University of Wyoming

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

Fans won’t be allowed to attend any University of Wyoming sporting events until at least Jan. 25, according to a recent announcement from the university.

The limits follow the most recent Wyoming Department of Health orders, which limits gatherings of more than 10 people, the university said.

Only a limited number of family members of student-athletes and coaches, along with essential personnel working the events, will be allowed to attend events through Jan. 25, the announcement said.
 
These guidelines apply to all UW Athletics events.
 
The initial public health order affecting UW Athletics events, as well as many other public events throughout the state, was originally set to expire on Friday, but Gov. Mark Gordon left the order in place through Jan. 25.

UW stopped allowing fans at athletic events in December, after Gordon and state health officer Dr. Alexia Harrist issued new health orders, which included a statewide mask mandate and limitations on both indoor and outdoor crowds.

The order limiting gatherings does not apply to religious facilities, funeral homes, residential buildings or grocery stores. Nor does it apply to retail businesses as long as patrons remain at least six feet away from one another. 

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

A large majority of surveyed Wyoming residents believe that the University of Wyoming provides a strong undergraduate education, prepares students to participate in the state’s workforce and is an appealing place for Wyoming students to attend college, new survey results show.

Additionally, 64% of Wyomingites surveyed believe the UW is spending its budget wisely and 60% say the university does an excellent or good job responding to the needs of the state, according to the biennial election-year survey conducted by the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center.

Asked to rate the university the same way students are graded, 31% of respondents gave UW an “A” and 37% offered a “B” rating, with the average of all responses equating to 3.10 on a scale of zero to 4.0.

This year’s statewide telephone survey of 614 Wyoming residents was conducted in October, with cellular and landline phone numbers randomly selected to ensure equal probability of selection for all Wyoming residents. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

“We’re delighted that the people of Wyoming regard their state’s university highly,” UW President Ed Seidel said. “We intend to do everything we can to build on that foundation and increase our educational and research excellence, as well as our level of service to the state, during a time when the state needs us perhaps more than ever.”

UW received particularly high marks in the survey for the quality of education students receive.

Of the respondents, 23% rated UW’s performance as excellent an “providing an excellent undergraduate education,” with 45% rating it good (68% combined, up from 64% two years ago).

Asked to rate UW’s performance in “educating young people to participate in Wyoming’s workforce,” 19% said it was excellent and 42% said good (61% combined, 1 point higher than two years ago).

Asked “How well do you think UW appeals to Wyoming students and their families as a desirable place to attend college?,” 26% responded excellent and 61% said good (87% combined, up 2 points from two years ago).

Just 7% said “fair” and 1% said “poor.”

Asked if UW has steadily improved during the past several years, 60% expressed agreement (down 2 points from two years ago).

The percentage of those who believe UW is spending its budget wisely is 63% (up 6 points from two years ago), and 69% agree that UW and the state’s community colleges are working together to provide high-quality education for Wyoming students (down 2 points from two years ago).

Most of the survey respondents, 86%, didn’t have a degree from UW. Of those who did, 49% rated the quality of their UW educational experience as excellent and 43% as good (92% combined). Asked about the relevance of their educational experience, 43% rated it excellent and 44% good (87% combined).

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

The University of Wyoming is going to disperse partial refunds to full-time students due to the impact of the coronavirus.

Each full-time student taking classes on the Laramie campus will receive a total of $141.17 credit to their UW account for fees that were previously charged for athletics, music/theater and recycling because the pandemic largely eliminated the opportunity to attend events and receive those services.

“The fall semester was unusual in so many respects, and the student experience was altered by being unable to attend in-person athletics and cultural events,” Vice President for Student Affairs Kim Chestnut says. “We’re happy to be able to provide this refund in recognition of the fact that students didn’t receive what they normally would for these particular fees they pay.”

The university limited many events and activities, such as all of the athletic events, due to the pandemic. UW also operated on a phased opening system over the previous semester, meaning students were allowed to return to campus in waves.

By phase four, though, the university moved all of its classes online for the last few weeks (some classes were already fully online for the semester) to prevent the continuing spread of the virus.

The UW coronavirus rules have required everyone on campus to wear face coverings except when in private spaces, maintain physical distancing, use the COVID Pass tool, submit to regular coronavirus testing and to implement enhanced cleaning measures across campus.

Testing, contact tracing and isolation/quarantine remain an important part of the phased return plan.

Classes began as planned on Aug. 24, but were all held virtually for the first few weeks of the semester, and the student population in Laramie was capped for a time.

By mid-September, some classes went back to in-person instruction and more students were allowed on campus.

On Wednesday, the university announced plans for the spring semester that included 10 weeks of in-person instruction, a three-day spring break and five weeks of fully online classes to conclude the term.

To mitigate the impact of possibly infected students returning to campus from across the country, the plan includes a “limited contact period” for students Jan. 14-31.

During that period, students will be allowed to attend in-person classes, participate in work and worship engagements, and be outside, but will also be expected to limit their in-person contacts to people living on the same floor of a residence hall or the same apartment/residence.

While close to 40% of UW courses currently are slated to be delivered fully online in the spring, up from the usual figure of 15%, about 60% are planned to include in-person components during the Jan. 25-March 30 period.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a plan for the spring 2021 semester that includes 10 weeks of in-person instruction, a three-day spring break and five weeks of fully online classes to conclude the term.

The semester will begin with two days of online-only instruction on Jan. 21-22, and face-to-face classes starting Jan. 25.

Following an abbreviated spring break that will run March 31-April 4, all classes will move to online delivery, with the final day of classes set for May 6 and finals week to be held May 10-14.

Working with the Wyoming Department of Health and Albany County Public Health, UW will implement an emergency shift to fully remote instruction and student programming with limited in-person operations, or to take other actions, if warranted by major changes in conditions.

To mitigate the impact of possibly infected students returning to campus from across the country and beyond, the plan includes a “limited contact period” for students Jan. 14-31. During that period, students will be allowed to attend in-person classes, participate in work and worship engagements, and be outside, but will also be expected to limit their in-person contacts to people living on the same floor of a residence hall or the same apartment/residence.

As was the case during the fall semester, UW will continue measures throughout the spring to limit the spread of the coronavirus, including rigorous testing, quarantine and isolation programs, requirements for face protection and physical distancing and limits on gatherings.

“Based upon our experience in the fall semester and our testing program, which is one of the most advanced in the nation, we are confident that we can be successful with an on-campus experience in the spring semester,” UW President Ed Seidel said. “But our success depends upon compliance with our testing protocols and other requirements. We’re counting on all members of the UW community to do their part.”

The university intends to make coronavirus vaccines available as soon as possible to mitigate transmission of the virus and allow the other preventative measures to be more effective. However, it’s uncertain when students and employees will have access to the vaccine.

As a result, the move to online-only course delivery following spring break follows the same rationale for the decision to go online during the fall semester following Thanksgiving break this semester.

“We reinstituted a spring break in response to many requests by our students,” Seidel said. “We would have liked to plan for a full semester of in-person instruction but, considering the uncertainty about the timing of the vaccine and about the extent of the pandemic at the end of March, we think it prudent, at this point, to not bring students back after spring break.”

Additionally, no classes will be held on Presidents Day, Feb. 15.

While close to 40% of UW courses currently are slated to be delivered fully online in the spring, up from the usual figure of 15%, about 60% are planned to include in-person components during the Jan. 25-March 30 period.

The in-person classes will continue to be held in classrooms that are arranged to meet physical-distancing requirements, along with enhanced cleaning measures.

“We expect the spring semester will look much like the fall semester and, as a result, we understand it will present difficult circumstances for many of our students,” Seidel said. “Our spring plan puts a particular emphasis on student emotional health and well-being. We are dedicated to making sure they have the support and services they need to be successful.”

Students, faculty and staff coming to campus or returning to work will be required to participate in UW’s surveillance testing program, using UW’s laboratory-developed, saliva-based tests.

Students not returning to campus at any time during the semester will not be required to participate, but they need to receive testing exemptions.

For students moving into UW’s residence halls, coronavirus testing will be required the morning of their move-in date. For students living off-campus who plan to participate in on-campus activities, testing will be required the first week of classes beginning Jan. 25.

Students who return early to campus for university-sanctioned activities will be required to test upon arrival.

For employees who are returning to work after being away from campus, testing will be required the week before their return to on-campus work.

Those returning directly after the winter break will be tested during that week and self-isolate as much as possible until a negative test result has been received.

Employees who plan to work from home or fully self-isolate on campus throughout the semester will not be required to take part in surveillance testing.

Undergraduate students who are part of the surveillance program will be tested twice per week, while graduate students and employees will be tested once per week.

UW employees and students will continue to be expected to use the COVID Pass tool daily to self-screen for coronavirus-like symptoms. Those who are noncompliant with the testing requirements will receive a “red” flag similar to an individual with symptoms, restricting access to campus.

Under the plan, the university will continue to track and monitor a set of key indicators of COVID-19 prevalence on campus to support data-based decision making. These include the total number of symptomatic cases among students and employees; testing sample disease prevalence; capacity for isolation and quarantine; and hospitalizations.

There are no automatic actions to be triggered by hitting certain indicator thresholds, but UW will continue to coordinate closely with state and local authorities to assess conditions in the community and determine appropriate interventions.

Since the pandemic began, UW has reported a total of 1,812 cases of COVID-19 among its employees and students, with 1,797 people recovered.

As of Wednesday, there are 15 active cases: two on-campus students, 10 off-campus students and three employees.

With the end of the fall semester last week, only a small number of students remain in UW’s residence halls, and many traditional-age students who were living off campus in Laramie have returned to their homes around the state, the country and beyond.

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***

By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees approved a plan Thursday to cut the university’s budget by $42.3 million.

This budget cut was driven by a 10% cut in state funding that resulted in an immediate reduced distribution from the state earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The board voted Thursday to accept the plan presented by President Ed Seidel a few weeks ago in response to cuts imposed by Gov. Mark Gordon as a result of a dramatic downturn in state revenue.

The plan affects both academic and nonacademic units of the university and will eliminate 80 positions.

On the academic side, the plan eliminates 57 positions. On the nonacademic side, 23 positions will be eliminated.

Additionally, colleges and schools will reduce their support budgets, including travel and professional development, and operations budgets.

Housing, dining, catering and conferences will be reorganized for greater efficiency and productivity.

The Department of Athletics will reduce salaries and cut team travel costs. The Office of the Provost will cut about 35 graduate teaching assistant positions and reduce spending on global engagement travel and operations.

“These reductions are not easy, and they certainly affect the ability of units of the university to perform critical functions. They will lead to reductions in the academic programs we are able to offer,” Seidel said. “But we’re doing everything we can to minimize the impact to our students; optimize the research we conduct to boost our state’s economy; and, where possible, strengthen the service we perform for the citizens of Wyoming.”

“The university has reached a point where future loss of teaching faculty and staff support cannot be addressed by asking our remaining employees to simply assume yet more responsibilities,” he added.

In light of the decrease in state funding, the trustees also voted to increase the standard tuition rate by 6% for the 2021-22 academic year. This applies to both undergraduates and graduates and both residents and nonresidents.

However, it doesn’t apply to programs with differential or market-based tuition rates, which are set separately.

Even with the increase, UW’s tuition rates remain among in the country.

The increase, which was supported by the Associated Students of UW, is expected to generate about $3.2 million annually, based on current enrollment numbers.

Over 20 low-enrollment academic programs have been identified for review for potential reorganization, consolidation, reduction or discontinuance, with the potential to save $2.5 million annually. They include:

• In the College of Arts and Sciences, the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and minor in American studies, the master’s program in psychology, the bachelor’s program in journalism, the master’s program in teaching in chemistry, the master’s program in teaching in history and the master’s degree in creative writing would be eliminated;
• In the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the master’s and Ph.D. programs in agronomy would be eliminated, and the community development concentration in agricultural economics would be refocused to more closely align with the strategic plan;
• In the College of Business, minors in accounting, decision science, finance, human resource management and marketing would be eliminated the Master of Business Administration energy concentration would be suspended. Additionally, the business administration online bachelor’s program would be replaced with a human resources management online program;
• In the College of Education, the bachelor’s program in secondary French, German and Spanish education would be eliminated;
• In the College of Engineering and Applied Science, consolidation of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Computer Science would be considered;
• In the College of Health Sciences, several curricula would be overhauled, and
• In the College of Law, the military justice/Judge Advocate General’s Corps track and the Summer Trial Institute would be eliminated.

The finalized academic reductions are slated to be presented to the trustees in February.

“We know that elimination of some programs will be necessary to effectively pivot the university through shared governance processes toward a new vision that will enable us to become a best-in-class 21st century land-grant university true to its Wyoming roots,” Seidel said. “We are committed collectively to making decisions to prioritize specific programs for growth; others for elimination or consolidation; and creating new programs that may be needed to realize our common goals.”

***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***