January 2022

To: Chancellor@utk.eduCC: aauputk@gmail.com Dear Chancellor Plowman: I am a _______ working/teaching in _________ department. I am concerned about Covid because _______. Therefore, I agree with the five requests put forth by the UTK Chapter of the AAUP in their letter to you on January 6, 2022. 1. We request that staff be allowed to work remotely, whenever possible, to decrease their likelihood of Covid infection and transmission;  2. We request that all staff who are required to work on campus be provided with 10 free N95 masks each month;  3.  We request that UT pivot to virtual teaching modalities for all lecture courses in order… Read More »Sample Email to Chancellor Plowman

Office of the Chancellor January 7, 2022 Colleagues, I hope everyone has had a restful break and happy start to the new year. As you know, we are beginning the year with a rise in COVID-19 cases caused by the omicron variant. We are watching community health conditions closely. Fortunately, the addition of the winter mini-term has already pushed back the start of classes to January 24. While a lot can change between now and then, we want to provide an update: Course modality. We intend to maintain scheduled face-to-face modality. One of the things we have learned in the past two years is that face-to-face… Read More »Letter to campus from Chancellor Plowman

Dr. Howes, Thank you for the e-mail to Chancellor Plowman. Shortly, you should expect to receive an e-mail that is being sent to the campus about the current plans for the spring semester. I will make sure that members of the campus Policy Group receive your group’s input for consideration in ongoing management decisions. Matthew Scoggins Chief of Staff Office of the Chancellor 533 Andy Holt Tower 1331 Circle Park Drive Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (865) 974-2356 (office direct) (865) 599-5679 (cell) scoggins@utk.edu chancellor.utk.edu 

Sent: Thursday, January 6, 2022 4:20 PMTo: Chancellor Donde Plowman <chancellor@utk.edu>Subject: Letter from local AAUP regarding Covid safety on campus   It takes people who listen and learn and put others first. People who pull together and push each other to new heights…and it takes something inside all of us, something that drives us to do better for ourselves, for each other. Because obstacles are opportunities. Challenges bring change. And we know that those who are willing to step forward will be ready for whatever lies ahead. It takes courage to light the way. It takes a Volunteer. – UT Admissions Video  6 January 2022 … Read More »Letter to Plowman regarding Omicron and Campus Safety