Fall Planning Update

Dear faculty colleagues,

The end of the spring semester is always something we eagerly anticipate, but this past year has brought new meaning to it. This year has been hard on you, your families, your students, and our communities. I have a tremendous respect for everything you have done to make the best of each twist and turn.

As classes wind down, I want to share a few short updates regarding our fall planning. I have heard some confusion about the requirements for faculty members teaching hybrid or in-person classes this fall. Clarifications are below.

Hybrid Courses

A hybrid course is a class that uses both online and in-person experiences. The faculty member determines which elements of the course are online and when students need to attend in person. When activities are planned for in-person instruction, all students will be required to attend in person. When activities are planned to be held online, all students will attend online. This means that students will not have the option of choosing whether to attend virtually or in person. However, when students have health or other concerns that would affect their ability to attend, they should work with the faculty members to find appropriate accommodations.

In-Person Courses

Faculty members who are teaching in person will NOT be required to offer an online option for students. For many courses, dual mode (teaching synchronously in person and online) is not possible, and for others, it diminishes the pedagogical effectiveness. However, faculty members are encouraged to record their lectures, when feasible and appropriate. Some classrooms are equipped to easily do this. Please use your best judgment to record lectures, when appropriate.

I want to reiterate that although we are optimistic about having more density on campus during the fall, we will continue to closely monitor the trajectory of COVID-19, following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and that of our public health experts. Our posture will reflect the environment, but we are hopeful to have the campus return to a near-normal status this fall.

As always, I appreciate your work this year.

Many thanks,

Dan Jaffe

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