Pines, Rankin Ask Faculty for Flexibility to Help Students Vote, Work at Polls

University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines and Senior Vice President and Provost Mary Ann Rankin sent the following email to faculty today:

Our students have asked the administration several times if we would be willing to cancel classes in honor of Election Day. In discussion with deans and other unit heads, the general consensus was that this might disrupt both in-person instruction and virtual learning, especially for those students who might have laboratories, capstones or individual studio sessions. So we have simply encouraged our students to participate in the voting and census process. While they understand the rationale for not permitting a day off to exercise their civic duty, they have made a few additional requests that we think are reasonable and that all faculty and instructors should consider.

We kindly ask that you all make it easier for students to perform their civic duty through voting or working as election judges by taking one or more of the following actions as a reasonable measure with respect to their course(s):

• Being flexible with students regarding attendance and due dates on Nov. 3; or
• Avoiding major assignments, exams, presentations, etc. on Nov. 3.

We thank you for considering this request from our students to you.

Darryll J. Pines
President, University of Maryland

Mary Ann Rankin
Senior Vice President and Provost