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Aug. 19, 2020

Dear instructional faculty and graduate students who teach:

We want to thank you for your hard work, flexibility, and creativity in your preparation for the fall semester. It’s been a challenging summer for all of us, and we appreciate your commitment and patience.

As we start the fall semester, about 25% of our courses are in person, another 25% are hybrid (in-person and remote/online combination), and the rest are remote/online. The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the are key resources for making sure you have the teaching support you need to be successful in any of these instruction modes. 

If you are teaching in person, please check your classroom assignment again before your first class meeting. A few classroom assignments may be changed this week as we optimize the match between each class and its classroom’s teaching technology and COVID-19 room capacity.

Those who are teaching in person should know that your classrooms, including labs and studios, are ready for instruction with protocols in place for sanitizing and social distancing. Our air exchange and ventilation protocol for classrooms was informed by global aerosol and air exchange experts on our own faculty.

To understand further how classrooms have been prepared, consult What Will Fall 2020 Look Like? for how COVID-19 seating and signage look in classrooms, labs and dining spaces; Campus Infrastructure Mitigation Efforts for how the Infrastructure and Sustainability teams have put COVID-19 mitigation procedures into practice; and the recent COVID Research Solutions for Campus webinar series for how the most up-to-date research is shaping campus operations during the pandemic. Please remember that you will need your Buff OneCard to gain entry to academic buildings. Also, before coming to campus each day, remember to complete the Daily Health Questionnaire.

The academic instruction guidance editions that were issued over a period of several months this summer are now available on the Academic Affairs website. These provide detailed information on all aspects of classroom scheduling, instructional technology and teaching support for fall 2020. Guidance will continue to evolve throughout the fall semester as we prepare for spring 2021. 

In addition to the Protect Our Herd campaign for campus, we have provided other resources for those who are navigating issues related to the pandemic as they teach classes this semester. The required syllabus statements have been updated to add a statement about COVID-19 and to reflect the revised Student Conduct Code. The instructor guide for handling student illness and quarantine in the COVID-19 era provides further information for you to include in your syllabus about COVID-19 classroom protocols. The instructor guide also provides guidance on what to do when students test positive for COVID-19 at ���񱦵� Medical Services or tell you they have tested positive. 

The COVID-19 Classroom Behavior Guide outlines the steps instructors should take if students in their in-person classroom are not following health and safety protocols. And the Instructional Personnel Decision Tree (see “Employees with COVID-19 Symptoms or Positive”) guides you and your department or program in next steps if your own health is affected or you have had close contact with someone who has tested positive.

Campus leadership has designed the semester with the ability to adjust to quickly changing conditions. That’s going to require all of us to communicate with each other as efficiently and effectively as we can. For the most current information, be sure to read the ���񱦵� Today Faculty and Staff and Graduate Student editions, and the direct communications from your units, department chairs, and deans.

Thank you again for your hard work as we start the fall semester. As faculty members ourselves, we understand how important it is to you to teach your classes well, and we realize that your teaching environment has changed drastically and in unpredictable ways ever since the pandemic began. We will do our best to provide you with the support you need and with up-to-date information as the academic year progresses.

Sincerely,
 

Katherine Eggert
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Planning & Assessment
Professor of English

Ann Schmiesing
Executive Vice Provost for Academic Resource Management
Professor of German