February 14, 2022
Dear Cindy and Lori,
We write to you with concerns raised by several faculty members about the process for attaining COVID accommodations for teaching modality. We share their concerns and raise the two primary issues that have come to our attention. One is about the process whereby faculty are being asked to allow APO (Benefits Assistant Manager and Disability Manager Kelly Roberts) to communicate directly with the faculty member’s physician to determine the faculty member’s “functional limitations, work restrictions and prognosis.” The faculty members who have contacted us feel that for COVID-related concerns, this stipulation is a violation of their privacy and unnecessarily burdensome when written documentation from medical providers should suffice. We ask you to revise the policy so that written documentation from one’s medical provider is all that is required.
Second, some faculty have indicated that there is confusion about the role of Director of Academic Employee Relations Danny Gray in determining whether the course modality modifications meet program learning outcomes. We know that final curricular authority over questions such as these remains with the Course Sponsoring Agency (Chair, Provost, etc.). We request that this be made more clear in the policy documents.
We look forward to your written response about these two faculty concerns, or, if you would prefer to discuss, we are happy to meet.
Sincerely,
The SCFA Executive Board
Cc:
Barbara Greening, Labor Relations
David Brundage, Academic Senate Chair
Nico Orlandi, Chair, CFW
Yat Li, Chair, CCI
Tracy Larrabee, Chair, CEP