Wed, 24 Feb 2021, 17:00

My students,

Sorry to be sending you this message so late, but I have been trying 
to find the best way to teach the next several lectures.

As many of you have learned through various channels, I fell in EER last
Wednesday, cracked my skull and ended up in the ER at Dell-Seton.  Lots
of tests, etc.  In the ICU from Thursday 2pm until Saturday 4pm.  I am
now at home recuperating, and not allowed to teach until I get cleared as
being okay to continue my job. 

While I am out, Professor Erez will be in charge of the course, the lectures
will be the videotapes of last semester's course, and Siavash will answer all 
your questions.  

Meanwhile, I already sent you the revised schedule, due to losing 1 1/2 weeks
of class, and the fact that many students' living situations lately have been
horrific.  So, I moved the first midterm, for example, hoping that by then we
will all be functioning just fine.  Now I must leave it to Professor Erez,
Siavash, Ben, and Juan  to carry out the schedule until I get back.

Right now I have no idea how long that will be.  I am thinking a couple of weeks
based on my meeting yesterday with the UT Health person who has to say I am 
okay to go back to work.  It could be longer, hopefully, it won't.

I sent you email recently that six students had cheated on Labs 1 and 2, and
that I would be following up on them soon as we were back in class.  UT rules
make it clear that I should wait until I am cleared for returning to the
classroom.  So, those one-on-one meetings will have to wait until I get back.

Too many obstacles put in our way this year, but we will outlast them.  Good
luck on the rest of the course.  I hope to see you all very soon.

Stay safe,
Yale Patt