instruction in the summer before the semester begins. However, given that these policies and procedures are necessary for the start of the semester we determined it was critical in order to have this information available as you make the final adjustments to your courses. I want to thank the Faculty Senate Executive Committee for their work. This type of collaboration and commitment shows what we can do when we unite in support of our mission. Given the timing of the release of this policy, I know that some items may not be as easy to implement into the work that you’ve already put into your class syllabus as others. Those items that do not naturally fit into your syllabus can be distributed as a supplement or attachment to the syllabus so that this important information gets to the students. If it’s helpful to have something to work from, here is a template that includes possible language.

We have also worked collaboratively with the California Faculty Association and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding return to work protocols. The MOU provides additional guidance on how to address COVID-19 related concerns you may face following your return to campus.

As I said at the beginning, we have a lot of work to do. If we keep our mission and values in mind as we do this work, we can continue to provide our students access to a high-quality higher education and work towards building Sacramento State into an antiracist University.

Thank you for all you do to support our students, each other, and our community,

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

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Emergency Procedures for the Length of the Current COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Complications

I. To support student privacy and for equity reasons, students shall not be required by faculty to allow live access to a webcam. This includes proctoring, discussion, class sessions, office hours, or other consultation. Courses (or departments) that must require live access to a webcam for course pedagogy (e.g. American Sign Language courses, theater and dance courses) must obtain an exception from the Department Chair and College Dean before the start of the semester.

II. Adding Courses: Students who want to add a specific course (either virtually or face to face) and are not currently enrolled in that specific course cannot “crash” courses without instructor permission. Students wishing to add that course must contact the faculty member (or department) to request permission from the instructor.

III. Canvas Course Requirements: Sacramento State requires that all courses be published and available to enrolled students via Canvas at the start of the semester. It is required that faculty email their students once the Canvas course is published and available to them in an effort to encourage students to visit the Canvas course.

A. Within the Canvas course, the following must be made available to students:

1. Course syllabus with required components (see Interim Course Syllabus policy),

2. The instructor’s name, CSUS contact information (email address and/or phone number), regularly scheduled office hours and other ways the student may interact with the instructor outside of class,

3. Course materials (e.g. course readings, assignments)

B. Within the Canvas course, it is strongly encouraged that faculty

1. Establish a complete and regularly updated gradebook to ensure that if the instructor or other course staff become ill or are under quarantine, an accurate record of all assignment scores will be accessible

2. Ensure that assignments can be reliably collected and graded, and course grades computed and submitted, even if the instructor or other course staff become ill or are quarantined.

Message to Faculty July 28, 2020

July 28, 2020

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

We are part way through the summer, and I hope this email finds you and your loved ones well and healthy. Following the announcement that all non-essential travel is suspended through the next academic year and while we are making plans for how to work remotely through the fall semester, I want to reach out to you as I imagine the circumstances have created significant uncertainties regarding the tenure and promotion process. The impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has created for all of us are significant and almost unbelievable. For you these include moving to virtual classes, limited access to laboratories, limited access to library materials, restrictions on the ability to work closely with community partners, restriction on travel and conference attendance (among many other effects). Each limitation and restriction has put some faculty in a position where reaching the criteria for retention, promotion, and tenure may appear more difficult. While the campus and local chapter of CFA have agreed to a process where a faculty member may extend their probationary period for one year to allow faculty more flexibility in their path toward tenure, I encourage all reviewers to be thoughtful of the circumstances of the pandemic as they review faculty members’ files and how these circumstances might have impacted the ability of faculty to meet criteria as defined in the departmental RTP policies. This is not to say that those criteria are not important, they clearly are and we should have high expectations of each other. However, find ourselves in unique circumstances that were most certainly not in the minds of departments as they developed their criteria.

Along these lines, I commit to you as faculty that when I do my reviews in the coming years, I will not forget these circumstances and the outstanding work that our faculty did and are doing to help our students and each other be successful. Thank you for all you do to support our students and each other.

Thank you,

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

Fall Schedule of Classes

May 29, 2020

Hello everyone,

Below you can see a message that is going to be distributed to students today. This is a preview of it, and I’d like to offer some context for it.

As you know, when the Fall 2020 semester schedule was created the University was in a face-to-face environment. Now, departments are working hard to revise the schedule to indicate which classes will be virtual and which ones we will request to teach in-person (using all appropriate safeguards for health and safety). The message below explains those schedule changes to students.

Although we won’t know for awhile whether our requests to the Chancellor’s Office will be granted, registration for students re-opens on Monday, so we want to provide them with the best indication we can of the modality we hope to offer for any given learning experience. The schedule is the best University-wide tool we have to communicate about course modalities, but naturally it doesn’t replace the specific communication that will need to come from colleges, departments and individual faculty about what teaching and learning will look like in a given class.

Thank you for engaging in that follow-up communication, and for everything you do to help our students succeed.

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
Sacramento State (a caring campus)

Spring 2020 - Thank You!

May 13, 2020

I hope this email finds you safe and well. This has been a terribly difficult year for everyone. Our students have adjusted to learning virtually and faced challenging financial and life circumstances. We can say the same for our faculty and staff. After transitioning all of our courses to a virtual format through a tremendous amount of work and creativity, we continue to show a positive attitude and empathetic spirit facing future challenges to our ability to meet our goals of serving students, each other, and our community. COVID-19 has changed how we do everything both at work and home, which is now the same place. I am in awe of all you all have done while facing circumstances thrust upon us that none of us wanted. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

As we transition from responding to recovering with an eventual goal of thriving, we must continue to plan for our future. We will do so keeping our goals in mind. We will do so with an uncertain budget future that has only one certainty...it will be bad. We will do so working together to unlock creativity to meet not only the challenges facing us in the immediate present and near future. But, we will also do so with the idea that our efforts now can help us in the longer term. We will do so by working together to maintain our Hornet Family’s focus on each other.

We have made immediate decisions to maintain as much budget flexibility as possible going into the next year by pausing ongoing searches and are keeping vacant positions vacant. We are limiting spending this year so as to make the funds available for next year. And we are planning next year’s budget with a significant reduction in funding. We are making all of these decisions to maintain our ability to meet our core operational priorities: maintaining student success and access to courses and maintaining our ability to support our faculty and staff.

Even with these budgetary, societal, and health related uncertainties, we must plan for what we will do in the fall 2020 semester. The California State University Chancellor and President Nelsen announced on May 12th that the vast, vast majority of our courses will be virtual in the fall 2020 semester to mitigate the potential effects of the COVID-19 virus. All courses must develop a plan for virtual delivery for the fall semester. A few select courses may be able to have some level of face-to-face interaction through a waiver process that will need to satisfy health and safety requirements and multiple approvals.

We know that not knowing how our courses will be delivered in the fall presents a significant challenge to those that must design and deliver these courses and for our students. Over the summer, we will provide compensated professional development to faculty who are interested in improving their ability to deliver courses virtually. Please go to the Center for Teaching and Learning website.

Please know that we continue to strive to provide the best possible educational experience we can. We are being stretched in our abilities by this global pandemic. However, we will respond and ultimately thrive. We will likely be a different looking University when we come out of this. We need to work together to ensure that the changes we make are ones that benefit our students, each other, and our region in the future.

Thank you for everything you do, Steve.

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
Sacramento State (a caring campus)

Respondus Monitor announcement for students

April 24, 2020

Hello Sacramento State Students,

Since we moved to virtual operations last month, one of the items we have been asked about regularly by our faculty is a method for proctoring exams administered online. We are rolling out a tool for the rest of the semester called Respondus Monitor that records a feed from a webcam which can be used by instructors to verify that the testing conditions were as expected.

Respondus Monitor (RM) is not a perfect solution, but it does address many of the concerns that faculty have brought to us. For example, RM does not work with devices other than Windows, Mac, or iPad. So those students who only have access to Chromebooks, Linux machines, smartphones, and Android-based tablets, will need to tell their instructor so they can prepare an alternate version of the exam. Additionally, this tool requires students to agree to a privacy statement with which they may not be comfortable. Again, in such circumstances students will need to inform their instructor if they are in a position where agreeing to the privacy statement is problematic.

Instructors may offer students a “practice test” to try out the system before a real exam – we strongly recommend that students participate in this practice test to understand how the system works before using it on a high-stakes exam.

Respondus Monitor is one more tool that instructors now have to ensure they are able to deliver the best possible class to students in these difficult circumstances.

For more information, please review the following resources:

Student Quick Start Guide

Introductory Video for Students

As we move into the last few weeks of the term, we wish you the best of luck on your final exams and projects. Stingers Up!

Steve Perez

Respondus Monitor announcement for faculty

April 24, 2020

Hello Sacramento State Faculty,

Since we moved to virtual operations last month, one of the items we have been asked about regularly is a method for proctoring exams administered online. There are several products that do this. Some use live proctors to monitor student webcam feeds; others use servers and AI to analyze individual student feeds for potential issues.

For this Spring semester, Sacramento State has managed to implement a tool that is a companion to the Respondus Lock Down Brower for which we already have a license. The new tool is called Respondus Monitor. It uses AI to generate a report of instances when a student may not have been engaged directly in the assessment activity. After reviewing the report, an instructor may then decide to look into the integrity of the test taking situation. When we considered other options instead of Respondus Monitor, they proved to be unscalable for our current situation, unable to be implemented within the timeframe, or would have passed costs directly onto students (costs that they were not advised of at the time of registration).

Respondus Monitor (RM) is not a perfect solution. For example, it does not work with devices other than Windows, Mac, or iPad. So those students with access only to Chromebooks, Linux machines, smartphones, and Android-based tablets are not able to take an exam with RM, and another version of the exam will need to be provided to those students.

Additionally, this tool requires students to agree to a privacy statement with which they may not be comfortable. If students do not agree to the terms of the privacy statement, another version of the exam will need to be offered to them. In all circumstances, the tool requires the instructor to check individual student feeds to determine whether “events” noted by RM reveal an issue occurred (such as cheating, or interruption by someone in the testing space) or if the AI recorded a “false positive” result.

We do hope this tool will address concerns that some of you have about testing. We strongly recommend you develop and deploy a “test exam” for your students so everyone involved can get used to RM and understand how it works before deploying on an exam. IRT has put together some training materials for using RM.

RM will be available for use from now through finals week. We will be evaluating feedback from users to determine if it should be retained as a tool for upcoming semesters. If you need any assistance with the tool, please contact the Academic Technology Center for support at servicedesk@csus.edu.

Steve Perez

Grading Choice Options, April 10, 2020

April 10, 2020

It’s been about a month since Sacramento State became a virtual campus, and finals are about a month away, too. I’m incredibly proud of how everyone in the campus community has adjusted during this pandemic, but I know these circumstances have taken their toll on the Hornet Family physically, emotionally and spiritually. My hope is that this situation doesn’t also take too much of a toll academically.

That’s why I’m pleased to announce that undergraduate students will now have choices about their final course grades. In the next few days, we’ll provide you with a way to select, class by class, how each course this semester is graded. You’ll have three choices: a letter grade (ABCDF), Credit/No Credit, or ABC/No Credit. You should know that with these last two options, a C- or above will earn you credit for that course, and a D+ or below will result in not receiving credit. If you don’t make a choice, you’ll stay in the current grading mode, which is a letter grade for the vast majority of classes.

We’re giving you these options because we hope it might decrease some of the anxiety you’re feeling about grades this semester. We know many of you are worried about your GPA for various really good reasons, so let me explain how this works: if you choose Credit/No Credit for a class, it won’t affect your GPA one way or the other (either helping or hurting your GPA). If you choose ABC/No Credit, your GPA will be affected by the letter grade you earn, but won’t be harmed if you receive No Credit. If you decide not to change how you’re graded and a class is currently set to assign grades, your GPA will be affected by the whole range of A through F grading. Your instructors aren’t going to be grading you any differently, and they won’t even know what choices you’ve made when they enter their final grades, but you now have the opportunity to do what you think is best for your academic progress.

Along those lines, I should also mention that you can still decide to drop some classes, on or before Friday, May 8, 2020. Normally, this wouldn’t be an option at this point in the semester, but these aren’t normal times, and we know you need all the support you can get. We hope you’ll try to maintain as much progress toward your degree as you can by not dropping classes, which is why we’ve given you these new grading choices. But if you decide to withdraw, all you have to do is fill out and submit the Petition To Add/Drop/Withdraw From Courses After Deadline Form electronically to registrar@csus.edu using your SacLink email. Keep in mind you’ll still need to gather approvals, which can also be done using your SacLink email and then forwarded to the Registrar’s Office.

Now, I’m hoping you will consider the options I’ve laid out to be good news. You may still have some questions about them, questions like, “What about graduate students?” and, “How and when can I do this?” We’re still working on those details, and our aim is to give you more information as soon as possible. But there’s one more question you might have that’s really important to address right now: “What if I make a mistake? What if I make a choice and find out later it wasn’t in my best interest?” Well, I have more good news: once you see your final course grades, you can still make changes. The way you do it will have to be different and we’re working on that process too, but the point is, you can change your mind later.

One more thing: I have to tell you these grading alternatives won’t work for all classes and all students. There are a few classes and groups of students that have to be excluded because of accreditation requirements, international regulations, and so on. Talking to an advisor about your grading options is a great idea. Remember though, if you aren’t able to do so or you make a mistake, you can fix it later.

Look for more details about letter grades (ABCDF), Credit/No Credit, and ABC/No Credit options in the coming days. In the meantime, stay healthy, study hard, and Stingers Up!

Steve Perez

Grading Options for Students, April 10, 2020

April 10, 2020

Hi Everyone:

I hope your week is winding down well. As it true for all of us, our students are facing numerous unforeseen challenges and feeling a great deal of stress and anxiety about the effect this will have on their academic progress. You may have heard that we have been working on a way to give our students some options for how their courses will be graded this semester. After consulting with the Deans, Student Affairs, IRT, and the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, we are going to allow undergraduate students the ability to change how their grades will be recorded on their transcript and in their GPA. Faculty will still give our students grades as they would under normal circumstances, and they will be translated appropriately in the system. The grading options will apply to most undergraduate courses other than those that have been identified by departments to not be appropriately included.

I am going to send this Grading Options message to students later today broadly describing their options and send more details next week. But, I wanted to get it to you before we send it out so that you are aware before you get questions from our students. We will send out more detailed information next week with dates, process, etc. However, we wanted to get this basic information out as soon as possible so everyone knows what is coming.

Thank you again for all of your work and flexibility during these abnormal circumstances. Together we will be able to make it through this crisis.

Stingers Up, Steve Perez

Thank You to Faculty and Staff, April 6, 2020

April 6, 2020

Dear Academic Affairs Faculty and Staff:

Please take a minute and watch this April 6, 2020 video of thanks to you all.

Thank you, Steve

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Thank You! March 27, 2020

March 27, 2020

Dear Colleagues:

I write this email to once again thank you for all you are doing to sustain our educational mission and support out students during this unprecedented crisis. We have made it through our first week of all virtual instruction and telecommuting. I am sure there were bumps, barriers, and hiccups and am inspired and grateful to see what you are doing in the face of these challenges.

We all know that our changing situation creates stress and anxiety for all of us and that you are shouldering a great load in our transition, supporting our students, and taking care of each other. Additionally, you are doing this from home with significant other responsibilities that have been foisted upon us due to the global pandemic. We could not do this without you. Please take some time to rest, relax, recharge and possibly think of how to recalibrate based on what you learned this week about telecommuting. As Flower Darby said in a recent column in the Chronicle of Higher Education titled How to Recover the Joy of Teaching after an Online Pivot, “Be kind to yourself (and everyone else). This is a stressful professional situation. You’re going to need to change your initial online plans, I can almost guarantee it. Things will go wrong, and you will have to be ready to flex, yet again.”

We have all had to sacrifice and adapt at an unbelievable pace. The effects of this crisis will be felt for years. Your work and care have made this all possible and I thank you. I want to assure you that your efforts are noticed and appreciated.

Thank you, please stay home, please stay healthy.

Steve Perez
Sacramento State
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

Academic Updates, March 19, 2020 (in the afternoon)

March 19, 2020

Everyone, thank you again for your continued work. In talking with people, I can tell that you’ve exhibited an understanding that we are all in this together with the goals of keeping each other safe and healthy and caring for our students and their success.

COVID-19 is an ever-changing situation. The plans we make today or tomorrow may need to be revised. I have wanted to send you an email every day, but without the ability to give concrete answers that I want to give, I have held off. Today, I had the honor of being a part of video to our students that will go out from our friends in Student Affairs. I took the opportunity to record a message to you all as well. Please take a moment and watch it. If you don’t have time now, the main message is THANK YOU for being the people that are this University. You make it a place that cares and supports our students, each other, and our community. It is a privilege to get to work with you.

I will also take this opportunity to update you on a few things. As a reminder, updates to the Academic Continuity webpage will be offered routinely as well as on the Center for Teaching and Learning webpage which includes helpful teaching tips. These are dynamic pages. If you see something missing that would be helpful, please let us know (academicaffairs@csus.edu).

In fact, things have changed since this morning when I first began drafting this message. At 11:00 am, the Sacramento County Health Department issued an order requiring all individuals living in the County to stay at home or at their place of residence while directing all business and governmental agencies to cease non-essential operations at physical locations. There is an exception for educational institutions – including public and private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities – for purposes of facilitating distance learning or performing essential functions, provided that social distancing of six-feet per person is maintained to the greatest extent possible.

The following are temporary measures that we must implement to support this health order and do our part to protect the health of our community:

• All waivers for face-to-face instruction that have been granted are suspended for the duration of the order. The order is currently in effect until April 7th, but may be extended. It is highly likely, if not probable, that no face-to-face instruction will be possible for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester. This is a step we have tried hard to avoid, but is now necessary to support the health of our community and mitigate the effects of this global pandemic. Instructors who had been granted waivers can now suspend instruction up through Monday, March 23rd in order to adjust the delivery method of their courses. We encourage as much flexibility and creativity as possible in replacing the planned face-to-face components. If no alternative is possible, we may need to consider assigning a grade of Incomplete. Please communicate immediately with your students that there will not be any face-to-face instruction in your course if some had been planned and approved. You will also need to provide a date that instruction will resume.
• Faculty can adjust their syllabus and their expectations of students as needed to make the transitions needed for this semester, with the understanding students should not be negatively impacted by these changes. Please notify your students about the changes you make to your syllabus, including changes to the way assignments and exams are weighted, as soon as it is reasonably possible. We encourage you to communicate with your students, early and often, in order to minimize the confusion and anxiety that everyone feels at this time.
• Faculty who need to come to campus to deliver course content will be allowed to do so. However, social distancing is required, and no more than two people can be in the room.
• We are temporarily suspending any deadlines not associated with moving courses online (e.g., appointment/retention/tenure/promotion deadlines) and will revise the deadlines in the future (while considering contractual deadlines that apply in some situations).
• We are working with CFA to determine how to handle student course evaluations so that faculty are not harmed by the circumstances.
• In order to further reduce the number of people on campus, we are temporarily suspending active on-campus research. We will need to continue to maintain our labs, facilities, and animals in our care. However, we expect all active on-campus research to be suspended until further notice.

We know the circumstances we are facing may impact our faculty’s ability to achieve what they wish this semester. For that reason, we are also working to build in some flexibility in the retention, tenure, and promotion process to mitigate the negative impact of this global pandemic.

Once again, I want to thank you for your dedication to educating and caring for our students. They are counting on us, and you are delivering. We can do this if we treat each other with patience, forgiveness, and understanding and continue to be who we are...a caring campus.

Resources for Faculty, March 15, 2020

March 15, 2020

Dear Faculty Colleagues:

Due to the ever-changing circumstances related to the COVID-19 virus in our community, we must remain agile and flexible. As you read in the President’s message this morning, we are going to move the campus to be as virtual as possible to maximize mitigation measures and promote the safety of our Hornet Family. We all have lots of questions and wonder how we will do this. Working together we will answer those questions. We continue to be committed to supporting you as you transition your courses online. Our partners in IRT and CTL will continue to be there to for you as you have questions related to the transition and will share more information as soon as possible. Here are a few links to sites that have information and resources that will be dynamically maintained:

CTL’s main page

The Academic Continuity Page

Thank you all for your patience and understanding. We are attempting to take our campus virtual. I am so proud of how we have responded so far and know we can do it if we work together and keep in mind our goal of taking care of each other.

Additional Information for Faculty, March 13, 2020

March 13, 2020

First, I want to thank everyone for the “can-do” attitude. We are facing unprecedented challenges to deliver on our mission to provide high quality education to our students. We are all rallying together in countless ways to make it happen and it is greatly appreciated. We know these are difficult and ambiguous times, and we are gratified faculty are stepping up to meet our students’ needs.

In particular, we applaud the peer-to-peer assistance that is happening at the department, college and University levels. Updates to the Academic Continuity webpage will be offered routinely (consider bookmarking the page), and the Center for Teaching and Learning is coordinating efforts to facilitate faculty helping other faculty adjust to virtual synchronous or distributed learning. Our partners across the University are pulling together to help us once again, Keep Teaching!

As the situation unfolds, we will need to be in communication to expand on prior messages, clarify questions, answer challenges, and move forward together. Here are a few items we’d like to address:

Which courses can continue to meet face-to-face?

As the campus wide communication from March 12^th stated:

Friday, March 20, to Wednesday, May 14, 2020 – All courses with the exception of approved in-person courses (e.g., small labs, studios, clinicals, field placements, and performing and theater arts) will be conducted online. There will be no in-person finals in any courses unless approved by the Dean and Provost.

We have developed a process by which faculty can request permission to continue teaching in an in-person format. Faculty will need to complete this spreadsheet for their classes. The means by which Faculty teaching these types of courses may obtain permission is as follows:

1. On the attached spreadsheet
   1. Identify which specific courses are requested for face-to-face (f2f) delivery
   2. Note the enrollment per section, and number of sections
   3. Supply information regarding the days, building and room in which the course is offered
   4. Indicate what accommodations can be made for “social distancing” (i.e., maintaining at least six feet of space between participants) or other means of risk mitigation
   5. Provide a rationale for why f2f instruction is necessary (as opposed to desirable)
2. Forward the spreadsheet to your Department Chair, who will review requests and forward them to the Dean
3. The Dean will then make recommendations and forward them to the Provost
4. Requests will be processed as quickly as possible so as to facilitate the successful delivery of our courses.

What about next week?

As is stated in the March 12^th communication,

Monday, March 16, to Thursday, March 19, 2020 – All instruction (face-to-face, online, lab, studio, exams, and assignments) will be suspended to provide faculty time to prepare and transition their courses online. No classes (including classes currently online) will be held during this period. Field-based assignments, internships, and clinical placements will continue if the site is still hosting student placements. The campus will remain open.

All instruction is suspended other than the exclusions mentioned above (e.g., clinical placements). While some courses may be ready to transition online earlier than March 20^th, to avoid confusion, to provide faculty the maximum amount of time to transition, and to allow faculty skilled in online delivery to help their colleagues transition, no instruction is to happen, no assignments are to be collected, and no exams are to take place during this window.

My class requires conversation to be successful, what should I do?

While we have suspended in-person teaching in most cases, it is not impossible to have robust interaction with your students. There are many alternatives. Please go to the Academic Continuity webpage for guidance. These other means likely will not be as comfortable nor probably as effective as the way you have perfected your teaching thus far. However, experts in the Center for Teaching and Learning are prepared to help you transition to remote instruction.

One possibility is to replace in-person class meetings with virtual, synchronous class meetings through Zoom. You and your students will still see and interact with each other in real-time, virtually. If you do choose to meet with your students synchronously, the class meetings should be at the same time as the originally scheduled class meetings to ensure students don’t find themselves in conflicting meeting times across their classes. Of course, you can record your class session and allow students to watch it later, but if you want your students to interact with you “live” while you teach online, you need to teach the class at its currently scheduled time.

Once again, I appreciate everything you’re doing to maintain the highest quality learning experience possible for your students. Now is the time to come together with colleagues and as a campus community to face our challenges together, on behalf of our students.

Academic Continuity Planning, March 5, 2020

March 5, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

We are all working very hard to provide the best learning environment possible for our students. In the past we have experienced significant disruptions to our abilities to do so, and current events regarding the Covid-19 virus could potentially impact us. In order to be as prepared as possible, we are working on resources for faculty to prepare to Keep Teaching under various circumstances. These preparations should not alarm anyone. Rather if we proactively plan, we can build a sense of confidence and calm.

The foreseeable impacts of Covid-19 range from:

- a student or faculty member not being able to participate in the classroom for some period of time to
- a short suspension of congregation on campus to
- a long suspension of congregation.

These disruptions will have varied impacts on each professor’s ability to minimize the effect on the learning of our students in our widely divergent classes.

At a minimum, we want to be able to communicate with our students to share information and/or course materials. A very efficient way to do both of these is through our Learning Management System, Canvas. We recommend and urge you to follow these steps as soon as possible to be sure that Canvas is available to you and your students if you need it in the future.

If you have not already done so:

- Publish all of your courses in Canvas and populate them with students
- Post whatever course material you have available to your students in Canvas
- Send a test email to your students to ensure they are receiving it and know how to communicate with you

Our colleagues in ATC and CTL are ready to help anyone who needs it through this process. Additionally, we have developed an “Academic Continuity” webpage with several resources and helpful information regarding ways to Keep Teaching. It includes step-by-step instructions for how to publish your courses and add online content if you haven’t already done so.

We also encourage you to be creative in developing ways to Keep Teaching in the event that there is a disruption to our normal operations, and to exercise compassion and discretion when working with students and colleagues facing challenges.

It is very important that we communicate as clearly and quickly as possible regarding the impacts of Covid-19 on campus. As such we urge you to:

- Sign up for ENS because it will be used to communicate crucial timely information to the campus—you can do so by accessing the Emergency Notification System (ENS) page. You can also verify that your contact information is correct by visiting the link.

- Regularly check the campus website where there will be a link to a dynamic website for up-to-date information

- If you have any questions or ideas, please reach out to academicaffairs@csus.edu.

Thank you for all you do to support our students, each other, and our region. By proactively planning we will be able to minimize the impact of potential disruptions on our community.

FW: President Nelsen's Coronavirus Update, February 28, 2020

February 28, 2020

Hello Faculty and Staff Colleagues:

As noted in President Nelsen's email (below), we have experienced a direct impact from the COVID-19 virus in the Sacramento community. This presents us with another opportunity to show our compassion, care, and creativity when faced with unforeseen circumstances. Please continue our practice of being understanding and flexible when working with students who experience challenges. If a student reports feeling sick, please refer them to the resources in the President's email and work with them to minimize any impact due to illness on their learning in your course. Please refrain from asking for a doctor's note for their absence. Due to privacy considerations, medical providers cannot confirm if a student is ill, only that they have visited or spoken with a medical provider.

We have shown many times and in many ways what a caring campus is and this is one more opportunity to exhibit it.

Thank you for all you do for our students, colleagues, and region, Steve.

============================================================================

To All Members of the Campus Community:

On Thursday, the California Department of Public Health confirmed that a patient at UC Davis Medical Center has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Sacramento County health experts have indicated that the risk continues to be low. To date, no one at Sacramento State has tested positive for the virus. The University continues to be in close contact with the Sacramento County Public Health Department regarding appropriate next steps. We continue to prepare for any operational, health, or educational issues that may arise.

While COVID-19 has a high transmission rate, it has a low mortality rate. For those who have tested positive for COVID-19, approximately 80 percent do not exhibit CDC's COVID-19 listed symptoms that would require hospitalization. Most people with illnesses due to coronavirus infections recover on their own without medical treatment.

We encourage you to stay home if you are sick. Do not go to class or to work. Notify your faculty member or supervisor if you are going to miss class or work. Also, be aware of the symptoms of COVID-19. Seek medical care if symptoms become more severe.

I hope that the Hornet Family will show itself to be a caring campus and will be understanding during this time. I ask for your flexibility when students or employees determine that they need to stay home. There may be individuals who are asked to self-isolate at home and who may have to miss up to two weeks of class or work. Individuals who become ill but do not need medical intervention may not have a doctor’s note or medical documentation for their absence. It is critical that individuals not be expected to obtain a written excuse from a medical provider for their absence.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that if you believe you have been exposed to or infected with COVID-19, you should immediately self-isolate at home except for getting medical care. Before going to your healthcare provider, call in advance to tell them you suspect that you may have COVID-19 so they may take steps to prevent further exposure to others and provide appropriate guidance to you before arrival. If you are experiencing a medical emergency and need to call 911, you should notify the dispatch personnel that you have or suspect you have COVID-19. Patients who have been instructed to self-isolate or quarantine should remain at home until your healthcare provider releases you. Information about self-monitoring, isolation, and quarantine is available at the Sacramento County's COVID-19 Update Page.

These websites offer the latest information:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx
https://dhs.saccounty.net/PUB/Pages/PUB-Home.asp

At this time, Sacramento State is open and classes will continue as usual. I encourage all members of the campus community to enroll in the Emergency Notification System (ENS) with their personal contact information. ENS is our primary means of communication in the event of an emergency, including a campus closure. Information also is shared via the University website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

We understand that there is a great amount of fear, anxiety, and concern around COVID-19. Let us support one another during this uncertain time. COVID-19 is a virus that can affect all humans. Racism, stigmatism, and anti-immigrant rhetoric about specific communities do not reflect the values of the Hornet Family. The Hornet Honor Code reaffirms our commitment to inclusion and to being a caring campus. We will not stand for misinformation, denigration, and stereotyping of Asian and Asian American communities.

We are taking all appropriate measures and working closely with local, state, and federal healthcare agencies. Please take care of yourselves and stay home if you are sick. Students have access to healthcare resources from Student Health and Counseling Services. Keeping the Hornet Family healthy is a campus-wide effort, and I appreciate your understanding during this time.

Sincerely,
Robert S. Nelsen

A Caring Campus, December 5, 2019

December 5, 2019

Dear colleagues:

As we enter the holiday season, we have many reasons to be joyous and thankful. However, it can also be a trying and anxious time for many of us. You may be a point of contact for our students and can play an important role getting someone support when they need it. As a caring campus, we want to be sure you are aware of resources available for our students in need. If you notice someone in need of help, here are several places that you can refer them for support.

Campus Resources

• Counseling and Psychological Services
• ASI Food Pantry
• Crisis Assistance & Resource Education Support (CARES)
• Dean of Students Office
• Office of Equal Opportunity
• Behavioral Intervention Team
  

Ways to support students who are in crisis

• Thank them for sharing and provide reassurance that they did the right thing by reaching out to you
• Listen non-judgmentally and try to validate their feelings
• Offer to help them connect to the appropriate resource on campus and to check back in with them in a few days
• Inform your chair and/or dean about the incident to make sure all appropriate steps were taken to support the student and follow University policies

Please be sure to take care of yourself by engaging in self-care. Do something that helps relieve stress that you might feel after supporting a student in crisis. Some activities include talking through your experience with someone you trust or if appropriate, contacting our EAP counselors; focus on making sure your basic needs are met (getting regular sleep, eating nutritious foods, staying hydrated, spending time with friends and loved ones).

Please also take the time to reach out to each other as we can also face challenges and need a caring colleague. Thank you for all you do to support the success and well-being of our students and each other.

Ed Mills and Steve Perez

Carlsen Center Executive Director Announcement, October 14, 2019

October 14, 2019

With the concurrence of President Nelsen and in consultation with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, I am pleased to announce that Cameron R. Law has been appointed as Interim Executive Director of the Dale and Katy Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Mr. Law joins the campus after serving most recently as Executive Director of Social Venture Partners, whose “mission is to invest in and engage with nonprofits to ensure all students in the Greater Sacramento Region are on a clear pathway to economic security and success.” Mr. Law has a tremendous track record of business and program development as an Innovation Programs Associate for Impact Venture Capital, as a Sustainability Associate for CleanStart Sacramento, and as Lead Organizer of the 1 Million Cups program in Sacramento, which emphasizes diversity, equity and inclusion as it seeks to develop local entrepreneurial ecosystems. He also has served as Sacramento’s iHub Coordinator, which links local governments, public universities, research institutions, venture capitalist networks, and economic development organizations in partnerships to serve their region. Educated at UC Davis (Bachelor of Science in Managerial Economics, with a minor in American History) and the University of Queensland (Masters of Business in Social Impact & Sustainability and International Business), Mr. Law assumes the Executive Director position on October 17, 2019. Therefore, he will be on hand to help the campus celebrate innovation and entrepreneurship during Global Entrepreneurship Week, which takes place November 18-21, 2019.

Academic Affairs Administration Personnel Update, July 17, 2019

July 17, 2019

In concurrence with President Nelsen, and after consultation with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, I am pleased to announce that Dr. William DeGraffenreid has agreed to serve as Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Dr. DeGraffenreid joined the faculty of Physics and Astronomy at Sacramento State in 2002. He holds a B.S. in Physics from Cal Poly Pomona and a Ph. D. in Chemical Physics from the University of Maryland, College Park. He has numerous publications and is the recipient of several external grants.

Dr. DeGraffenreid has served as the President of Sigma Pi Sigma, the Physics Honor Society; was the Chair of the 2016 Quadrennial Physics Congress, the largest meeting of physics undergraduates in the country; and is the Chair of the American Institute of Physics’ Education Research Group. On campus he has received the University’s Outstanding Teaching, University Service, and Community Service Awards. In addition, he helped plan the planetarium and observatory in the Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex; served as co-investigator for the NSF-funded CSU-COMPARE program; developed faculty research opportunities (including four Physics faculty members with NSF research support); and spearheaded the development of Sacramento State’s High Energy Physics Program at CERN in Switzerland.

Dr. DeGraffenreid previously served as the Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy (2011-18), Interim Associate Vice President for the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development (2017 – 2018) and he has most recently served as Special Assistant to the Office of the President since last September.

Along with the CSU system, we are continuing our suspension of travel activity to this region. We have contacted our students who are studying abroad to make sure they are safe. We have shared information with them about symptoms of coronavirus and what steps they should take if they start to experience any type of illness.

This situation is dynamic and evolving. We will continue to monitor it and to follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health. We also will continue to check in with our students abroad and to inform them about any changes that occur locally or internationally.

Sacramento is experiencing cold and flu season, and we should all make every effort to prevent the spread of germs. I encourage all who are unwell to contact their primary care provider. Students can access care through Student Health & Counseling Services at The WELL. Please take care of yourself. I wish you all a safe and successful spring semester.

Carlsen Center Leadership, June 28, 2019

June 28, 2019

In concurrence with President Nelsen, I am pleased to announce that beginning July 1, 2019, the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will be led by the team of Mr. Jyoti Das, Board Chair of Cognitive Exchange, and Dr. Christine Miller, Interim Vice Provost for Strategic Services, until the selection of a new Executive Director concludes in Fall 2019. Mr. Das will serve as Entrepreneur-in-Residence, and Dr. Miller will serve as Administrator-in-Charge; they will work together to direct the activities of the Carlsen Center and to advance its strategic aims. The Carlsen Center is integral to Sacramento State’s commitment to be a force for transformative change in the regional community as an “Anchor University,” and I’m confident Mr. Das and Dr. Miller will be catalysts for such change through their leadership of the Center in the next several months.

Appointment of Interim Dean, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

June 20, 2019

With the concurrence of President Nelsen and after consultation with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Lisa Hammersley will be appointed Interim Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics for the upcoming academic year. Dr. Hammersley will be stepping in after the departure of Dean Joanna Mott, who has accepted the position of Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Oregon Technical University.

Dr. Hammersley is an accomplished leader. Prior to her current position as Associate Dean in the College, she was Lead Project Director for the CSU-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CSU-LAMP) program, and has advanced the goals of the University through contributions to key initiatives such as the Platinum Analytics predictive enrollment software, the Graduation Initiative “Finish in Four” campaign, the Next Generation Learning Management System Task Force, the Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Board, the One World Initiative, the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Global Engagement, the Faculty Senate, and several other college and campus wide committees. In addition, she has served as administrator-in-charge for the college and has assisted the college dean in undertaking key managerial duties including issues related to students, academic personnel, scheduling, budget and communication strategies within the college.

Dr. Hammersley, a professor in the Department of Geology, holds a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Geology from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, and a Ph. D. in Geology from the University of California, Berkeley. She joined the geology department in 2003 and has received numerous honors and awards, including the Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Achievement Award, the Outstanding University Service Award, and the Outstanding Teaching Award for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Dr. Hammersley has an extensive record of scholarly publications and has won nationally competitive grants to support innovative research projects involving students.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Hammersley on her appointment as she assumes this leadership role during an exciting time for the College: the anticipated Fall 2019 opening of the Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex.

Dean Joanna Mott accepts offer to join Oregon Tech

June 14, 2019

Dr. Joanna Mott, who was named dean of Sacramento State’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) two years ago, is leaving the University to become provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Oregon Institute of Technology.

Dr. Mott will assume her new position at Oregon Tech, in the southern Oregon town of Klamath Falls, on July 31, 2019.

During her tenure at Sac State, which began in June 2017, Dr. Mott helped prepare for NSM’s move into the new Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex, which is scheduled to open for classes in September.

Sacramento State President Robert S. Nelsen lauded Dr. Mott’s contributions to the University.

“I have had the opportunity to work with Joanna at two different institutions now, and I am incredibly pleased to watch her career move in this direction,” Dr. Nelsen said, referring to their time together at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

“She has been instrumental in the completion of the new science complex, and I wish she could be here to see the doors open in the fall. Oregon Tech is lucky to have Joanna, but she will always be part of the Hornet Family. I wish her the best in her new role.”

Dr. Mott began her academic career at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and moved on to James Madison University before accepting the dean’s position at Sacramento State.
At Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Dr. Mott was hired as an Assistant Professor in biology in 1994, moving up until being named professor and chair of a new Department of Life Sciences. She served in that capacity from 2006 until 2011, when she accepted the job as head of James Madison’s Biology Department, a position she held until being hired by Sacramento State.

During her career, she helped generate in excess of $6 million through more than 80 grants and contracts, building on her strong record of applied environmental research.

A transition plan for NSM will be announced following consultation with the Faculty Senate.

Please join us in thanking Dr. Mott for her service and contributions to Sacramento State and its students.

UPDATE, Dec. 7, 2019: The University continues to investigate this incident, working with law enforcement and our Student Conduct office. If you have additional information, please go to Reporting Misconduct page. Thank you.

Academic Affairs Personnel Update, June 11, 2019

June 11, 2019

After consultation with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, and in concurrence with President Nelsen, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Robin Carter will be appointed as Interim Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, after the departure of Dr. Fred Baldini, who has accepted the position of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Samuel Merritt University.

Dr. Carter brings to this position extensive experience as an accomplished administrator with a successful track record as Chair of the Division of Social Work, Associate Dean of the College she will now lead, Founding Interim Executive Director of Diversity and Inclusion and, most recently, as Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. The depth and scope of her administrative experience includes budget and resource allocation, accreditation, faculty workload and compensation, assessment, program development and student success, to name a few. She has also held major leadership positions in statewide and national organizations and is the recipient of numerous awards. Dr. Carter is ‘Made at Sac State,’ having earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and Master of Social Work at Sacramento State. She received both her Master’s and Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Please join me in thanking Dr. Robin Carter for her willingness to bring her considerable leadership skills and abilities to bear in the College of Health and Human Services. Dr. Carter will serve in the Interim Dean role for a year while a search is performed for the next permanent Dean of the College.

Because of Dr. Carter’s appointment, there will be an opening in the Office of the Provost as Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. The Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs has principle responsibilities for overseeing faculty personnel, faculty development, and budget management. As such, the Interim Vice Provost oversees the Office of Faculty Advancement, the Center for Teaching and Learning, and other responsibilities as assigned by the Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Other duties can be found in the complete job description. Those wishing to be considered for this interim position are asked to submit a letter of interest and resumé for Interim Provost Perez’s review by July 1, 2019 to cjohnson@csus.edu.

Dean Fred Baldini accepts offer to join Samuel Merritt University

June 10, 2019

Expressing gratitude and respect, Sacramento State President Robert S. Nelsen and Interim Provost Steve Perez announce that Dr. Fred Baldini, longtime dean of the College of Health and Human Services, will leave Sacramento State to become provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Samuel Merritt University, effective July 8, 2019.

Dr. Baldini was appointed HHS dean in 2010. He has been a valued faculty member at the University for more than 30 years.

“Dean Fred Baldini is an institution at Sacramento State,” Nelsen says. “He not only was ‘Made at Sac State’; he helped make Sac State. He will be missed, but he will do great things for the students at Samuel Merritt.”

Among his many accomplishments as dean, Dr. Baldini led the successful push to develop and build state-of-the-art teaching, research, and clinical facilities at Folsom Hall. He also was actively involved in academic advancements, including the addition of two doctoral programs (Physical Therapy and Audiology), a Master of Public Health, and a Health Services bachelor’s degree.

Before becoming dean, Dr. Baldini served nine years as chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science. He was selected to receive an Outstanding Teaching Award in 1994 and an Outstanding Service Award in 2003 on behalf of the College of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Baldini has served on several community and professional boards, and was director of the Human Performance Lab and the United States Olympic Committee/National Wheelchair Athletic Association’s Disabled Athlete Training Camp. Dr. Baldini has been active in management and leadership as well as alumni affairs.

Dr. Baldini received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Sacramento State before earning a doctorate in exercise science from Arizona State.

A transition plan for HHS will be announced following consultation with the Faculty Senate.

Please join us in thanking Dr. Baldini for three decades of valued service and exceptional contributions to Sacramento State and its students.

2019/2020 Academic Calendar Changes

May 23, 2019

The 2019/2020 Academic Calendar was approved by Faculty Senate May 3, 2018 and the President on May 13, 2018. Typically minor adjustments are made at certification (late May) and placed on the first Faculty Senate agenda as an information item. This year certification necessitated more impactful changes to come into compliance with payroll dates and the minimum number of instruction days as outlined in CSU HR 2018-13, and to accommodate the shift of all commencement dates to the spring semester. The following changes were made to the originally approved calendar:

The first academic work day for the 2020 Spring Semester will be Thursday, January 16, 2020.

“While the pay day for any given academic pay period is the same as the pay day for the corresponding state pay period and cannot be changed by the campus, the beginning date for the first pay period and the ending date for the last pay period of an academic term must conform to the beginning and ending dates of the academic term. The initial pay period of both the fall and spring terms may include up to 45 calendar days. As a result, the earliest permissible start date for the first pay period of the fall term is Saturday, August 17, 2019 (for the September 2019 pay period), and the earliest permissible start date for the spring term is Thursday, January 16, 2020 (for the February 2020 pay period).” See HR 2018-13.

Spring Break will be March 30 – April 3.

“Typical Year - The typical academic year shall consist of 147 instructional days, or the equivalent in effort. From year to year and from campus to campus, a variation of plus or minus two days is permissible.” See Attachment B HR 2018-13.

Consultation with the Faculty Senate Chair and Campus Administration determined that moving Spring Break to be inclusive of the Cesar Chavez Holiday was the least impactful way to gain the needed additional instructional day, for a total of 145 instructional days, as required by HR 2018-13. This change is meant to be one-time and not policy.

The other options were:

1. adding a Friday to the start Fall 2019 semester;
2. adding a Monday to the end of the Fall 2019 semester, and revising finals for a Tuesday through Monday schedule;
3. adding a Monday to the end of the Spring 2020 semester, revising finals to a Tuesday through Monday schedule, and pushing commencement back a week.

Commencement will be May 15-17, 2020.

Changes made to the Academic Calendar so late in the planning process impact everyone. The Associate Vice President, Academic Excellence will work with Faculty Senate to double check that the proposed future calendars as generated by the new Academic Calendar Policy meet CSU policies, so the Faculty Senate can consider any needed adjustments well ahead of CSU certification deadlines.

Changes to the 2019/2020 Academic Calendar can be viewed here.

Sincerely,
Steve Perez
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Faculty Convening for Anchor Institution, April 10, 2019

April 10, 2019

Dear Faculty,

As you know, President Nelsen last fall established an Anchor University Task Force as a step toward transforming our institution into an “Anchor University.”

We are pleased to announce that the Task Force will hold a Faculty Convening event on April 22, 2019. The purpose of this faculty convening is to inform our faculty colleagues about the Anchor initiative and gather preliminary data about their community engagement activities.

Faculty input at this event will further help us understand how and where our engagement efforts happen and how we can co-create priorities with our community partners. The Task Force held a successful Community Convening on Feb. 22, 2019 in Oak Park and will build on this effort with the upcoming Faculty Convening.

Please encourage your faculty to attend, and they can RSVP via the attached event flyer. Faculty may contact one of the following individuals if they have further questions about the event:

• Sheree Meyer, Dean of the College of Arts & Letters, co-chair of Task Force Steering Committee and main facilitator of the Faculty Convening: meyers@csus.edu;
• Phil Garcia, VP for Public Affairs and Advocacy and co-chair of Task Force: garciap@csus.edu;
• Michelle Dang of the School of Nursing, co-chair of Task Force and Steering Committee: dang@csus.edu.

Thank you,
Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (interim)

SCUSD Strike, April 10, 2019

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

As you are probably aware, teachers in the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) are slated to conduct a job action on Thursday, April 11, 2019. This one-day strike is likely to affect Sacramento State students who have internships, service learning experiences, employment, or other placements at schools in SCUSD. Our students are likely to find themselves in a position where they must make a decision whether to report to their school and/or to cross a picket line.

Please be supportive of our students' decisions, no matter what they decide is in their best interests. Please be flexible and understanding if the actions of SCUSD teachers affect our students' learning opportunities. Sacramento State takes no position in this labor dispute, but members of the Hornet family impacted by the strike deserve our assistance if they are affected by it.

Thank you for all that you do,
Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (interim)

Academic Affairs Strategic Plan

Friday, March 15, 2019

In the 2017-18 academic year, the Division of Academic Affairs worked through developing a strategic plan for the Division. There was extensive conversation and consultation including over 35 group meetings and approximately 350 people including faculty, staff, students, and community members.

You can see the 2019-2023 Strategic Plan plan on the Academic Affairs website. We can all be proud of what we are doing. Our mission is: In support of the University’s Mission: Academic Affairs cultivates and supports inclusive and dynamic learning, meaningful scholarship, and vibrant community engagement and our Vision is to be the recognized leader in transformative education.

We have four goals to support achieving our mission:
• Goal 1: Further the Academic Progress & Success of All Students
• Goal 2: Strengthen Academic Programming
• Goal 3: Enhance the Support and Development of Faculty & Staff
• Goal 4: Engage with Communities and Impact in the Region

As you review the Mission, Vision, Values and Goals for Academic Affairs, I hope you recognize the value we bring to the University’s mission, which states: “As California’s capital university, we transform lives by preparing students for leadership, service, and success.” We are proud of the important contributions of our faculty and staff. We should not be surprised by the Mission, Vision, Values and Goals as they express exactly what we are, and should be, doing.

I encourage you to look at the indicators for success and strategies that were developed through the planning process. We have already made significant progress on many of the strategies. For example, one strategy for Goal 2: Strengthen Academic Programming is to “Develop a transparent and predictable budget process.” While we can always improve in this area, current progress can be illustrated by the information found on the Academic Affairs Budget Office website where you can find the Division’s budget reports for the last two years.

We will continue to make progress on these strategies as we move through the year. However, while the Mission, Vision, Values and Goals of the Division should not change over time, the ways of achieving them (the strategies and indicators for success) should evolve, as some are accomplished and new methods of addressing them are developed. We are currently working on a process to allow for the review of progress and evolution of our strategies to best support the mission of the University.

Thank you all for your work on our strategic plan, and for everything you do to support our students and each other,

Steve Perez
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs (interim)

Message to Faculty, March 7, 2019

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Dear Academic Affairs Staff:

The following message was sent to all faculty last night.

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

It is our understanding that a walkout is being planned for tomorrow related to the killing of Stephon Clark. We all support our students and their right to free speech. If our students choose to participate in the walkout, please be understanding of their motives, feelings, and circumstances.

To get a better idea of how some of our students are feeling, I’ve appended a letter I received earlier today from some of our students.

Thank you for all that you do,

Steve Perez

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs (interim)

Letter from students

My name is Coley Carman, President of the Black Student Union. I come to you on behalf of the Black students on this campus who may be experiencing distress as a result of the District Attorney’s findings in the case of Stephon Clark’s killing. It is imperative that faculty are aware of the manner in which this stress manifests within students and creates a feeling of alienation within the classroom, resulting in the denigration of their academic efficacy.

On Saturday March 2nd, members of the Black Student Union were a part of the Arden 13. The Arden 13 is a group of 13 students who staged a sit-in protest in the middle of Arden Fair Mall on Sunday, March 3rd, resulting in the mall’s subsequent shutdown. A larger amount of students were also involved in the protest on the night of March 4th, which resulted in the arrests of 84 individuals. After waiting for their peers to be released by Sacramento Sheriff until approximately 2 am, those students successively returned to class the next day.

For those of us who are not protesting, the reality that our life does not matter is on the forefront of our mind. To put it into context academically, Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs states that we require our basic needs to be met first before we can think further into self-actualization. A thought that continues to reoccur in my mind is that “my life does not matter, so why do I need to be in a classroom.”

For the faculty, administrators, staff and those who are here to serve students, it is extremely crucial to be aware of the impact this has on us. We would like for you all to understand the following statements.

Black students are suffering and coping with trauma:

• Students may not be able to focus, might feel agitated, and may not be sleeping.
• Faculty should not feel disrespected or slighted because students are not 100% (mentally, emotionally) present in classes. Please do not expect too much of us at this point.
• Understand that students may not be doing their best work or may not be consistent in doing work because they are coping with trauma.
• A community of students is mourning.

Key points for Faculty:

• Please understand that business cannot just go on as usual. This is a disruption with a long term social and psychological impact.
• Create a space of openness to ensure students are comfortable and secure when approaching staff regarding their concerns.
• The efficacy of staff is also correlated to the repudiation of the false narratives put forth on student protesters by the media. It is also very important that staff do a self-reflection of their role and relationship with their students in order to successfully tend to their needs.
• It is helpful if faculty are transparent with students about what they know and don’t know.
• Faculty should understand that it is not solely the students’ responsibility to explain the issues to them. It is also within the parameters of the faculty’s role to be informed on how to best serve their students.
• It is important for faculty to figure out for themselves if and how they can be allies and support students affected by this tragedy.

Coley A. Carman

Black Student Union President

Kevin U. Boozé

Omega Psi Phi President

Adwoa V. Akyianu

Black Student Union Vice President

Khalil J. Ferguson

Black Student Union Founder

Welcome Back Message From the Provost, January 16, 2019

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope you had a great holiday season, were able to spend time relaxing, being with people you love, and are ready to take on the spring 2019 semester. Last semester, your dedication to our students and each other was heartening to see. Despite a two-week closure, you pulled together to put our students’ well-being and educational experience at the forefront. Despite the challenges presented by the significant interruption to classes, your work minimized its impact. Thank you for your patience, care, and understanding during that stressful time.

As the seasons of the academic year continue, and we enter a new semester, it is worth reflecting on our path over the past few years. Our focus has been, and will continue to be, on three things:
• Providing a first-class education for our students and supporting their success;
• Developing and supporting the success of our faculty and staff; and
• Embracing our role as the Anchor University of California’s Capital Region.

We have made great strides on all three fronts. Thanks to the work of our faculty and staff, our students are succeeding at an unprecedented rate. One need only look at the CSU GI report and dashboards to see the progress we have made. As you will see, Sacramento State has made “good progress” toward our 2025 goal that 30% of all first-time, first-year students graduate within four years. Our University commitment to providing students who want to graduate in four years the opportunity to do so through dedicated teaching, intentional advising, and enhanced availability of courses is paying off as our four-year grad rate has gone from 8.5% for the 2011 cohort to 14.7% for the 2014 cohort. This progress is mirrored in the other Graduation Initiative Goals (Freshman four-year graduation rate, Freshman six-year graduation rate, Transfer two-year graduation rate, Transfer four-year graduation rate, Pell equity gap, and the URM equity gap) highlighted by the elimination of the URM equity gap where the 2012 cohort shows a negative 1.2% gap in the six-year graduation rates. This data helps quantify our accomplishments, but we should also reflect on the qualitative impact that your work and commitment has made. Our students see how much you all care about their success and how hard you work to make it happen.

In addition to the success of our students, the dedication and accomplishments of our faculty and staff continue to inspire. One of the pleasures of working in academic leadership is the opportunity to see the tremendous accomplishments our faculty achieve on a regular basis. As one example of this dedication, please join me in congratulating Dr. Anthony Sheppard on being named the recipient of the John C. Livingston Faculty Lecture award, for which recipients are “recognized for having transcended their disciplines and, in so doing, having positively affected the life of the University through their teaching, service, and their creative and scholarly activities – displaying a consistent and engaging collegiality and a strong commitment to students throughout their career at California State University, Sacramento." Dr. Sheppard will present the annual Livingston Lecture at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19th.

Other examples of the efforts and success of our faculty can be seen in the many recipients of Outstanding Faculty Awards for Teaching, Scholarly and Creative Activity, University Service, and Community Service (listed below). Congratulations to the recipients on these accomplishments. To continue this level of accomplishment, we are investing in future success by hiring numerous tenure track faculty and continuing to develop our support for all our faculty through the Office of Faculty Advancement, Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development.

Without the numerous people working in support of the University, we would not be able to support our students or each other at the level we have achieved. As just one example, we can look at the people in the new College Success Centers like: Tiffany Northern, Maria Lindstrom, Ashley Ciraulo-Stuart, Karina Figueroa-Ramirez, Alisa Patterson, Ryan Gorsiski, Brian Yu, Raquel Quirarte, Scarlette Charles, Gabrielle Hoskins, Mayrose Acob, and Cheryl Lugo. These are just some of the people who work diligently to aid our students’ success. The College Success Centers are a developing partnership between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs to supplement the work done by our colleagues in Academic Advising. And as the budget season approaches, please thank those who do the budget work in our division, particularly the College and Library Resource Analysts who work so hard to keep us on track. These individuals are clearly not alone in their commitment to our students, and they exemplify the work of all our staff supporting our students and University. We could not be successful without them.

Last semester, President Nelsen announced our commitment to serving as the Anchor University for the Sacramento region. As an Anchor University, we are reaffirming our responsibility for the success of our students and region, as well as recognizing the many initiatives already underway. These efforts are highlighted by your accomplishments in the community. I look forward to seeing how we can continue to develop as an Anchor University through the coordinated efforts of the Community Engagement Center; the Anchor University Task Force; Sacramento State Downtown; the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and your work on the numerous boards, community groups, and organizations that you enhance through your efforts.

Again, Happy New Year and welcome to the spring 2019 semester. I look forward to working with all of you as we continue to develop our alignment and efforts to support our students, each other, and our community. Along with our partners within the University, we have accomplished a lot and are only getting started.

Best Wishes,
Steve

2018-19 Outstanding Faculty Award Recipients

Outstanding Teaching Awards

• Reiko Komiyama, Department of English (A&L)
• Jesse Catlin, Marketing and Supply Chain Management Area (CBA)
• Lisa William, Graduate and Professional Studies in Education (EDU)
• Kimberly Mulligan, Department of Biological Sciences (NSM)
• Dong Shen, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (SSIS) Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activity Awards

• Jonas Cope, Department of English (A&L)
• Peter Choi, Marketing and Supply Chain Management Area (CBA)
• Melissa Holland, Graduate and Professional Studies in Education (EDU)
• Jun Dai, Department of Computer Science (ECS)
• Jennifer Wolf, Division of Social Work (HHS)
• John Spence, Department of Chemistry (NSM)
• David Andersen-Rodgers, Department of Political Science (SSIS) Outstanding University Service Awards
• Nancy Sweet, Department of English (A&L)
• Albert Lozano, Graduate and Professional Studies in Education (EDU)
• Milica Markovic, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (ECS)
• Marlyn Jones, Division of Criminal Justice (HHS)
• Cynthia Kellen-Yuen, Department of Chemistry (NSM)
• Wesley Hussey, Department of Political Science (SSIS) Outstanding Community Service Awards
• Robert Stanley, Department of English (A&L)
• Rose Borunda, Graduate and Professional Studies in Education (EDU)
• Warren Smith, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (ECS)
• Robert Pieretti, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (HHS)
• Enid Gonzalez-Orta, Department of Biological Sciences (NSM)
• Yan (Joni) Zhou, Department of Economics (SSIS)