Dear Colleagues,
We want to provide you with an update on fall 2021 instructional planning. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have declared that our two highest priorities are to (1) protect the health and safety of our faculty, staff and students, and (2) offer a rigorous, transformational education in the long tradition of Jesuit education. As we proceed with our plan for fall 2021, we firmly believe in the need to provide in-person instruction in the fall. Our decision has been informed by calls from across the campus to offer engaged, hands-on learning; opportunities for meaningful in-person interaction and community building; and space for research and creative endeavours. We have also indicated that the Office of the Provost would develop a process for faculty to request an exemption from in-person teaching, and provide guidance on teaching expectations for in-person classes.
After consulting with the Academic Deans, the Faculty Affairs Committee, the Faculty Affairs Subcommittee on Lecturers and Adjuncts, the Faculty Collaborative for Teaching Innovation, and the COVID-19 Teaching and Learning Working Group, we have updated the Teaching Guidelines, developed a process for faculty to Request an Exemption from Teaching on Campus, and identified Service Expectations. Both the guidelines and the request for exemption are intended to allow flexibility while still prioritizing in-person student learning experiences, and fostering a vibrant on-campus community. They pertain to fall 2021 only. Given the dynamic nature of COVID-19 challenges, the guidelines will be re-evaluated for the winter and spring terms, with input from faculty and in consultation with our shared governance groups.
The fall 2021 teaching guidelines, request for exemption from teaching on campus, and service expectations are summarized below. In addition, in partnership with the Faculty Senate Council President and Faculty Affairs Committee Chair, we will host an open forum on Monday, August 16 at 12:00 pm to discuss fall planning:
https://scu.zoom.us/j/96793738940?pwd=bExnS3Bla21SdDZQVlpkbTJlamRFdz09
Meeting ID: 967 9373 8940; Password: 618410
The forum will be recorded for those who cannot attend. We will also use the forum as an opportunity to discuss the University's efforts to support caregiving.
Respectfully,
Kate Morris Acting Provost
Ed Ryan Acting Provost
Teaching Guidelines
There is ample evidence that remote instruction during the pandemic has yielded a host of innovative and effective pedagogical strategies. Faculty are encouraged to continue their innovative approaches to course, assignment, and activity design, to use in-person time to its fullest advantage, to utilize remote or asynchronous instruction to advance the objectives of their courses, and to increase the quality of the student experience and classroom engagement.
In designing fall 2021 courses, faculty are expected to consult and adhere to the Course Administration Expectations on the Office of the Provost website (updated August 2021). Please note that 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. All other hybrid/partially remote courses with less than 70% of in-person classroom time must be approved by the Office of the Provost.
Request an Exemption from Teaching on Campus
As always, faculty and staff may request a leave of absence utilizing the standard procedures for Staff and Faculty Leaves. Additionally, for the fall 2021 term, faculty who do not already teach in one of SCU’s online programs may request to teach entirely or primarily remotely due to a documented underlying medical condition associated with COVID-19. Exceptions for faculty return to in-person teaching will be granted on one of two 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 should use this form to submit a request to the Office of the Provost. Faculty in the School of Law should complete this form by Monday August 9, 2021; faculty in the College or other Schools should complete it by Monday, August 30, 2021. 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.
Service Expectations
Both the Teaching Guidelines and the Request an Exemption from Teaching on Campus pertain only to course instruction. Expectations for faculty to contribute service and participate in in-person department events should be discussed at the department level and reviewed by the Dean’s Office. The needs of individuals with documented medical concerns should be accounted for in planning Departmental, College, School, or University-wide events, and strong consideration should be given to remote participation for these individuals.
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