Resurgence Planning

In recent months, the nation has experienced the spread of COVID-19 fueled by the Delta variant, reminding us that the battle against COVID-19 is not yet over. To help prepare the university for potential surges this fall, the Resurgence Analysis Team has been updating the institution's Resurgence Plan with current mitigation options. Similar to our plan from the last academic year, this new plan will include several phases with many mitigation options. Our intention is that by creating and utilizing this plan, we can responsibly carry forward the operations of the university with the least amount of disruption. The new plan should be completed and posted to Confluence next week.

In response to the increased spread of COVID-19, the CDC released new guidance earlier this week related to face coverings. The most significant change is a recommendation that everyone, including vaccinated individuals, wear face coverings "in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission." The Resurgence Analysis Team, Academic Continuity Team, P6, and Senior Leadership Team will continue to monitor the impact of this guidance, along with any updates from the Minnesota Department of Health. At this time, no revisions to our Fall 2021 Return to Campus plans are required, but our plans will remain subject to change as future state and federal guidelines evolve. 

Lecture Capture

Understanding Fall Expectations

As we anticipate fall semester 2021, we recognize that some students may be impacted by COVID-19, requiring isolation or quarantine. Utilizing lecture capture throughout our last academic year enabled us to support students in ways that would have been impossible otherwise. This fall, we will be taking an additional step to support our students academically by providing class recordings if a student is unable to attend class due to a pre-approved University-sponsored event. We want to encourage students to participate and engage in university-sponsored activities, and they can now do so knowing their academic experience will be more fully supported. These new Lecture Capture guidelines were carefully developed with input from faculty, students, staff, department chairs/assistant deans, faculty senate, ACT, and P6 before going to SLT for final approval. The guidelines also contain several examples of when using lecture capture is recommended for our students. More information about using lecture capture and utilizing supports to be provided will be shared as we approach the beginning of the semester. 

Fall Faculty Workshop Training

To help prepare faculty for using lecture capture this fall, sessions will be provided at the upcoming Fall Faculty Workshop. This will be a chance for you to practice using the tools in situations where recording a lecture or supporting remote students is needed. In the meantime, if you have questions about how to use this technology, please contact Mark Henderson or the Online Learning Office. 

Classroom Protocols

The Academic Continuity Team has continued to faithfully meet each week throughout the summer to prepare for the launch of fall classes. One of the primary topics of discussion has been items related to classroom guidelines and protocols. Please note the items below: 

Seating Charts Required

Since physical distancing is encouraged but not required this fall, we will need to be prepared to identify students if contact tracing becomes necessary. At this time, a close contact is still defined as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. Health Services has stated the value of having seating charts available for every class should the need for contact tracing occur. To help address this need, all faculty are asked to create a seating chart for each class this fall and post it to Moodle for Health Services to access when needed. Additional details on this process will be shared closer to the beginning of the term. 

Updated Syllabi Statement Coming

To help clearly communicate expectations to students this fall, an updated COVID-19 syllabi statement has been developed. Created by the Academic Continuity Team, it is now being reviewed by the Faculty Senate and Department Chairs / Assistant Deans with the goal of having it finalized next week. This statement will provide important student information related to the following areas:

• Isolation and quarantine notification and communication processes
• Expectations for work when not in class
• The need to attend class in the modality assigned
• Awareness to work with Academic Achievement

Classroom Signage Updated

Updated classroom signage for fall has been created by our awesome Marketing Team. You can have a sneak peek of the new signs here. The plan is to have the current signs replaced with the new set by Friday, August 20. 

Feedback About Returning to Campus

If you have any feedback that you'd like to share about the return to campus this fall, you are invited to do so through this anonymous form. We appreciate hearing your thoughts!

Upcoming Development Opportunities

Next week, you are invited to join the webinar entitled, "Where Should I Put My Video and Why it Matters."

Does it matter where I put my videos? Northwestern has been blessed with a number of video hosting options. This webinar will help you figure out the best solution for your needs. We will also discuss some tips for storing videos. 

Date: Thursday, August 5 at 11:00 a.m. CT. - Register here for this event.