Stay Connected & Find What You Need

• Academic Affairs for Faculty in MS Teams (internal documents, sign in with password, look under Files in Channels)

• Campus-wide College of Wooster Fall 2020 Guide

• Educational Technology for info on Moodle, Teams, Voices, and other teaching technologies & digital pedagogy

• Faculty Handbook (Statute of Instruction + info on Teaching, Advising, I.S., Benefits, Funding, Academic Policies, Faculty Governance, Committees, etc.)

As we return for the 2020-2021 academic year, like we are telling our students, faculty & staff also need to reach out when you need help.  Find things on your own at the links above, but if you aren’t able to access what you need, one of us is likely able to help (or can point you in the direction of someone who can):

• • • • • • • • • • • • • Dean for Faculty Development Christa Craven, ccraven@wooster.edu
                        • Dean for Curriculum & Academic Engagement Jen Bowen, jbowen@wooster.edu
                        • The Wellness Center counselors are also holding free 15-minute consultations every Friday 2-4pm for Faculty & Staff (you can sign up here)
                        • And Chrysalis Family Solutions is the college’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider. Employees and household members may receive six sessions/hours of service.

Along with our students, faculty & staff have struggled in 2020.  May the legacy we come away with as a community be one of generosity & compassion for each other as we move through these challenges.

• • An increasing number of campus community members have lost loved ones to COVID-19 and racist violence. Many have been unable to gather with family and friends to mourn those losses.
  • The impact of COVID has been particularly devastating in African-American communities, among Latinx populations and indigenous groups in the US, and has exacerbated inequities throughout the world.
  • Black students (and faculty & staff) are concerned about being asked to rehearse or respond to racialized trauma.
  • Some students studying remotely do not feel safe participating in conversations about culturally or politically sensitive topics with family members nearby.
  • There are queer & trans students who are not out at home and may want to use different pronouns or names than they do on Wooster’s campus.
  • Some students took on additional jobs to support their families, and may need to continue even as they return to classes.
  • Others have been called upon to take care of younger siblings or other family members (one student I spoke with had 8 cousins and siblings under the age of 8 with her all day, 7 days a week).
  • Many incoming students lost the opportunity to complete their senior year of High School and mark that milestone with family & friends.
  • People at high-risk for coronavirus are still being advised to stay at home to limit contact.
  • Some returning students and other members of our community are survivors of domestic violence that was exacerbated by COVID lockdowns, particularly among women, children, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
  • Some have been sick with COVID themselves, and others have had significant physical challenges with the increased time at computers and on screens.
  • Many have also been impacted by increased rates of anxiety and depression and substance abuse.