Dear Colleagues:
Happy New Year! We hope you found some time for rest and restoration over the holiday break, and that you and your families are safe and dry during this latest winter storm. This is a brief communication to help faculty prepare for the start of the academic term.
COVID-19 Mask Policy
As communicated in today’s Prepared SCU email to the campus community, masks are required in classrooms during Week 1 and Week 2 of the winter quarter and spring semester. The Prepared SCU team will monitor COVID-19 cases on campus and provide guidance for extending the mask requirement beyond the first two weeks if necessary.
When the mask requirement is lifted on campus, we will return to the policies that we used starting in October 2022 - faculty will have the choice to require masks in their classroom. You can find current information regarding testing as well as isolation and quarantine guidelines on the Prepared SCU website.
Course Administration Policies and Syllabus Statements (same as Fall 2022)
Information is provided below on course administration policies and syllabus statements, primarily for new faculty members and those returning faculty who did not teach in fall. There are no changes to course administration policies or syllabus statements from those shared at the start of Fall 2022.
In the Course Administration Expectations section of the Teaching Expectations web page, you can find a list of required actions with links to supporting information. Please note the expectations for publishing your syllabus in Camino, holding office hours that are accessible to all students, communicating your attendance policies, and holding final exams during finals week.
While attendance policies are left to the discretion of the instructor, these policies are subject to accommodations as required by law and by University policy. Among those situations requiring accommodation (e.g., absence without penalty and the opportunity to make up missed work or exams) is participation in significant religious holidays. A list of religious holidays can be found on the Office of Diversity and Inclusion website.
An additional course administration requirement is that all syllabi refer to certain university policies that pertain to students in every class. The Provost’s Office provides suggestions on the Teaching Expectations webpage for how you might communicate these important University policies through your syllabus.
Additionally, we encourage you to add statements addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion; student wellness; and academic support resources to your syllabus or Camino course. Examples of those statements are also provided, including a revised statement published in fall 2022 supporting student wellness and mental health.
Winter of Wellness
January also begins the Winter of Wellness programming. Each week one of the eight dimensions of wellness will be highlighted through various events and activities on campus. Visit the Winter of Wellness website to see what is happening each week of the quarter. While the programming is primarily geared toward students, faculty and staff are also invited to participate.
Thank you for the diligent work and dedication you put into preparing to start another academic term.
Sincerely,
Kate Morris
Acting Provost
Ed Ryan
Acting Provost