Provost FAQs 2.2.22 – weather, masks, QEP, vaccine update

Dear Academic Affairs faculty and staff,

I write to answer questions about inclement weather, students and the mask mandate, your vote for the Quality Enhancement Plan, and an OSHA update.

Winter Is Coming

The beautiful weather we had over the weekend is giving way to a cold front with a chance for rain, sleet or snow…or all three. The emergency operations team will make the decision about campus closing as soon as the forecast seems stable, hopefully by Wednesday afternoon. Watch for TCU Alerts. If campus does close, remember that the Academic Affairs policy for delivering classes during campus closings has changed, beginning this semester. Please refer to the “INCLEMENT WEATHER – CAMPUS CLOSING FAQs” on the Faculty FAQs page: provost.tcu.edu/faq.

Please contact your students now to inform them of your expectations following a campus closing. No communication is expected between faculty and students once campus closes, since communication may not be possible for every student.

Mask Campaign to Students

In my regular meeting with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, they expressed concerns over students not wearing masks inside buildings on campus. I commiserate with your frustration at this behavior. I wish I had an easy answer to get students to comply. Following suggestions from that meeting, my office is working with TCU Marketing and Communication to fast-track a student-directed mask campaign. Based on the success of the campaign in the Schieffer College of Communication, featuring Bob Schieffer, and the campaign by Student Affairs, which was so successful that students stole the yard signs, we plan to blanket the campus with door clings, mirror clings, flyers and floor decals with similar messages.

Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) – We Need Your Input

As a requirement of SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation, the QEP Leadership Team has identified three topics for TCU’s QEP. Now we need feedback from faculty, staff, students and alumni to choose one topic to move forward over the next 5 years. Members of the committee, led by Dean Frank Hernandez and Dr. Claire Sanders, are meeting faculty, staff and students across campus to present the topics and survey. We are also emailing all faculty, staff, students, alumni and Trustees with a link to the survey. You can access the survey here. I encourage you all to take this very quick survey and let us know your preference. Questions? Visit this QEP FAQs page.

Update on the OSHA Vaccine Mandate

Many of you have asked about updates to the OSHA vaccine requirement. Please check the HR website for the latest information. TCU continues to strongly encourage all Horned Frogs to get vaccinated and report their vaccination status to TCU as our best action to Protect the Purple.

Inclusive Excellence Speaker Series – Online

I encourage everyone to attend the workshop Friday, February 4: “Integrating Race and Reconciliation into the Student Experience,” noon to 1:00 p.m. No registration necessary. Click the link for the zoom link and ID number.

I hope you all stay safe and stay warm,

Teresa Abii-Nader Dahlberg
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs