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As we head into the fall semester, it's possible that campus protocols and resurgence levels may need to change as we closely monitor dynamics related to the impact of COVID-19. A central page has been created to help keep employees and students informed of the current resurgence phase level and approach to key mitigation strategies (i.e., physical distancing, face coverings, vaccines). If changes are needed at any time, the Current Status of Campus Protocols page will be updated and communication will also be sent to employees and students to alert the campus of those changes. Thank you for remaining attentive to these current protocols.

Fall 2021 Guidance

Guideline documents

Email notifications changingSeveral excellent questions were raised at this week's Fall Faculty Workshop. Thank you for your feedback and engagement with our COVID-19 protocols. The Resurgence Analysis Team, Academic Continuity Team, P6, and SLT will be discussing several of the items raised at next week's meetings. The most current guidance for faculty will continue to be posted to the Fall 2021 Faculty Guidance page. You can also find links to the three new guideline documents under this page as well:

• Using Lecture Capture
• Utilizing Various Modalities
• Approval for Student Accommodations and Adjustments

Notification of Students Unable to Attend Class

Based on faculty feedback, notifications of students who are unable to attend class in person will be consolidated to a single, daily email to help faculty more easily identify when lecture capture is needed. This will replace the separate emails about student field trips, athletic events, and non-ADA adjustments. Note that students who are approved for semester-long accommodations will still be indicated on the Academic Achievement Dashboard (accessible with VPN) and will not be included on this daily email. 

Seating Charts

All courses meeting in person must establish a seating chart/plan, so that students sit in the same location each time they are together. This will be an essential practice should contact tracing be required. A close contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet of a person for more than 15 minutes within a 24 hour period. Faculty may simply record where students sit on the first day in the classroom and inform students that they will need to sit in the same seats during each class. Attendance must be taken during each class period to ensure that a record is available of all contacts for the class session.

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Facilities will be opening all classrooms on campus next Monday and Tuesday to help you prepare for your classes. It may be helpful to stop by and review the room layout as you consider how to develop your seating chart(s). Since classroom computers were updated over the summer, you may also want to log into the computer in each room to save a few minutes on the first day of classes. 

Approach to

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Office Hours

Faculty are expected to hold regular office hours as defined in the Faculty Handbook. At this time, faculty can determine whether their office hours are virtual or in person. If your preference is for virtual meetings, please consider making an accommodation for students who request an in-person meeting. Clarify your schedule for office hours and meeting location (Zoom link, Teams page, office number, etc.) in your syllabi and on your course Moodle pages. Please communicate this schedule with your Department Chair/Assistant Dean as well.

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