Bendapudi presented senators with updates from her meeting with the Counsel on Postsecondary 成人直播, which oversees all Kentucky higher education institutions. The counsel assesses all colleges and universities on 29 different metrics of progress. Bendapudi was proud to report that since the 2015/2016 academic year, the university has improved on 26 of the 29 measured metrics. Adult learners over the age of 22, diversity of tenure track staff, and student performance in English were among those areas with room for growth.

Bendapudi stated, 鈥淚 want to point out that we were the top-ranking university in the Commonwealth for English but relative to where we were (in 2015/2016), there is room for improvement. We are certainly going to be looking at those three areas moving forward.鈥�

In addition to these accomplishments, UofL was the only institution in the Commonwealth to see an increase in enrollment. The university also reported its highest graduation rate with over 60% of students completing degrees within 6 years. Bendapudi attributed the approximate 2.5% growth in enrollment and the record high graduation rate to the hard work of all faculty and staff.

Senators were also informed about an upcoming event with guest speaker, Simon Sinek. Sinek is a renowned speaker, author, and presenter of the third most watched TED Talk of all time. To celebrate the launch of the new Employee Success Center, President Bendapudi will host a virtual fireside chat with Sinek on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. Faculty and staff were encouraged to attend and learn more about the new Employee Success Center, which aims to improve workplace culture and employee engagement through leadership training, mentoring and coaching. Employees can register for the free virtual event

Executive Vice President and University Provost Beth Boehm provided updates from the Academic Scenario Planning committee. While decisions have not been finalized, Boehm informed senators that there will most likely be an increase in face-to-face instruction during the fall of 2021. A majority of summer courses will be offered remotely, with the exception of some STEM courses that require in-person instruction.

Boehm addressed questions concerning current faculty travel policies. The university is following policies recommended by the CDC, which at present do not differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. It was reported that some faculty members have received approval for domestic travel, and a small number of faculty members have also been approved for international travel relevant to their research efforts. Boehm further recommended that faculty avoid planning student involved trips with agencies requiring nonrefundable deposits.

Executive Vice President for Research & Innovation Kevin Gardner reported that 2020 was a strong fiscal year with a record number of research awards totaling more than $170 million. He reported a record $9 million from translational research and innovation. Gardner further commended the university鈥檚 world-class contributions in translational research and innovation throughout the past fiscal year.听

Gardner highlighted the four UofL researchers and innovators recognized for their work at the . Paula Bates, a cancer researcher and serial inventor, was presented with the Innovator of the Year award. Brad Shuck, Theo Edmonds and Laura Weingartner each accepted Trailblazer awards on behalf of their teams for outstanding work in new areas of innovation for the university.听

Committee reports and a of the virtual meeting can be accessed on the . The next Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for March 3 via Microsoft Teams.

“UofL Family,

As I shared with you yesterday, my leadership team and I are committed to keeping each of you informed and protected as we deal with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.听 Our people are, and always will be, our greatest asset and highest priority.

After extensive and in-depth conversations with infectious disease experts at our university, and higher education peers in the state and the nation, I have made the following decisions.

• Spring Break is extended through March 17. Classes will be delivered remotely starting March 18 through April 5.
• International travel is suspended effective immediately.
• Non-essential domestic business travel is suspended effective immediately.
• On-campus events will continue, but are under review.
• UofL鈥檚 campuses remain open and operational.

听Please read below for further detail on each of these important actions.听

We understand that these restrictions will cause significant inconvenience for many of you. Please know that we do not make these restrictions and recommendations lightly. I am convinced that these measures are essential to preserve the health and well-being of all members of our University community and all citizens of the Commonwealth.

We also encourage you to visit our for more information about the virus and our response. If you have a specific question about the virus, please direct it to hlthoff@louisville.edu.

The best thing you can do is follow the steps listed here to help prevent further spread of the coronavirus.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

We will continue to provide frequent updates on university activities and decisions in the days and weeks ahead. In the meantime, we ask that every member of our community stay true to our Cardinal Principles as we all do our part to stay ahead of this evolving situation. We are a family and we will get through this period of global uncertainty together.

Go Cards!

Neeli”

DETAILS OF UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS

Spring Break is extended through March 17. Classes will be delivered remotely starting March 18 through April 5.

• There will be no classes on March 16 and 17.
• All classes will be offered remotely via online or other alternative learning options beginning Wednesday, March 18, through at least April 5. Classes already offered online will continue as originally scheduled. Students should anticipate direct correspondence from individual course instructors prior to March 18.
• Health Sciences students who are involved in clinical programs will receive further guidance from their academic deans. Information about labs, testing and other items will also be provided.
• Campus Housing will remain open. Students who are able to stay away from campus until April 5 are encouraged to do so.
• Training is available for all faculty on transitioning their classes to alternative or online instruction beginning March 12.听 Training will be offered in-person and online through March 17.听 Information on that training will be emailed to all faculty today.

听International travel is suspended effective immediately

• Effective immediately, all incoming and outgoing international university-related travel is suspended through April 30, 2020. Similarly, no future international trips are permitted to be booked through June 30, 2020.
• This means that all previously scheduled study abroad trips, conferences, trainings, speaking engagements or other university-sponsored activities and programs that require travel to or from another country during the months of March and April are now cancelled. Contact your vice president, dean or unit administrator for more details.
• Students, faculty and staff already studying abroad may remain unless the country is declared a Level 3 country by the CDC. Students also have the choice to return earlier, but this should be coordinated through the International Center.
• In addition, we strongly discourage personal travel to international destinations.
• All students, staff and faculty who are already traveling internationally this week or are planning to take a personal trip outside of the country, are required to complete the on our website prior to returning to campus. Upon review of the travel information submitted, you will receive confirmation of permission and a timeline for your return to campus.
• Please know that if you are returning from a Level 3 country, a Level 2 country with a COVID indication, or from France, Germany, Japan or Spain, you are required to self-isolate away from campus for 14 days upon your return to the country.

听Non-essential domestic business travel is suspended effective immediately

• Also prohibited is any non-essential, incoming and outgoing travel within the United States during the months of March and April.
• An employee with an essential domestic travel request in March or April may request approval through their vice president, dean or unit administrator. These exceptions will be rare.
• Contact your vice president, dean or unit administrator if you have questions about the types of essential vs. non-essential activities that apply to your program, department or unit.

听On-campus events will continue, but are under review

• At this time, we are not restricting large on-campus events. However, we continue to monitor the situation to determine if such a prohibition will be necessary in the near future.
• We are strongly discouraging scheduling any non-essential events through at least April 30. If you have questions about how essential an event is for your program, department or unit, you should reach out to your respective supervisors.

UofL鈥檚 campuses remain open and operational

• Faculty and staff are expected to follow their normal work schedules during this time, but continue to follow .
• Campus Housing will remain open, but students who are able to stay away from campus until April 5 are encouraged to do so.听 Student housing, food services, libraries, the food pantry and other campus and student services will be open. Check campus websites for further information on hours of operation.
• Research activities will continue at this time. Anyone involved in research will receive a separate communication from EVPRI Kevin Gardner in the coming days with specific guidance.
• Supervisors should begin making plans in preparation for a potential determination that remote work is necessary. We have no reason to believe that this step will be necessary in the short-term, but in an abundance of caution we ask our team leaders to begin preparations.

鈥淭he demand for online learning options continues to grow across all areas of study and fields and more adult students gravitate toward online learning methods than ever before,鈥� said Gale Rhodes, vice provost and executive director of the Delphi Center. 鈥淲e want to be at the forefront of meeting the demand for flexible and affordable learning for all professionals.鈥�

UofL鈥檚 Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning, which provides programming and other resources to faculty members that encourage excellence in teaching and foster student learning, started working with academic units in 2001 to offer online programs.听Criminal Justice, Public Administration and Human Resource 成人直播 were the first online programs offered at UofL.

With the addition of the five new degrees, UofL now offers 29 online programs. This is the first time so many have been added at once. This expansion will broaden access to education for students who are not able to come to campus and want to earn a degree from UofL.

鈥淲e envision more accelerated growth as online learning becomes a strategic goal for UofL and its colleges and academic units,鈥� Rhodes said. 鈥淲e want to be strategic in aligning our online programs with the growth and needs across industries, not only here in Kentucky but also across the U.S. and even abroad.鈥�

All programs can be viewed .