DEOs have been encouraged to proactively invite faculty to optionally include a COVID-19 impact statement with their annual evaluation materials. A COVID-19 impact statement provides an opportunity to detail and explain responses
to disruptions to scholarly activity as faculty experienced them. The lists below are prompts to help faculty remember possible impacts on their work. We encourage faculty to document barriers/opportunities and their efforts to respond to conditions. The list is not all-inclusive and is intended to provide examples.
Teaching
- Challenges and opportunities related to adopting new teaching formats as a result of the pivot to remote learning (including professional training sessions needed).
- Significant reconfiguration of courses, syllabi, etc. for remote instruction format, including labs, practicum courses, and courses with significant community engagement and service components.
- Reallocation of time and focus related to ensuring content delivery through multiple instructional formats.
- Addressing the additional complexity related to evaluating student work, given class delivery changes.
- Creating new infrastructure at home and/or in remote work environments (e.g., new technology, getting more bandwidth, finding quiet spaces, taking turns when multiple individuals require use of WiFi, etc.).
- Adapting to disruptions and the need for multitasking required for simultaneous face-to-face and remote instruction, learning new instructional technology, and combined work/home spaces, etc.
- Managing time constraints brought about by new caregiving responsibilities (e.g., if childcare or eldercare centers closed, schools required home instruction of P-12 students/dependents, etc.).
- Obtaining additional professional development to adapting assignments and learning experiences for remote instruction formats.
- Devoting additional time to student stress and mental health concerns.
- Learning to manage new complexities when interacting with students (e.g., advising and mentoring) who have extraordinary circumstances and potential for distress (e.g., parents afflicted with COVID-19, financial stressors, the impact of racial injustice events).
Research
- Limited access to labs, studios, animals, clinical settings, field settings, specific populations (e.g., the disproportionate impacts on immigrant communities, public school students and teachers, etc.), and such for research.
- Limitations on travel to conduct research.
- Restricted access to supplies/disruption in supply chains relevant to research.
- Impacts on productivity and training opportunities due to enhanced safety protocols in work and laboratory environments.
- Access to funds to support COVID-19 related research.
- Cancellation or new formats of professional conferences, closing of performance venues, exhibitions, etc.
- Delays in editorial decisions related to publications, etc.
- Adapting to new disruptions involved in remote work (e.g., other people sharing remote work spaces).
- Limitations related to home “office” infrastructure (e.g., internet availability, printers, computing, ability to access restricted/secure data).
- Effects on time for research, due to changing teaching, mentoring, and/or advising demands.
- Effects on time for research, due to family care demands (e.g., ill relative, child needing home schooling)
- Impacts on writing time.
- Challenges and opportunities around collaboration and networking, when face-to-face interactions are limited.
- Responding to stress and anxiety/loneliness/student issues/emails.
- Additional time involved with understanding new COVID-19 protocols that impact research.
- Additional time involved with responding to media requests for expert opinions (e.g., on viruses, social unrest, elections).
Extension/Outreach
- Limited access to settings and resources (e.g., access to demonstration plots on producer farms) for extension/ outreach.
- Limitations on travel, both in-state and out-of-state.
- Disruptions to engagement with community-based organizations and institutions.
- Disruptions to in-person programming and moving to online programming.
- Unanticipated shifts in local and community priorities, causing some activities to be paused while others became immediate high priorities.
- Communication and continuity challenges related to internet access in remote and/or underserved/low- income areas.
Service
- Increased complexity and difficulty with service contributions due to prohibitions on travel, face-to-face meetings, communication, etc.
- “Hidden” service obligations, including additional time and energy spent mentoring and supporting students, colleagues, and others with particular impacts from the pandemic (BIPOC individuals, first-generation students, etc.)
- New and unanticipated service requests and requirements related to the response of the university, professional organizations, laboratories, funding/governmental agencies, etc.
- Significantly increased service requirements and time demands for faculty engaged in extensive outreach activities (e.g., with travel prohibitions, facility closures, lack of connectivity in some areas, etc.).
- Added complexity and slower progress with committee work when relying on videoconferencing and other communication for meetings.
- Additional time needed to complete tasks due to the factors above.