Students have pass/fail option for spring semester

Students can choose a pass/fail option for courses in the spring semester, following a vote Friday by the Mitchell Hamline faculty.

“After extensive deliberation and debate,” Dean Peter Knapp said Friday in an email to students, “the faculty have decided to proceed with the following grading policy for Spring Semester 2020:
Optional pass/fail after grade: Students will have the option to  convert any or all of their spring semester 2020 grades to a ‘pass,’ as long as they earn at least a C- in the course, and can make the conversion after they see their final grade for the course.”

A memo with a full review of the process used to reach the decision was attached to Knapp’s email.

“We know this decision will be welcomed by some and disappointing to others. We know it will lead to additional questions and concerns, both general and individual.  We will respond to those concerns to the best of our ability. What we hope you will take away from all of this is that we have done our best to evaluate all of the competing interests and concerns and make a thoughtful decision based on the information available to us, with your best interests as our primary consideration,” Knapp wrote to students.

COVID-19 pay

In response to the ongoing public health crisis, Mitchell Hamline is extending its offer of COVID-19 pay for staff through May 1. The school is providing COVID-19 pay to any employee who becomes sick, is taking care of a sick loved one, has school-aged children at home, or is unable to work (on campus or remotely) their regularly scheduled hours due to a COVID-19 circumstance. Employees are encouraged to discuss their individual circumstances with HR Director Andrea Bien, and Andrea is also available to answer questions about coding COVID-19 hours on timesheets.

Time off encouraged

During this time, the use of PTO is not expected for employees to maintain their regular compensation each pay period. However, PTO should be used with bona fide days away from work. As the crisis lengthens, the school is encouraging employees to take care of themselves by taking time away from work as needed.

Self-care and flexibility

For everyone, this is an unfamiliar and stressful time. Most employees are now working from home, in many cases for the first time. Productivity is going to change, and that’s OK. This isn’t an easy time for anyone, and the school is building in greater flexibility to reflect the current reality. It is important for everyone to take care of themselves, take breaks, ask for help, and stay connected with others.
Our institutional Zoom Pro accounts support unlimited use, and employees are encouraged to use them to set up meetings with family and friends. Just remember to turn off the default recording feature.

‘Essential’ functions

The school is in the process of identifying essential tasks that need to be done to keep the school operating. Please note that “essential” in this context refers to business operations necessary to get us through this time. It does not imply the other work we do is “nonessential.” We will all continue our work to the extent we can, and soon enough we will all be back in the building and contributing in all the ways we normally do to keep this a strong institution.

New security protocols

From March 28-April 10, the following new protocols will be in effect:

• Entry to the campus building will be through the front door only.
• Entry will require a Mitchell Hamline staff or faculty ID in order to be buzzed in.
• Once you have gained entry, you will have to sign in and out so Security knows who is in the building.
• Staff and faculty will have 24-hour access, but based on our Security staffing plan, if you plan to work on-site you are encouraged to use the building only between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm M-Th, and 7 am to 7 pm F-Su.
• If you expect to meet Clinic clients on campus, you will need to meet them at the front door to let them in, and then escort them out when you are done.

Library closure

Burger Library will be closed to all patrons from March 28 through April 10.

• Lending of books or other physical materials is suspended during this time. Due dates for all currently checked out materials have been extended to May 31, and no overdue fines will accrue until then.
• Reference services will be available remotely – please email reference@mitchellhamline.edu with all inquiries.
• Interlibrary loan services are suspended until further notice.

Health status reporting

If you learn that you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with COVID-19, or that you or someone close to you has been exposed to a person who has COVID-19 or to a person from an area experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19, please notify a school official. Faculty and staff should notify Human Resources Director Andrea Bien, andrea.bien@mitchellhamline.edu. Students should notify Dean of Students Lynn Lemoine, lynn.lemoine@mitchellhamline.edu. We respect the privacy of our faculty, staff, and students. The information gathered will be used in the event that we have a confirmed case reported by a member of our community. The sharing of information will be limited to those individuals that have a business need to know and would include the Minnesota State Health Department.

More information

For current health-related information, we encourage you to visit the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Minnesota Department of Health websites. We will also update school information on the website.

Contacts for questions

• On-campus students: student.services @mitchellhamline.edu
• Blended-learning students: blendedlearning @mitchellhamline.edu
• Employees should contact their manager or Andrea.Bien @mitchellhamline.edu
• Media: Doug.Belden @mitchellhamline.edu

Additional resources

• Students can find additional information on the Docket, and faculty and staff on the Summit
• Moving your class online for faculty
• Accessibility resources for online learning