Current Status of Campus Protocols

As we head into the fall semester, it's possible that campus protocols and resurgence levels may need to change as we closely monitor 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 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

I appreciate your feedback and engagement with our COVID-19 protocols at this week's Fall Faculty Workshop. The Resurgence Analysis Team, Academic Continuity Team, P6, and SLT will continue to discuss these protocols, along with issues and concerns, in light of the changing landscape. The four principles we had established at the beginning of COVIDland remain central to our efforts:

Pray and seek God's wisdom for the time-sensitive work that must be done
Fulfill our mission while practicing wise financial stewardship
Prioritize the safety and wellbeing of students, faculty, and staff
Lead a process that is efficient, collaborative, and transparent

Thanks for your prayers and support, Colleagues, as we strive to navigate well through these waters. 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:

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 into a single, daily email to help you 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

Faculty in all courses meeting in person need to 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.) Attendance must be taken during each class period to ensure that a record is available of all contacts for the class session.

Seating charts for each course and section must be submitted to the Health Services Seating Chart site on Moodle. This will allow Health Services to quickly access seating charts when needed. You can find instructions on how to create, share, and submit a seating chart here. If you have questions about submitting these files to Moodle, please contact Mark Henderson.

As requested during this week's faculty workshop, an additional communication outlining the process for creating seating charts will be sent to faculty on Monday morning (8/23).

Classrooms Open Monday and Tuesday

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 Office Hours

As you know, expectations for faculty to hold regular office hours are defined in the Faculty Handbook. Faculty can determine whether your office hours will be virtual or in person. If your preference is for virtual meetings, please consider making an accommodation for students who request an in-person meeting. Be sure to 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, as well as on your office bulletin board. Please communicate this schedule with your Department Chair/Assistant Dean as well. Thanks much!

Online Etiquette for Students

To help establish a baseline of appropriate participation and digital expectations for students, the Online Learning Office created a helpful list and infographic of online etiquette suggestions. You can feel free to share all or parts of this with your class.

Multifactor Authentication Coming

IT has been rolling out improved security over the course of the year to help protect UNW employees, data, and systems. Starting November 1st, access to protected applications, such as theROCK, Banner, and Moodle, will require the use of Duo Multifactor Authentication (MFA) to better safeguard faculty and Northwestern against cybercrime. Duo MFA protects applications by using an additional source of validation, like a phone or tablet, to verify an individual's identity before granting access. Later this fall, faculty will receive enrollment information and instructions that will be sent to your UNW email address.

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!