Dear TU students,
Welcome back from what has certainly been one of the most unusual and trying spring vacations of your lives. It is our deepest hope that each and every one of you is well, and that you are taking care of yourselves, your loved ones and those in your community by following all public health recommendations.
We also hope that you’re ready to get back to class — online — and to collaborate with faculty and staff in making spring semester 2020 as rewarding as it will be unprecedented! We are all in this together as we transition to virtual learning.
Getting started with technology
Professors are using a variety of online teaching methods. If you are lacking technology, internet access or any other items that you need to be successful in online learning, contact Sheila Givens (sheila-givens@utulsa.edu) immediately. We will do our very best to help you as quickly as possible.
Organizing each day and week
If you would like tips on managing your time and/or keeping up with coursework in an online learning environment, please visit the student resources page.
You can also request a meeting with a student success coach by emailing successcoaches@utulsa.edu. Student success coaches can help you set goals and stay on track as you adjust to virtual interactions with your professors and peers.
Commencement announcement
An announcement about commencement will be made by April 1. The commencement ceremony is a celebration of students, so we will consult the Student Association and seek feedback from the entire student body prior to finalizing any decisions.
Academic policy changes for spring 2020
1. Pass/D/F grading. In recognition of the sudden change of course delivery methods and the transitions students are facing, undergraduate students will have more flexibility to change enrollment in current courses from a letter grade to Pass/D/F:
- The deadline to declare Pass/D/F will be April 29 for the spring 2020 term.
- Undergraduates may take any number of courses or their entire schedule as Pass/D/F credit hours for the spring 2020 term. This includes the following:
– Block and general education courses
– Courses satisfying the human/cultural/gender diversity requirement
– Courses within the major/minor (Students should be advised that major courses taken as Pass/D/F could impact admission to graduate/professional programs and eligibility for licensure/certification examinations or have other consequences.)
– Elective courses - If you are considering changing a course to Pass/D/F, please discuss this change with your faculty or academic adviser. If you are considering going to graduate school or another post-bachelor’s degree program, you should inquire about whether this might impact your application. Once a course is approved for Pass/D/F enrollment, it will not be possible to change back to a letter grade.
- If you wish to change one or more courses from a letter grade to Pass/D/F, please use this form: Pass-D-F Grade Declaration. All common advising/enrollment forms will be placed at https://utulsa.edu/undergradadvising/commonforms moving forward.
2. Deadline to withdraw from a course. The deadline to withdraw from a course this semester will be April 29, 2020.
Student support
TU’s Office of Counseling and Psychological Services has put together resources for you to use and is offering telehealth services during this time. The counseling staff understands this is not how you expected to wrap up the semester. The move to online learning and the interruption to life as you know it may have left you feeling anxious, sad or angry. Please take advantage of the information and tools provided as you navigate these challenges.
We sincerely hope that this added flexibility and support will help you complete the semester successfully. If you have questions, please contact us so that we may assist you.
We miss seeing you and look forward to hearing from you!
Tracy Manly
Acting Provost