Fall 2020 academic planning

The Fall 2020 Academic Planning Task Force continues its work on two discrete issues, with the goal of providing resources on the following topics in the near future:

1. Recommendations on how to do online assessments most effectively
2. Suggestions for additions to syllabi that address some of the unique issues of the classroom environment on-campus (e.g. mask-wearing policy, social distancing) and online (e.g. expectations for attendance, building community online, assessment).

There are several academic policy issues that are still under discussion by different groups on campus and will be resolved soon. These include:

1. Process for faculty and TA’s to request accommodations not to teach on campus when they have been assigned to do so.
2. Considerations and action items if someone in an on-campus class tests positive for COVID-19.

Recording classes: Because recording classes will benefit a wide swath of our student body (e.g., international students living abroad; students without reliable internet; students with responsibilities that may prevent them from attending a class; students unable to go to campus), faculty and TA’s will be strongly urged, but not required, to record their on-campus and synchronous classes. In situations where faculty do not record, they and their department heads should accommodate students as much as they possibly can.

Reminder: All faculty who are teaching on-campus this fall should have a well-developed plan for pivoting to fully online teaching in the event that the university must cease all teaching on campus.

Fall Teaching Resources for Online Classes: Many resources for online teaching, FAQs, faculty mentors, and other information about fall planning, are available at https://provost.uic.edu/faculty-instruction-resources-fall-2020-2/ and https://accc.uic.edu/news-stories/your-guide-to-online-teaching-learning/