COVID-19

Academic Affairs

In addition to the adoption of all requirements outlined in the Health & Safety protocols, the following measures and procedures are applicable to Academic Affairs.

• Space and De-Densification Task Force
• Delayed Start Task Force
• Transitions to Online Learning Task Force

SPACE AND DE-DENSIFICATION TASK FORCE

Population Density Reduction and Space Utilization on Campus

Union University has implemented policies to de-densify (reduce population density) on campus during classroom instruction. Measures include limitations on classroom capacity, additional space for classroom utilization, and modification of instructional delivery methods. Additionally, appropriate safety measures are being implemented for courses involving lab work, music, and theatre. Furthermore, a seating chart will be established and maintained in classrooms in order to aid in contact tracing.

The task force has been analyzing classrooms to ensure that proper social distancing can be achieved for face-to-face classes. Some classes have been reassigned to larger classrooms, and the task team is evaluating the possibility of appropriating some larger spaces for classroom purposes (e.g., Harvey Auditorium, the Chapel, Luther Hall, etc.).

Task force recommendations include the following:

1. Face masks will be worn by students and staff in all academic buildings; face masks or shields (produced by the Engineering Department) will be worn by faculty in all academic buildings (except in the privacy of their offices when no one else is present).
2. When teaching, faculty should remain 1–2 meters from students and either wear a clear face shield or face mask. Lab or computer assistance situations may require interactions that are closer, and faculty should be deliberate in minimizing the time of close interaction.
3. Classrooms should be configured with all students facing forward to allow a minimum of 1.5 meters between students (per the recommendations of the World Health Organization and The Lancet). Classrooms that cannot be configured this way because of furniture or equipment should consider appropriate alternate layouts.
4. These classroom protocols also apply to pair and small group work. Faculty should either integrate alternative means for small groups to meet that adhere to these protocols or avoid working in small groups/pairs. Faculty should modify lab exercises to allow experiments to be performed by a single person or at most a pair, but without constant close contact.
5. All class syllabi should:
   1. include a clear plan to provide remote-learning accommodations for higher-risk students who cannot attend face-to-face classes, students who are ill, or students in required quarantine;
   2. instruct students with COVID-19 symptoms (as defined by the CDC) to not attend class and to follow the remote learning accommodation plan provided in the syllabus;
   3. include a clear policy for if/what documentation is required for absences due to illness and/or COVID-19 symptoms;
   4. include a clear plan for how learning will take place and be evaluated in the event a class or all classes are required to meet remotely due to health concerns.

Students with serious health conditions who wish to seek reasonable accommodations if their medical conditions preclude their return to the classroom should contact Dr. Gregory Bohner in the Office of Disability Services. Faculty and staff with serious health conditions who wish to seek reasonable accommodations if their medical conditions preclude their return to work should contact Dr. John Carbonell in Human Resources.

DELAYED START TASK FORCE

As previously stated, the intent is to begin fall semester programming on our campuses as scheduled. That means for programs which meet face-to-face, we are planning to resume our face-to-face instruction on August 18. Programs that are ordinarily online will, of course, continue in that format. Considering how much uncertainty there is about the continued or perhaps resurgent threat of the pandemic, we have planned for a variety of contingencies.

Delayed Start Contingencies

A delayed start to the semester will be invoked only if a resurgence in the pandemic causes civic authorities to re-impose lockdown measures. If that were to happen, the general contours of the plan are as follows:

• A delayed start will only affect in-seat classes in the fall semester.
• Online courses can begin on the regularly-scheduled August 18 start date.
• Courses in the accelerated terms will need to stick with the original schedule. The leadership of these programs will provide guidance for beginning these semesters in a remote learning platform.

There are four scenarios for a delayed start to the fall semester:

• August 30–December 19
• September 8–December 19
• September 14–December 19
• September 21–December 19

The first scenario would maintain a normal class schedule. The second scenario would feature MW and TTh 75-minute classes, with Fridays left open for labs and longer classes. The final two scenarios would be similar while requiring 90-minute classes.

Again, we don't believe we will need to utilize these at this point. However, we are seeking to address all possible contingencies.

TRANSITIONS TO ONLINE LEARNING TASK FORCE

The Task Force on Transitions to Online Learning was commissioned by the Provost with the task of making contingency plans for resuming work on remote learning platforms, in case a second wave of the pandemic would force lockdowns later in the semester.

Data was reviewed from surveys of students, staff, and faculty related to their experience with remote learning platforms during the spring 2020 semester transition. Primary themes from the survey included some mixed feelings about the use of synchronous vs. asynchronous courses; some student expressions of

"Zoom fatigue" but also a feeling that some synchronous class time was necessary; strong student satisfaction with the Canvas LMS and a desire that more classes make use of Canvas; student perception that the amount of work increased in the online platform (often from class discussions being transposed into written, threaded discussions online); expressions of gratitude for faculty and administrative communication but also some significant frustrations with insufficient communications related to individual courses. The full recommendations of the task team involve Zoom Usage, Canvas Integration, Course Related Communications, and Course Assessments.

The following insights have been shared with faculty:

• It is possible that you will have students who will need to be quarantined at some point. You should plan on ways for students to keep up with coursework even if they have to miss some class sessions.
• You should have a plan in place in case you become sick and miss significant portions of the class.
• Plan your syllabus and course outline with an awareness that we might need to finish the semester online. This could affect how you sequence assignments. It is important to focus on pedagogical practices that will work well for an online format.

An abbreviated summary of the task team's recommendations includes the following:

• All faculty should make some use of Canvas from the beginning of the semester.
  • In keeping with university policy, all course syllabi should be posted on Canvas.
  • Faculty are encouraged to send out announcements to class via Canvas at the beginning of the semester to establish a communication pattern.
  • Faculty are encouraged to make Canvas their primary means of communicating with students.
  • Faculty are encouraged to post assignments on Canvas and to use the Gradebook in Canvas.
• Faculty are encouraged to communicate the following:
  • Include a section in the syllabus to indicate plans in case the course needs to go online.
  • Communicate expectations for responding to student inquiries. The task team recommends a 24–hour response time within the week, 48 hours over the weekend.
  • Whether classes are conducted in-seat or online, make certain that communication is timely, thoughtful, and thorough.
• If the University must return to an online delivery model, the task team recommends the following:
  • Faculty should have some format for meeting synchronously with students, whether that is the predominant mode or not.
  • Synchronous sessions should meet during the regularly-scheduled class times.
  • In order to avoid Zoom fatigue, the task team recommends live Zoom meetings to consist of about an hour per week.
  • Synchronous sessions should also be recorded and posted onto Canvas.
  • Faculty should communicate weekly updates for students.
• Course Assessments proved to be a challenge in an online environment. The task team recommends the following:
  • Faculty should be aware that online assessments generally take longer than in-seat assessments do and should plan accordingly.
  • Faculty should also recognize that technology, including Wi-Fi access, can be spotty for many students and should take that into account. Sometimes students have to take their assessments in high-traffic areas in their homes, which can trigger Respondus into lockdown mode.
  • Faculty should address the reality of academic dishonesty with their students, set clear expectations for online assignments, and have their students sign an honor statement (a pledge to do one's own work, with honesty and integrity).

Academic deans and chairs will assist faculty in successfully re-implementing remote learning should the need arise.