Face Covering Consistency

This week, the university has continued to see an increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases, along with our isolation and quarantine numbers. While we may hope that activities occurring over this holiday weekend will not result in an uptick of new cases, we know we are not yet out of the woods, and increases could occur in the future.

You can help by ensuring our face covering policy is enforced consistently according to the university's established protocols. We know many of you are already doing so, and for that, we are grateful. We have received feedback over the past days, however, indicating some inconsistency in the enforcement of wearing face coverings correctly. As an organization, our expectation is that all members of our Northwestern community will honor the need to wear face coverings in certain settings.

As faculty, you play a critical role in modeling and leading students in this area. While differences in perspective exist, thank you for abiding by and endorsing our current protocols. In the days ahead, the RAT, ACT, P6, and SLT will continue to monitor the situation and assess if any changes to protocols are needed. 

Working with Health Services

Thank you to everyone who has created and posted seating charts on Moodle. Health Services has used these multiple times since the beginning of the semester. The charts are very helpful because they enable a more rapid response in working with students who are identified as a close contact.

If you have not already done so, please upload your file(s) as soon as possible. Also, please make sure your seating charts are updated if you change your roster or seating configurations. If you have students in your course who are positive for COVID-19, or need to quarantine because they are a close contact, you will receive an automated email from Academic Achievement on the morning of your class. If you have any questions about this process or suggestions for improvement, please contact Academic Achievement. 

Supporting Students

Now that the semester has launched, please be aware of any students who may begin to show signs that challenges are impacting their academic performance. If you have any concerns about your students, in addition to reaching out to them yourself, please also contact Joint Intervention using the link on the top of Moodle courses or on the home page of theROCK as shown below. Thank you for being proactive in helping our students succeed! 

MOODLE:

theROCK:

Remember FERPA When Sharing Course Videos

As a reminder, any videos from classes that are recorded are protected by FERPA and must not be shared beyond the class participants (i.e., the videos cannot be made public). This guidance applies to all faculty this semester in alignment with UNW's Lecture Capture guidelines. You can reference this video on how to create and share a video appropriately with your class while honoring FERPA rights.

Professional Development

Over the summer, the Online Learning Office and Academic Technology hosted a number of helpful webinars that provide information on how to more effectively use Moodle and other tools. The two recordings included below may prove particularly helpful at this point in the semester as you set up and begin to utilize your gradebook. An advantage is that these videos can also be shared with Teaching Assistants. 

Five Keys to Understanding the Moodle Gradebook

“How do I set up the Moodle Gradebook?” The gradebook in Moodle can be as simple or as complex as you need it to be. This webinar covers the basics of setting up gradebooks in Moodle and some tips to make sure everything works as you expect. Watch Recording (57:53)

What Goes Wrong in Moodle Gradebooks: TA Mistakes and Other Misunderstandings to Avoid

"My gradebook is not calculating correctly!" This webinar recording covers common mistakes, frustrations, and misunderstandings with the Moodle gradebook. Watch this webinar before throwing your computer out the window. Watch Recording (50:16)

Your Feedback 

If you have any feedback you'd like to share on the return to campus or other items, you are invited to do so through this anonymous form (feel free to include your name if you'd like). As we seek to lead effectively with wisdom, understanding, insight, and kindness, we appreciate hearing your thoughts. Thank you, Colleagues!