SUBJECT: June 2022 - Summer Update

Dear Colleagues;

I hope you are doing well and enjoying the end of the spring and beginning of the summer months. With the end of the Summer I session, I wanted to provide you with a summary of items that might be of interest and helpful to you all.

Juneteenth
As a reminder, President Biden signed into law a bill that recognizes Juneteenth as a federal holiday. This day is important to remember as it marks the date in 1865 when federal forces   occupied one of the last territories controlled by the Confederacy in Galveston, Texas and informed the enslaved people that they were free as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln in January 1863. Juneteenth has been celebrated by African-Americans since the late 1800s. Starting with the 2024-2025 Academic Calendar our campus — along with Ann Arbor — will formally recognize Juneteenth. 

Summer I Session – Important Dates
For faculty teaching in the Summer I session, please remember the following important dates:

• Monday, June 20 – last day of classes
• Wednesday, June 22 thru Friday, June 24 – final exam days
• Monday, June 27 by 2:00 pm – last day to submit grades

For more information about the grading process, please visit the Registrar’s Office website.

Full Summer Session – Important Dates
For faculty teaching the full Summer term, please remember the following important dates: 

• June 21-28 – Summer recess
• Monday, August 15 – last day of classes
• Wednesday, August 17 through Monday, August 22 – final exam days
• Wednesday, August 24 by 2:00 pm – last day to submit grades

Summer II Session – Important Dates
For faculty teaching in the Summer II session, please remember the following important dates:

• Wednesday, June 29 – classes begin
• Wednesday, July 6 – last day for students to add, drop, and withdraw without penalty
• Monday, August 15 – last day of classes
• Wednesday, August 17 through Monday, August 22 – final exam days
• Wednesday, August 24 by 2:00 pm – last day to submit grades

Religious Holidays
As with each academic semester, there are many religious holidays (e.g., Eid al-Adha is in early July) that will require us to be as flexible and accommodating to students as possible. Please remember that the University of Michigan-Dearborn has a policy in place to help avoid conflicts between the academic and religious calendars.

Canvas Expectations
Please remember that our campus has a minimum set of expectations — as recommended by the Digital Education Subcommittee of the UCDC — for the common use of our learning management system – Canvas – for all of our courses. In brief, required elements include the course syllabus, assignments, and gradebook.

Common Days for Fall 2022 and Future of Work
The Provost’s Office in partnership with our Human Resources team has called for “Common Days” in Fall 2022 and Winter 2023. All units should aim for having staff who work a virtual or hybrid schedule to be on campus on either Monday or Thursday each week to contribute to a vibrant campus life. We also ask that you prioritize Mondays or Thursdays for department, college, and unit events, and social activities (e.g. coffee/breakfasts, lunches, MHealthy walks, etc.).

Future of Work Taskforce
The Future of Work Task Force will have its first meeting on June 14 and will collaborate on principles and recommendations to support workplace models for employees on the Dearborn Campus. The group’s work is intended to create an institutional framework to aid colleges and units with decision-making, as well as provide tools, resources, and training to support them. In addition, the group will identify key success indicators necessary to sustain workforce excellence through the balance of flexibility, accountability and inclusivity. Meetings will take place throughout the summer and a September draft report and a November final report will be shared with all staff and faculty.

Finally, I want to encourage you all to take time to relax and recover after a long academic year of teaching, research, and service commitments. Speaking on behalf of the academic leadership team we all recognize the great work you all are doing.

Over the next few months I plan on giving thought on how to facilitate more conversations and dialogs with faculty and staff to hear how things are going and how  my office can best support faculty and staff as we enter into a new academic year.

Wishing you all a relaxing and fun summer!

Gabriella

Gabriella Scarlatta
Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs