Summer and Fall 2021 Course Instruction Modalities

Dear colleagues,

In coordination with academic deans, department heads, and campus public health and safety officials, the university has established course schedules and academic resources for summer sessions and the fall semester that return instruction to the modalities that were in place prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In accordance with current health and safety protocols and those expected to be in place at the start of the fall semester, faculty should continue to engage in and plan for in-person course instruction and activities with students. The expectation is for academic program and student support offices also to be fully operational and for services to be offered in-person.

Any faculty member who seeks to convert courses from “in-person” to “online/hybrid” instruction must receive written approval from their department head and dean prior to informing students and/or the University Registrar. Students have registered for summer and fall classes according to availability and modality, and unless there are extenuating circumstances, faculty should proceed with the original mode of course instruction listed by the Registrar and selected by the student. If approval is granted for converting an in-person course to online, the faculty member must ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, course learning outcomes and student experience are equivalent to in-person modalities. Thus, online instruction must be high quality and must provide students with equivalent opportunities to engage with one another and with the instructor, and online students must be afforded the same level of support provided to students enrolled in in-person or hybrid courses.

Departments will be responsible for ensuring that faculty and staff are able to follow existing public health guidelines while working in instructional spaces, offices, and other areas operated and managed by the departments. The university will continue to work to provide accommodations for faculty whose extenuating health and family needs require remote teaching or support services. Faculty members with health or other issues should make requests for working remotely through the Office of ADA and Accessibility in the Office of Equity and Accessibility. If faculty have questions or concerns about course modalities or in-person instruction, they should immediately contact their department heads.

Cyril