Dear Faculty,
Over the past few weeks, we have communicated some important updates about SCU’s fall 2021 return to campus plan. We notified the campus community about SCU’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate and mask requirements, and we provided the faculty with a detailed summary of teaching guidelines, service expectations, and process for requesting exemption from teaching on campus. We write today with some important reminders and additional information about plans for faculty return to campus in the fall.
We will cover all of these topics at the open forum next Monday, August 16 at 12:00 pm, in partnership with the Faculty Senate Council President and Faculty Affairs Committee Chair. We will begin with a brief presentation and then invite questions during the moderated Q&A portion of the forum. The forum will be recorded for those who cannot attend. Use the following Zoom link and password to access the faculty open forum:
https://scu.zoom.us/j/96793738940?pwd=bExnS3Bla21SdDZQVlpkbTJlamRFdz09
Meeting ID: 967 9373 8940; Password: 618410
In the next few days and weeks, our Law, JST, and EMBA colleagues will begin their fall semester and new academic year. Please join us in welcoming them to the Santa Clara and Berkeley campuses.
Respectfully,
Kate Morris Acting Provost
Ed Ryan Acting Provost
Course Contact Hours and Mode of Instruction: 70%/30%
As a reminder, faculty are expected to consult and adhere to the Course Administration Expectations in designing fall 2021 courses. In-person classroom time should account for at least 70% of the course contact hours, unless the course is part of an established online program.
Hybrid/partially remote courses with less than 70% of in-person classroom time must be approved by the Office of the Provost.
Requests to teach in a modality in which fewer than 70% of student contact hours will be offered in-person must be submitted to provost@scu.edu by August 30 with the following information:
- Brief description of the online or hybrid pedagogical strategies that you will use to engage students actively with the material, with their classmates, and with you--as instructor.
- Course syllabus (that includes schedule information about class sessions and modality (i.e., in-person, online synchronous, asynchronous).).
- Any additional resources that you plan to provide your students to enhance their remote learning experience.
Requests will be reviewed by the Office of the Provost in consultation with your respective dean and department chair, and the Office of the Registrar.
Request an Exemption from Teaching on Campus: 100% Remote
Monday, August 30, 2021 is the final deadline for faculty to submit a request for exemption from teaching on campus in the fall on one of the following bases:
- Documented underlying medical condition associated with high risk to the faculty member for severe COVID-19
- Documented underlying medical condition associated with high risk to a member of one’s immediate household for severe COVID-19
Faculty with either of these underlying medical conditions should use this form to submit requests to teach 100% remote courses to the Office of the Provost.
Faculty seeking a leave of absence may do so by utilizing the standard procedures for Staff and Faculty Leaves.
Requests to teach remotely will not be considered in a faculty member’s future evaluations, or petitions for tenure and promotion. Language from 2020-2021 departmental pandemic riders will apply through fall 2021 for those with approved exemptions. Finally, faculty who seek to teach entirely or primarily remotely in fall 2021 must live in one of six states in which Santa Clara is authorized to conduct business: Arizona, California, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, or Washington.
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