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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><a name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Colleagues<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Yesterday, I wrote at the request of the Provost to clarify next steps to prepare for what is coming
Monday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">I’m writing to remind everyone:
<b>The most important thing you can do now is to email your students</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Once you have done so, notify your department head. Heads and deans are keeping track of communications
to ensure this step gets done ASAP.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">That email should have some very basic points, depending on the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">1.) If your course is online, your message should let them know it will continue without a hitch.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">2.) If your course was not previously online, your message should let them know that starting Monday
it will be. They need to be monitoring their email for instructions from you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">3.) Any message should recognize the challenges that the current situation poses for all of us.
The students are at least as anxious about this as we.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">4.) If you are ready or able to set an assignment or task, do so. The sooner everyone is back to
work the better for all of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">System and internal directives are meant for our consumption. Please do not use them as part of
your communication with students</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">. Students need a word from you, because you know best the situation for your courses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">The University had already obtained System blessing to move forward online Monday prior to the System
message from the Chancellor. <i>The latter does not trump the former.</i> <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">It does, however, establish a hard deadline for us all:
<b>March 23</b> <b>everything needs to be online</b>. Please let your department head know what you need in the way of support.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">None of us wants to be in this situation right now, but we are. Our job is to build and provide the
best possible educational experience for our students under the circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">If you have additional questions or concerns, please write me directly at
<a href="mailto:Ricky.Dobbs@tamuc.edu">Ricky.Dobbs@tamuc.edu</a> .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Stay healthy and hopeful.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Ricky<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Ricky Dobbs, Ph. D.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Professor of History<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Associate Provost
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">903-468-8707<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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