@theU

The next meeting of the Academic Senate is Monday, April 26, from 3-6 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. The meeting’s agenda will be available here later this week. Senate meetings will be held on the Zoom online meeting platform. Senate meetings are public, and the university community and others are welcome to attend the meeting. If you are interested in attending the meeting remotely, please let the Secretary of the Senate Jane Laird (jane.laird@utah.edu) know your interest in attending by April 22.

In a time of rising anti-Semitism in the U.S., the University of Utah is taking deliberate action to become a national leader in creating a positive campus climate for members of the Jewish community. A campus climate survey has been sent to all students who have self-identified as Jewish. The confidential survey takes roughly 10 minutes to complete and closes Friday, May 7, 2020.

Students should look for the survey in their Umail email accounts and/or personal email accounts. Students who identify as Jewish who did not receive the survey from Hillel for Utah and would like to participate, please email hillelutah@gmail.com and include a valid student ID in the email request.

Anti-Semitic hate crimes and bias incidents on college campuses more than tripled from 2012-2019, according to the Anti-Defamation League. These include explicit anti-Semitic incidents as well as new, more pernicious ways of targeting, isolating and demeaning students who express their Jewish identity.

As one of its core values, the University of Utah “celebrates the rich diversity of people as well as creative and intellectual traditions by being inclusive in every respect.” University leadership in partnership with Hillel for Utah have committed to engage with diverse peers and viewpoints within the community so that proactive steps may be taken that foster a positive campus climate for all students.

Faculty and staff will be invited to participate in the next phase of this initiative. Those interested in learning more now can reach out to Dean of Students Jason Ramirez or Hillel for Utah Executive Director Dana Tumpowsky.

About Hillel for Utah

Hillel for Utah is committed to enriching the lives of Utah’s Jewish students so they may in turn enrich the Jewish people and the world. Hillel International has supported Jewish life on campuses around the world for nearly a century and serves students at 550 campuses worldwide. Hillel for Utah and the University of Utah are part of Hillel International’s inaugural cohort of the Campus Climate Initiative (CCI), which partners with select campus administrations across the nation to ensure a positive environment in which Jewish students— and all students—can express their identities and values, free of harassment, hostility or marginalization.

Fighting hunger has never been so easy … or so healthy. Join U of U Health’s commitment to support our community and join the 50K in May Walking Challenge! Register through April 30 by donating $31, one dollar for each day in May, and help hungry families supported by the Utah Food Bank. You’ll feel great doing it!

Walking 50K is easier than you may think. May has 31 days and if participants walk just one mile each day, they’ll reach the 50K goal at the end of the month.

REGISTER AND DONATE $31 BY APRIL 30

This challenge can count towards U employees WellU and WellnessNOW programs! Within 48 hours of registration, participants will receive instructions to sync a device (Apple Watch, Fitbit, etc.) to our Walker Tracker app for a customized virtual walking route from campus to the Utah Food Bank.

Registrations and donations must be received no later than April 30 to count towards this U of U Health goal. Participants get team merchandise that can be picked up on April 30. Pick-up details will be sent to all participants in the post-registration email. That email will also include information on how to properly track the challenge as part of the WellU and WellnessNOW employee programs.

Walk, run, bike or hike to participate!

This is a “fun walk” and is not timed or scored, so the possibilities are endless. One of our main goals is for us to get out and moving at least a mile a day! Starting May 1 and show us where you’re walking! Post a pic and tag #50KinMay. Include your furry friends too! Pets don’t need to donate to participate but extra donations are always welcome!

Family members can also join at an additional $31 donation for each member. They too will get the awesome U of U Health swag!

Note: Walker Tracker can only be used for current University employees. By donating, employees are not obligated to participate in the wellness challenge.

For the next month, many Muslim members of the U community will be fasting each day from sunrise to sunset and in observation of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Many Muslims will also engage in an extra prayer at night until midnight or later.

“It is important for all of us to be aware and respectful of all that goes into observing Ramadan for many of our Muslim peers and colleagues and to be intentional about how we support them,” said Mary Ann Villarreal, vice president for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. “Fasting and staying up late for several weeks while keeping up with classes and other obligations can impact everyone differently, and we encourage our community to be kind and flexible.”

Beginning with the sighting of the new moon, Ramadan is expected to fall between April 13 and May 13 this year.

The Meditation Space in the Union third floor will be open if students need space to open their fast.

Student residents may also utilize the Meditation Space/Ablution Room located on the first floor of the Patricia Child Health & Wellness Tower in Kahlert Village.

The Spiritual Center within the Black Culltural Center (BCC) is also available. Check the BCC website here for hours of operation.

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The Office for Global Engagement is pleased to announce professors Tony Anghie and Kelly Bricker as the winners of the 2021 Excellence in Global Engagement Awards. Anghie’s and Bricker’s contributions toward advancing internationalization at the U are truly exemplary and worthy of this distinguished recognition. The award comes with a $1,000 prize and awardees will be celebrated at an event later this year.

Dr. Tony Anghie

Dr. Tony Anghie

Anghie joined the faculty at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law faculty in 1995. He served on the University President’s Task Force on Internationalization and on various other committees examining issues of internationalization at the university level. Anghie’s research interests include public and private international law; human rights; globalization, development issues and international law; terrorism and the use of force; international business transactions and international economic law; colonialism and the history of public international law; and third world approaches to international law.

Anghie’s nominators—Dean Elizabeth Kronk Warner, as well as Dr. Erika George and Dr. Jacqueline Esty Morrison of the College of Law–detailed his broad and deep impact on students pursuing global education opportunities, on internationalizing the curriculum, in his scholarly work and in developing programs such as the Master of Science in International Affairs and Global Enterprise.

Dr. Kelly Bricker

Dr. Kelly Bricker

Bricker is Chair of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (PRT) in the College of Health and joined the U in 2007. Her research and teaching interests lie in nature-based tourism, sense of place, gateway communities, natural resource management, health benefits of nature-based experiences and the impacts of tourism.

Bricker has played a key role in defining curriculum for the Office for Global Engagement’s China National Parks Program. She serves on the boards of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the Tourism and Protected Area Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Central Wasatch Stakeholders Council. With her husband, partners in OARS and 12 communities in the rural highlands of Fiji, Bricker established a lease for conservation on the Upper Navua River, through an ecotourism project they created called Rivers Fiji.

Bricker is co-author or editor of seven books on sustainable tourism, ecotourism and the restorative qualities of nature. She has contributed numerous chapters to books on tourism’s environmental and social impacts and authored more than 60 journal articles.

Nominators College of Health Dean David Perrin, Dr. Daniel Dustin of PRT and Deborah Kerstetter (Professor Emerita at Pennsylvania State University), spoke to Bricker’s numerous and long-term contributions to the U’s global dimension, across teaching, scholarly achievements and outreach. The selection committee was impressed by Bricker’s connections and work spanning Europe, Fiji and East Asia as well as the sheer variety of engagement from providing students with global education opportunities, internationalizing the curriculum, development of professional training programs for administrators in China and Mongolia and scholarly work/consulting regarding best practices in multiple areas: ecotourism, national parks management, environmental studies. Her nominators also mentioned the great enthusiasm with which Bricker approaches teaching, projects, scholarship and outreach.

On Thursday, April 1, 2021, a patient at a University of Utah Health medical facility verbally and physically assaulted staff members.* The staff involved took the necessary steps to de-escalate the situation but were unable to avoid confrontation. This led to the staff calling for an intervention to protect the patient, other patients and staff. Several staff members received significant injuries. One employee who responded to assist was threatened, referred to with a racial slur and was physically assaulted by the patient. University of Utah’s Racist and Bias Incident Response Team (RBIRT) was notified because the patient used racist language, threatened this individual and caused physical harm. The incident was reported as a hate crime for purposes of the university’s annual CLERY report. An assessment was conducted with University Police, and it does not appear that the individual poses any further risk to University of Utah Health staff or the greater university community at this time. RBIRT is actively working with University of Utah Health staff to resolve the incident.

University of Utah Health is working to ensure that the victims of this incident—our valued employees—get the proper healing, care and support they need. The University of Utah Health community will not ignore the pervasiveness of racism in our state and our country and will not tolerate violent and racist behavior from anyone—students, patients, faculty, staff or visitors to our hospitals and clinics. Creating an equitable, safe and welcoming campus is our top priority, and the university will continue to take action against those who undermine our values.

Prior to this event, as part of University of Utah Health’s ongoing commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) a new Senior Director of EDI, Mikel Whittier, has been hired to lead strategies to strengthen EDI across all University of Utah hospitals and clinics. Mikel will work with staff and administrators to determine how best to support our medical staff who may be the targets of racist behavior.

University of Utah Health has many resources available to support the staff affected directly and they are being referred to the appropriate care.

Any staff, trainees, or faculty needing mental health support can access free services through the Employee Assistance Program (EPA) or call the 24/7 Utah Crisis Line at Huntsman Mental Health Institute1-800-273-8255 or the Utah Warm Line 833-SPEAKUT. The SafeUT Frontline Crisis Text app provides Utah health care providers 24/7 confidential access at no cost.

Additional counseling and support services are available from several entities across campus:

• American Indian Resource Center: 801-581-7019
• Black Cultural Center: 801-213-1441
• Center for Disability and Access: 801-581-5020 or info@disability.utah.edu
• Center for Ethnic Student Affairs (CESA): 801-581-8151
• Center for Student Wellness: (victim-survivor advocates, bystander intervention training): 801-581-7776
• Dream Center: 801-213-3697
• Employee Assistance Program (staff): 801-587-9319 or 800-926-9619
• Housing and Residential Education: 801-587-2000 (available 24/7)
• Huntsman Mental Health Institute crisis line (available 24/7): 801-587-3000
• Independent Review Committee: complaints about public safety personnel may be reported to the Independent Review Committee at irc@utah.edu.
• International Student & Scholar Services: 801-581-8876 or international@utah.edu
• LGBT Resource Center: 801-587-7973
• Office for Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Title IX: 801-581-8365
• Office of the Dean of Students: 801-581-7066
• Office of Inclusive Excellence: 801-587-7580
• University Counseling Center (students only): 801-581-6826
• Veterans Support Center: 801-587-7722 or vetcenter@sa.utah.edu
• Women’s Resource Center: 801-581-8030

This incident will be posted on the RBIRT website. Any additional questions or concerns can be directed to RBIresponse@utah.edu.

*Please note that to protect patient privacy, and in accordance with federal law, specific information about this incident is not included in this statement.

For the 2021-22 school year, the U will launch a revised sustainability certificate that seamlessly weaves sustainability into the fibers of its undergraduate education.

The undergraduate sustainability certificate, which has been dormant for several years, will take on a new form in the fall of 2021, integrating sustainability into students’ general education and empowering them to approach their primary courses of study through a sustainability lens. By engaging students in the scientific, artistic, technological and human dimensions of sustainability, this certificate offers something to everyone—from budding scientists to humanities scholars.

Through this certificate, students from all majors will gain the knowledge and skills they need to leverage their unique passions and skillsets toward building a more sustainable world,” said Jennifer Watt, associate director of the Environmental and Sustainability Studies program.

Faculty must apply for sustainability designation by April 15, 2021. Students, remember to keep an eye out for SUSL and SUSC courses this fall.

Learn more about the new and improved undergraduate sustainability certificate here.

Know what’s better than that camaraderie of competition among your coworkers? Camaraderie and competition while getting a WellU credit for it.

When you participate in the Walker Tracker challenges, you have the chance to showcase your fly footwork. But you don’t have to be the fiercest stepper to have the challenge count as a WellU wellness activity.

Wellness challenges are an opportunity for us to come together as a university to step up our game and build healthy habits. As you participate, you’ll get the benefits of increased physical stamina, increased mental capacity and the university cheering you on.

So consider this a formal invitation to join us to stay active, healthy and have fun along the way.

Advisor of the Month is a peer-nominated award in which staff on campus who have academic advising roles can give their advising peers recognition for their ability to go above and beyond in their roles and in the support they provide to students.

Morgan Sriphong-Ngarm, an academic advisor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering within the College of Engineering.

The current Advisor of the Month is Morgan Sriphong-Ngarm, an academic advisor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering within the College of Engineering.

This semester, Sriphong-Ngarm has worked to collaborate with departments across campus, present to advisors across the country, and lead discussions with her fellow college advisors.

Within her department, one nominator described her as a “trail blazer”—this spring, she has worked closely with both the math and chemistry departments to renew and improve a learning community for students in her department. These impactful changes will allow students to take two of their first semester labs together, increasing student’s ability to build community, connections and study groups.

On a national level, Sriphong-Ngarm presented during the NACADA (Global Advising Community) Pre-Conference Week. The workshop she co-led was the most popular of the sessions, and she was able to present advising best practices to over 50 attendees across the country.

At the college level, she led a book club discussion about probation policies. This allowed advisors within her college to brainstorm solutions, think through challenges together, and hear from each other on how they track processes, and support probation students. A nominator highlighted how Sriphong-Ngarm is known for being “helpful, caring and resourceful,” both toward her students and fellow advisors. Another noted that she is a “true asset” to our campus and to our advising community.

Sriphong-Ngarm shared the following about her role as an advisor:
“I feel very fortunate to truly enjoy the work that I do every day. Working with students, hearing their stories, encouraging them to reach their highest potential, and being their support is the reason I continue to do the work I do. There is so much more to academic advising than people think. Being creative in my advising approach, development of new programs, and collaborating with colleagues brings joy to my work.”

Congratulations!

Do you need to meet with an advisor to help create a meaningful plan, navigate the university and graduate on time? See our advisors across campus on our website and schedule an appointment.

The Goff Strategic Leadership Center is looking for driven, eager students to apply for 2021-22 Goff Strategic Leadership courses: Goff Scholars and Trailblazers.

Both courses are open to all University of Utah students – regardless of major. Competitive applicants will demonstrate an ability to work well in teams and have a vested interest in leveraging their strategic abilities. Once in the classroom, they will have the support of experienced faculty and fellow peers. Students will learn to create value for real organizations by addressing their strategic challenges through applying strategic leadership principles, building technical skills, and leading teams.

Not sure which course is best for you? Review the chart below to learn more about trailblazers and scholars.

Questions? Email goffslc@eccles.utah.edu. Please visit the Goff Strategic Leadership Center’s website for details and a link to the application. Applications will be reviewed in three rounds. The deadlines for the three rounds are April 11, May 2 and June 3 at 11:59 p.m. MST. Apply early, hear back soon. 

Join University Print & Mail Services as we welcome spring. Outside, the flowers are blooming and the temperature is rising. To make the scene from inside your office just as lively, we made these free Zoom backgrounds; designed by us, just for you.

How to download:

1. Click on any of the thumbnails below
2. On the enlarged version that opens up, right-click to save it to your computer

If you would like some help installing your Zoom background, click here for instructions.

The University of Utah will allow up to two guests per graduate at its 2021 college convocation ceremonies in May.

The university has scheduled in-person, outdoor convocations for all colleges, May 5-8, at Rice-Eccles Stadium and the Red Butte Garden Amphitheater. The Schools of Dentistry and Medicine and the Colleges of Law and Pharmacy will hold their convocation ceremonies later in the month.

Members of the Class of 2020, who were not able to have in-person convocations in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, also may attend, along with two guests. Due to space and public health considerations, attendance will be limited to college faculty, the graduates themselves and a small audience of family and friends.

“We understand how difficult the past two years have been for our campus community. Our students and faculty have shown incredible patience, creativity and resilience with all the changes we have had to make to remain safe and healthy,” said Lori McDonald, vice president for Student Affairs. “Now, we are truly excited to be able to celebrate—in a small way—with our graduates and their family members. They have earned this moment.”

Each guest will be required to register for a ticket. Please watch for details over the next two weeks. Masks must be worn by all attendees and physical distancing guidelines will be followed, with seating spaced throughout the venues.

The decision to allow guests has been driven by the same principles that have guided university administrators since the COVID-19 pandemic began: protecting the health and safety of the campus community and preserving essential experiential learning for first-year students. University leaders will monitor the state of infections and vaccinations in the community, and continue to follow the guidance of the Salt Lake County Health Department and University of Utah Health epidemiologists and public health doctors.

Graduates, friends and family members who are unable to attend college convocations can tune in remotely: Both the convocation ceremonies and General Commencement will be streamed on Utah.edu/live. For a full schedule of dates and times, click here.

A common thread throughout Deloitte Consulting’s 2015 IT assessment of the University of Utah was that too many IT services are decentralized.

“Deloitte’s report drove home the fact that we need to be better at consolidating our services and making them less confusing,” said Barb Iannucci, associate director for USS Content Management & Usability and university webmaster.

The need for more centralized IT services prompted the university’s Enterprise Web Advisory Council (EWAC) to develop the U website registry, a comprehensive database of university websites and web administrator contact information.

“If there’s an accessibility audit or a copyright lawsuit, the Office of the University Webmaster needs a way to quickly contact the people in charge,” Iannucci said.

The registry complies with the university’s World Wide Web Resources Policy 4-003, Rule 4-003D that stipulates that all institutional websites must be registered with the Office of the University Webmaster, and that registry information must be periodically updated. Non-institutional websites—for example, the Utah Commission on Aging’s website, whose members are from different universities but UIT hosts their site—may also register.

Website administrators must register their websites by visiting the university website registration site, which has options to register a website or edit/retire a website registration. These web forms are contained in the IT Service Catalog and require authentication. The search the registry portal is being developed and Iannucci expects the changes to go live in a matter of weeks.

The register a website form includes (this is not an exhaustive list):

• Webmaster’s name and contact information
• Director’s or dean’s name and contact information
• Name(s) of web content authors, web server provider host, whether a content management system is used to publish content
• Whether the website houses sensitive or restricted data

The information provided will:

• Be used to build and maintain a comprehensive website registry that identifies responsible parties to be contacted in the event of an issue
• Better ensure the accuracy, consistency, security, and integrity of all university websites
• Allow the university webmaster to keep web administrators in the loop about future institution-wide web communications and critical requirements
• Help the university webmaster establish a community of practice around the effort

OU Campus websites hosted with UIT and sites managed by University Marketing & Communications are already registered.

An annual review will be conducted to verify the accuracy of the information. The first round of verifications for websites already in the registry will kick off in the next couple of months. The main point of contact will receive an email asking them to verify the accuracy of the website registration information. If a response isn’t received within two weeks, they will receive a second reminder email, followed two weeks later by an email escalated to the cognizant director or dean.

If you have questions or feedback about the registration or review process, please contact the Office of the University Webmaster at uwebresources@lists.utah.edu. For more information and resources, please visit the U webmaster resources website.

The University of Utah will return to in-person classes, student activities and a full break in the fall.

The University Registrar has posted the fall calendar online here. Highlights include:

• Classes begin on Aug. 23
• A regular fall break is scheduled from Oct. 8-17
• Thanksgiving break is Nov. 25-28
• Classes end Dec. 9
• Winter Break is scheduled from Dec. 18, 2021-Jan. 9, 2022

The vast majority of classes will be held in person. Student services offices will return to regular staffing. Most internships and business travel will resume. And student clubs will be able to meet within health and safety guidelines. The Fall 2021 Semester class schedule will be published on March 29, and registration begins on April 12.

“We are confident that this fall will feel much like a return to normal for our students, faculty and staff,” said Dan Reed, senior vice president for Academic Affairs.

Fall semester plans are contingent on continued vaccinations and declining infections in the community. The university will continue to follow public health guidance from the state and county health departments, as well as U of U Health epidemiologists, regarding physical distancing and masking.

As the university gears up for another unconventional graduation season, University Print & Mail Services has a way you can celebrate your student’s achievements without being with them in person. Mailed Grad Gift Boxes from departments are a great way to honor your graduates.

What we can do for you

Print & Mail Services can help you:

1. Get promo items labeled with your department’s logo.
2. Find the perfect size box to fit your promo items, letter to the student, and commencement programs. You can mail your items to students in a colored box (red, white, black, etc.), or you have the option to print a custom design on the box. For box pricing and details, please contact your project coordinator (contact information below).
3. We can stuff, label and mail the boxes for you. Individual boxes can also be personalized to the student. Ask your project coordinator for details.

How to get started

To meet graduation deadlines, we recommend ordering your boxes asap. Our project coordinators are standing by to help you plan this special gift. Please contact them to set up a Zoom meeting.

Santiago Garcia
Santiago.garcia@utah.edu
801-581-3243

Theresa Orison
t.orison@utah.edu
801-581-3943

Gift box examples

For box theme concepts that include promo item ideas and pricing, click here.

Eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) is temporarily expanded to include students enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education. The Utah Department of Workforce Services implemented these changes to the eligibility criteria for SNAP as provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

Students must still meet the income guidelines to be eligible—Utah will temporarily add two new student exemptions to the existing list. These temporary exemptions now include:

• Any student who is eligible to participate in State or federally financed work-study. Students can find information about their eligibility to participate in work study in their financial aid award letter.
• Additionally, the exemptions also include students who have an Expected Family Contribution of $0 will also qualify, if family circumstances have changed since students entered college they can work with their financial aid office to reflect those changes.

If students have any questions if they currently meet the new criteria they can contact their financial aid office for clarification, students should get this information in writing to help establish their eligibility. To find out if they meet the income guidelines, students can visit here for more information.

These important changes were made because of the impact COVID-19 has had on college students, as many campuses have limited work-study opportunities because of how the pandemic has changed on-campus employment. The new, temporary exemptions are effective immediately and will be in effect until 30 days after the federal COVID-19 public health emergency is lifted.

For more information:

• To learn more about these changes, click here.
• To see if a family may be eligible for SNAP, use UAH’s SNAP Calculator.
• To apply for SNAP, click here.
• For food resources on campus visit the Feed U Food Pantry website.

Congratulations class of 2021. Graduating is a huge accomplishment and this occasion deserves to be celebrated even during a pandemic.

Whether you are a graduate or know someone who is graduating, University Print & Mail Services has a wide selection of items to help you commemorate this special time.

Graduation announcements

Get U-themed graduation announcements printed right on campus. With packs of 20 starting at $29.73, these budget-friendly announcements come with envelopes and are ready in just 5 business days. Pick them up in our lobby or have them shipped to your house for a small shipping fee.

For help ordering announcements, watch this training video.

Do you want to design your own announcements? No problem! You can upload and print custom graduation card designs or upload a picture of the graduate (for photos, we recommend selecting Starlight Photo Lustre paper at checkout).

Lawn signs

Social distancing is still recommended, but that doesn’t mean you can’t let your neighbors know about this major accomplishment. Yell from the rooftops—or rather the lawn—with these lawn signs. We offer three graduation phrases for only $12.50 each, and graduation-themed symbols for only $6.25 each.

Phrases measure within 22”H x 47”W

Symbols are within 22”H x 23”W

How to order

Get your lawn signs on UPrint. There is no limit to the number of phrases and symbols you can order (just be sure to click “continue shopping” to add more items to your cart before checking out). For help, please contact us at 801-581-6171.

You can pick up signs for free in our lobby, or we can ship them to your house for a shipping fee.

The University of Utah will offer in-person college convocations this spring as the traditional rituals of graduation open up a bit with COVID-19 vaccinations increasing.

The main university commencement ceremony will be pre-recorded and live-streamed on utah.edu/live, Thursday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. In-person college-specific convocations will be held on May 6 and 7. For a full list of college convocation plans, click here. Students are encouraged to check with individual colleges and departments for the most up-to-date event information.

“The past two academic years have been transformed in significant ways, and our students have been patient, creative and resilient through all the changes need to ensure health and safety during this global health crisis,” said Lori McDonald, vice president for Student Affairs.

“We are going to mark this occasion in ways that recognize the dedication and commitment of our students, while also celebrating the amazing accomplishment of completing a college degree during extraordinary times,” McDonald added.

Two venues will be used for in-person college convocations: Rice-Eccles Stadium and the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre. Convocation ceremonies also will be live-streamed for family and friends to watch. Students will receive an email in the coming weeks with details about their college’s convocation plans. Campus community members can also check the Commencement website to follow updated plans.

Like other colleges on the University of Utah campus, the David Eccles School of Business is planning an in-person convocation for its graduates, said Taylor Randall, dean of the Eccles School. Masks and physical distancing will be required.

“This pandemic has changed so much about the college experience these past two years, but I have been so impressed by the patience and resilience shown by our students, particularly the classes of 2020 and 2021,” Randall said. “I am so excited to get the opportunity to honor them in person in a way that maintains public safety, but also gives these incredible students their due.”

Graduates of the Class of 2020, who did not have their convocations last year, will also be invited to attend.

As COVID-19 vaccinations increase and infections in the community decrease, the University of Utah will provide an in-person experience for every student who wants one in the fall.

The University Registrar’s office is working with colleges and departments on the logistics of fall scheduling. Classes will begin on Aug. 23. As always, the university will continue to offer online course options to accommodate student needs, preferences and schedules.

University administrators share the optimism of state leaders that COVID-19 vaccinations will be largely completed by the fall. The university will continue to follow public health guidance from the Salt Lake County and State Health departments. Students and faculty who for health reasons need to continue with online and distance-learning options will be able to do so.

“Our university has been transformed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and students and faculty have shown incredible patience and adaptability,” University Registrar Tim Ebner said. “We’re very hopeful that fall semester can be much closer to what higher education was before the coronavirus.”

In addition to prioritizing in-person classes—including labs, practicums and studios—the university will support traditional student club and on-campus activities in the fall as long as they are in accordance with the public health and safety guidelines.

“The details and logistics of how we shape the fall student experience will be a collaborative effort, working with faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders.” said Dan Reed, senior vice president for Academic Affairs.