Out of Office Messages

Term Faculty: 

"Thank you for your message.

I am committed to students’ success at UMD. However, UMD does not compensate me during the summer, and I can’t afford to work for free. Moreover, my appointment at the University is "dependent upon full resumption of University academic operations in the fall of 2022, programmatic need, sufficient enrollment, availability of funding, and satisfactory performance. All courses are subject to cancellation prior to the start of the term if minimum enrollment targets are not met." Therefore, I will be out of the office and cannot resume normal faculty duties until August 22rd, 2022--the earliest date that my new appointment may begin.

Student inquiries about Fall '22 courses I may or may not be teaching are probably best sent to the [name of college and email of dept. head] advising offices [email]. I'm sorry I can't be of assistance during this time.”

Term faculty who feel obliged to do service work for students/their program over the summer

"Thank you for your message. 

I am committed to students’ success at UMD. However, UMD does not compensate me for the work I do in the summer, such as ... [insert your primary unpaid work duties]. As you can imagine, it’s humiliating to work for free. Aside from this unpaid labor, I am out of the office until August 22rd, 2022, when I may or may not resume teaching for  the new academic year. 

Indeed, my appointment at the University is "dependent upon full resumption of University academic operations in the fall of 2022, programmatic need, sufficient enrollment, availability of funding, and satisfactory performance. All courses are subject to cancellation prior to the start of the term if minimum enrollment targets are not met."

Tenure/Tenure-track faculty 

"Thank you for your message.

I am committed to students’ success at UMD. However, UMD does not compensate me during the summer, and I can’t afford to work for free. Therefore, I am out of the office until August 22rd, 2022, when the new academic contract year begins. 

I am a tenured or tenure-track faculty member, which means I have a guaranteed job to come back to in the fall. The University of Minnesota denies this job security to my Term faculty colleagues. Indeed, administration reserves the right to cancel their contracts up until the day classes start. This practice degrades all of our labor conditions and runs counter to our institution’s mission. In solidarity with my Term faculty colleagues, I will do no uncompensated work this summer.

Student inquiries about Fall '22 courses are probably best sent to the [name of college and email of dept. head] advising offices [email].”

Tenure/Tenure-track faculty who feel obliged to do service work for students over the summer

"Thank you for your message.

I am committed to students’ success at UMD. However, UMD does not compensate me for the work I do in the summer, such as ... [insert your primary unpaid work duties]. As you can imagine, it’s humiliating to work for free. Aside from this unpaid labor, I am out of the office until August 22rd, 2022, when I resume teaching for the new academic year. 

I am a tenured or tenure-track faculty member, which means I have the security of knowing that I will have a job to come back to in the fall. The University of Minnesota denies any form of job security to my Term faculty colleagues and reserves the right to cancel their notices of employment up until the day classes start. This practice degrades all of our labor conditions and runs counter to our institution’s mission.” 

Short message template: ​​

My work [other than teaching _______ or other than __ hours per week to run the department] is uncompensated this summer.

UMD denies job security to my Term faculty colleagues. The University reserves the right to cancel their notices of employment up until the day classes start. This practice degrades all of our labor conditions and runs counter to our institution’s mission.