The impact of coronavirus, COVID-19, on higher education is unprecedented. Universities across the nation are faced with an enormous challenge of delivering on the promise of a quality education, while also keeping the health and safety of students, faculty and staff front and center.
We are committed to providing you and your fellow students with a safe environment to continue your education and ensure not to interrupt your time to degree. Faculty have risen to the occasion to deliver on this promise, adapting their courses for remote learning, in a very short amount of time.
To put it into perspective, over 1,250 sections for more than 460 courses, are currently being converted by over 330 instructors (in addition to support staff).
We say this for several reasons:
- Please be patient as we work through this shift. This is a new way of doing things for many of our faculty and maybe for you, too.
- Almost a third of the sections are labs and your instructors are having to quickly come up with creative ways to substitute activities; please be flexible as some activities may not go as planned.
- If you need accommodations to be successful online, please work with your instructor and TAMU Disability Resources.
- If you face other hardships, including computer access or reliable Internet, please share those concerns with your instructor.
- If a course instructor has not provided information to you about the new course format, please contact them first. If you do not or have not heard from them by the end of the week, please follow up with your advisor, your department head, or our office.
Also, don’t forget:
- While you may choose to be on campus, you are not required to come to campus for any lecture, lab or exam.
- The College website has put together a COVID-19 resource page for students with links to resources and answers to FAQs.
- Advisors are still available via Zoom, phone and email. Visit the Advisors page on the College website for their contact information.
- For the latest on COVID-19 related campus updates and a list of services available, visit the Texas A&M Coronavirus Updates webpage.
- Please continue following proper preventive measures including social distancing, limiting group settings to 10 or less individuals.
We know some of you are very disappointed about cancellations due to this public health crisis. For those reaching an academic milestone this semester – be it receiving your Aggie ring, defending your thesis or dissertation, or graduating and receiving your diploma – please know we all celebrate your achievements.
In closing, we want to thank each of you for your patience, your resilience and your embodiment of the Aggie spirit. Stay well and we look forward to the day we see you again in our buildings, classrooms and labs.
Sincerely,
Patrick J. Stover, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Agriculture, Texas A&M AgriLife
Dean, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Texas A&M University
Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Research
Clare A. Gill, Ph.D.
Executive Associate Dean & Associate Dean for Research, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Texas A&M University
