Lander President’s Letters to the Lander Community

On April 1, in response to uncertainties created by the Coronavirus,  Lander University President Dr. Richard Cosentino addressed the Lander  faculty, staff, and students. The letters are presented below:

Lander Faculty and Staff,

As we begin the month of April, a time when we would normally be honoring our students’ impressive achievements with awards ceremonies, symposiums, performances and celebrations, we instead find ourselves in uncharted territory. What was just weeks ago a bustling campus alive with activity is now a quiet landscape – a poignant testament to our “new normal” of remote learning, social distancing and telecommuting.  

The far-reaching effects of COVID-19 are unprecedented, and they continue to reverberate across our community, state, nation and world. But, as members of the Lander University family, we are rising to face these new challenges successfully, and I continue to be impressed by the flexibility and determination shown by our students, faculty and staff as we push ahead with the spring semester.   

I write to you today to update you on some important academic decisions we have made in response to the coronavirus pandemic. First, I want to address temporary changes we are making to several academic policies.

COVID-19 has uprooted nearly every aspect of our lives and the lives of our students. Nationally, many students are dealing with significant anxiety caused by the challenges related to this crisis. To minimize these anxieties and their potential impact on student performance, many institutions (more than 125 at last count) are adopting a variety of temporary measures to reassure students during this difficult time. Many of these institutions are those held in high esteem, both nationally and internationally, including Harvard, Cornell, Yale, Stanford, MIT, Purdue and Penn State. Generally, these measures are changes to academic policies designed to ease students’ concerns about disruptions to their education.

Working with the Provost, and similar to the steps taken by other universities, Lander is temporarily implementing measures we believe will best position our students and the University for future success in the wake of this pandemic. These measures are outlined in the message below that we will send to students later today. Our goal is to make it clear to students that we understand this is a difficult time for them and that we care.

Additionally, we will offer all tenure track faculty the option of having extended time to go up for tenure. If a faculty member wishes to have their probationary period extended by one year, they should send an email by May 15th to their dean and Melissa Thompson requesting an extension.

The past few weeks have been a trying experience for each of us, personally and professionally, and I sincerely thank our faculty and staff for remaining flexible and supportive of our students and each other as we move forward with the semester. I appreciate all that you do, and I am confident that, working together, Lander University will continue to successfully navigate this crisis.

Sincerely,

Richard Cosentino, President, Lander University

 

 

Lander Students,

I am writing to you with several important academic updates. Please read this message carefully.

As we continue to adjust to the unprecedented changes to our daily lives as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no doubt that we are facing historic challenges. Terms like “remote learning,” “social distancing” and “flattening the curve” have become a part of our vocabulary; and, like so many in our nation and world, we have questions about what lies ahead in the weeks and months to come.

But, even in the face of these extraordinary obstacles, our students, faculty and staff have risen to each new challenge with resiliency and tenacity. As president, I am immensely proud of how our entire University community has worked together during this time of uncertainty, and how our students have demonstrated incredible flexibility to adapt to this “new normal.” Though the Spring 2020 semester will play out in a way none of us could have imagined, we have proven that Lander University will persevere, and we will emerge on the other side of this crisis stronger than ever.

That said, I recognize that the sudden, unexpected transition to online instruction presents unique challenges for students. To help protect against any anxieties or difficulties this disruption might cause, the University will be granting one-time exceptions to several academic policies.  

Working with the Provost and faculty, Lander is implementing the following changes for the Spring 2020 semester:

Pass/Fail Option

Students have the option to change a grade in a course to a Pass or Fail. Students will have from May 5 to May 12 to change any course grade to a Pass/Fail. This means that you can change your final grade after you receive it.

A few things to keep in mind:

• If you choose a Pass/Fail option for a course, any course grade of C or higher becomes a Pass. Any grade of D or F becomes a Fail.
• Grades of Pass (“P”) do not affect GPA, including for scholarships. A grade of Fail is an “F” and affects GPA in the same manner as any F grade would.
• A “P” grade will count as satisfying prerequisite grade requirements for courses you plan to take later. 
• You need to exercise great care in making these choices, as they may impact your eligibility for scholarships. We suggest you contact your Academic Advisor and the Office of Financial Aid about what options work best for you.
• Since choosing the Pass/Fail option does not eliminate an “F” grade, we suggest you instead drop any course you think you are likely to fail.

Later, we will provide details on how to change your course grade.

New Withdrawal Date for Individual Courses

As previously announced, the withdrawal date for individual courses was moved to Monday, April 27.

Academic Probation

No student will be placed on academic probation as a result of their performance in Spring 2020. 

Academic Dismissal

No student will be dropped from the University as a result of their performance in Spring 2020.

Incompletes

Students receiving an incomplete for a Spring 2020 class will have until the end of the Spring 2021 term to complete the course. Note, we discourage faculty from issuing incompletes.

Transcript Notation

Students enrolled this semester shall have it noted on their transcript that this was the semester of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please Note: These changes will only be in effect for the Spring 2020 semester.

Your instructors are firmly committed to your success. We have urged faculty to continue to seek ways to be more flexible in their courses, including exploring alternative assignments and projects, and to consider not requiring final exams. But remember, you have an important role to play in your education, too. Work to keep up in your courses. If you encounter difficulty, please communicate with your instructor — they want to know if you are having trouble or if something in the course is not working.

The past few weeks have been some of the most challenging we have faced as a state, as a nation, and as an institution. But, I am confident that you will be successful, and that we will get through this. Your Lander family – your fellow classmates and our faculty, staff and alumni – will be here for you every step of the way.

Sincerely,

Richard Cosentino,

President