Weekly Workflow is special edition of Bits & Bytes that will serve as a Monday check-in message to help CSE students stay connected to the department during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will include announcements, resources, tips, and messages from our department chair.
We continue to encourage everyone to visit our CSE COVID-19 web page for regular updates and additional resources.
Submit MarchingOrder graduation slides by April 14
With the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s graduation ceremony moving online due to the spread of the coronavirus, May 2020 graduates are being offered the opportunity to create their own personalized slide to commemorate the occasion.
The university has partnered with MarchingOrder, which specializes in using technology to improve graduation ceremonies, to offer graduates the chance to personalize their own digital slides with a photo and message. These slides will not be part of the stream on May 9, but graduates can share the slides with family and friends on graduation day.
To register, students set to graduate in May 2020 must click on the link sent to their university email and then set a password. From there, graduates can include a photo of themselves, the pronunciation of their name and a personal statement up to 150 characters.
All information must be submitted by April 14 at 11:59 p.m. in order to allow for enough time for the slides to be developed.
Check your Huskers email account for more information about submitting a slide.
Changes to Pass/No Pass policies:
In response to the unexpected and difficult circumstances students are experiencing because of COVID-19, the university has expanded Pass/No Pass policies for spring 2020 undergraduate courses.
• Undergraduate students will have until May 29 to switch any spring 2020 undergraduate course from a letter grade to pass/no pass.
• This policy applies to all spring 2020 undergraduate courses, including those normally ineligible for P/N grading. All courses taken on a pass/no pass basis that are completed with a pass will meet requirements for majors and will count toward all degree and prerequisite requirements.
• In keeping with established university policy, courses taken on a pass/no pass basis in the spring 2020 semester will not be factored into a student’s grade point average.
• To make this switch, students are required to consult with an academic adviser.
If students have already chosen to switch to pass/no pass or if they do so in the near future, they will have until May 29 to switch back to a letter grade. For this reason, it is important that instructors continue to grade work as usual for all students.
This expansion of the current pass/no pass policy reflects a recommendation from the Academic Planning Subgroup of the COVID-19 Task Force. Elizabeth Spiller, executive vice chancellor, approved the expanded policy after review and consultation with deans, student leaders and academic administrators. The proposed changes, which involve modifications to the curriculum and degree requirements, were unanimously approved by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee on behalf of the full Faculty Senate.
This change aligns the university more fully with its Big 10 and national peers, recognizes the disruption and stresses that this unprecedented situation has placed on both students and instructors and ensures academic integrity while being attentive to student success.
Be sure to check Wednesday's Bits & Bytes for more details and information.
A message from the chair:
Apollo 13 lifted off 50 years ago last Saturday. Tuesday will mark the 50th anniversary of the explosion that marked their historic effort to return home. This mission was more than a triumph of the human spirit; it was a triumph of engineering. Their safe return was no accident but the result of an impressive level of engineering effort and preparation.
Let’s celebrate this “successful failure” and learn the lessons that it teaches. With preparation and perseverance, we can successfully navigate this challenging period together.
You can find more information on Apollo 13 on the NASA website here.
—Marilyn Wolf
Department Chair