As noted in a recent Information Bulletin, MUNFA approached the administration requesting that they include a message in letters to external referees for Promotion & Tenure (P&T) detailing the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and continues to have, on Academic Staff Members’ (ASMs) teaching, research, and service. Unfortunately, the administration did not agree to MUNFA’s proposal. In turn, MUNFA has prepared the below template message to be included in an ASM’s P&T file if they feel their teaching, research, and/or service has been impacted by the pandemic:
The COVID-19 Pandemic significantly disrupted academic staff members’ ability to perform their duties and responsibilities, including teaching, research/scholarly activities, and academic service. The COVID-19 Pandemic resulted in months of campus access restrictions, including the inability to access research labs and other spaces used for scholarship and creative work. The Pandemic significantly increased workloads as academic staff members were required to pivot quickly to remote teaching delivery in the Spring of 2020 and to cancel or rapidly modify planned research and projects. Many academic staff members also faced personal and family circumstances that created additional challenges. These factors should be considered when reviewing my Promotion and Tenure file.
We encourage ASMs with questions about the above message, or who would like advice as they prepare their P&T file, to contact our office, munfa@mun.ca.
