During the committee’s meeting this week, FAP discussed the faculty conference travel policy in the context of the College’s response to COVID-19. As a result of that conversation, FAP can confirm that the Provost’s Office will continue to provide funding in AY 2020-21 for conferences, virtual or in-person, provided the travel meets the College’s latest COVID-19 guidelines. FAP is preparing significant advice on how the administration can best use the available funds to support faculty participation in conferences and will communicate that advice in advance of the Aug. 3 faculty meeting.
FAP also began initial discussions about how to set and communicate priorities for the College’s recovery from the COVID-19 response but will require more time to develop those priorities. FAP will meet next week to continue the discussion. The administration has committed to providing committee members with the latest short-term and long-term budget modeling information to inform the discussions.