Fall 2020 academic updates

Fall 2020 Online Courses and Intellectual Property

The Interim Policy on University Interests in Online Course Material Developed for 2020 Fall Semester — FPPG 1200 – Teaching and Instruction — was approved by the Senate Executive Committee and has been adopted.

Undergraduate, first-year seminars have all been moved to online instruction

The following message was sent to campus on Wednesday, Aug. 6:

In response to input from faculty and students, we are making a change to the on-campus course offerings for the Fall 2020 semester.

The following undergraduate first-year seminars that are currently scheduled to be held on campus or as hybrid courses (part on campus/part online) will be offered entirely online:
AHS100
BA100
DLG120
ED151
EPSY150
ISA100
KN100
LAS110
PUBH105
UPA120

The university will make these changes to the schedules of students who are already registered, so those students do not need to take any further action.

Faculty resources for creating online classes are available on the Provost’s website and on the ACCC website. Resources for learning online can also be found on the ACCC website here. 

Syllabus language for on-campus and online classes

This faculty resource was created by the Provost’s Fall 2020 Academic Planning Task Force. The statements below pay special attention to procedures and resources relevant to instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. As appropriate for your courses, please consider including part or all of these statements in your Fall 2020 syllabi.

COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND POLICIES AT UIC
Face Masks: Masks must be worn at all times by all students, faculty, and staff while on campus, whether in or out of class, in all offices, on all pathways, and inside and outside of all buildings, in accordance with University policies. If you do not wear a mask, you will be asked to leave the classroom and will not be allowed back in class unless or until you wear a mask. Eating and drinking is not allowed in classrooms.

Social Distancing: We all must maintain appropriate social distancing at all times, whether in or out of class, in all offices, on all pathways, and inside and outside of all buildings. On-campus classes are being held in classrooms that are large enough to maintain a minimum physical distance of 6 feet (or two arm’s length) between people; we will implement assigned seating to ensure social distancing is observed and also to make contact tracing easier if there is an incident of COVID-19 infection in our class.

Hand Washing/ Sanitizing: Everyone is expected to wash or sanitize their hands before class, either by using personal sanitizer or by using one of the sanitizer dispensers located on campus. Please remember to wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds or more. If using hand sanitizer, please remember it should be at least 60% alcohol and you should rub your hands together until dry.

COVID-19 Infection Procedures, Testing and Tracing:
UIC has built an infrastructure for COVID-19 testing and tracing of UIC community members. Please refer to the UIC website, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | UIC Today, and the Circle Back to Campus Plan website and newsletter for up-to-date campus policies and procedures. For information about what to do: UIC FAQs

Students who think they have been exposed to COVID-19 or who have tested positive should inform Student Health Services at 312-996-2901, as soon as possible, so that the University can take action in accordance with University policies. Please do not hesitate to share a positive diagnosis; your identity will NOT be revealed to your classmates. UIC’s utmost concern is for the students’ welfare and trying to ensure that everyone can take the needed precautions to reduce the likelihood of additional infection. Arrangements will be made with students on an individual basis to accommodate missed classes or assignments due to illness.

ONLINE Course Communication Guidelines (Netiquette)

• Be mindful of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, as well as different political ideologies and religious beliefs.
• Use good judgment when composing your written responses. Swearing and profanity should be avoided. Also consider that slang terms can be misunderstood or misinterpreted.
• Be careful using all capital letters when composing your written responses. This can be considered “shouting” on the Internet and is regarded as impolite or aggressive. It can also be stressful on the eye when trying to read your message.
• Be respectful of others’ views and opinions.
• Be careful when using acronyms. If you use an acronym it is best to spell out its meaning first, then put the acronym in parentheses afterward, for example: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). After that you can use the acronym freely throughout your message. 
• Use good grammar and spelling in written communications.
• In emails, always identify yourself and what class and section you are in. It is a good practice to put your course and section in the subject line. This helps your instructor identify course-related emails.

Privacy Notification and Policy for Video Recording of Synchronous Class Sessions
We will be recording the class sessions, or portions of the class, for students who are unable to attend synchronously. The recording feature for others is disabled so that no one else will be able to record this session through Zoom, Blackboard Collaborate, Webex, or Echo360. Recording by other means is not permitted. The recorded class sessions will be posted on our Blackboard class website unless otherwise notified.

If you have privacy concerns and do not wish to appear in the recording, turn OFF your video and notify me in writing (via email) prior to the next class session. If you prefer to use a pseudonym instead of your name, please let me know what name you will be using, so that I can identify you during the class session. If you would like to ask a question, you may do so privately through the chat feature by addressing your question to me or your TA only (and not to “everyone”), or you may contact me or your TA by another private method, which we will agree upon in advance of class. If you have questions or concerns about this video recording policy, please contact me before the end of the first week of class.

In addition to the above statements, it is highly recommended that you include in your syllabus detailed information about the following:

• Course Method of Instruction, e.g. synchronous, asynchronous, on-campus (including the number of on-campus class sessions); via Zoom, Blackboard Collaborate, Webex, Echo360, etc.
• Course Technology Requirements, e.g. personal computer, broadband Internet connection, etc. You may contact ACCC to request and borrow a laptop or be assigned a hotspot for the semester if you do not have the required hardware and internet capabilities. 
• Explanation of Assessment Software and Methods, e.g. use of Respondus or other exam proctoring software, etc. 

Spring 2021 Classes

We have begun the planning process for the 2021 spring semester. Anticipating that Chicago will not yet be in Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan at that time, we will again designate as online all classes with 50 or more students enrolled. Faculty will decide whether to teach their online classes synchronously or asynchronously. We are hoping to be able to offer the same or similar resources to faculty teaching asynchronous classes for the first time in Spring 2021 as we did for faculty teaching in Fall 2020. Faculty who want to take advantage of these resources, including the ION course and assignment of a GA course builder to assist with the technical aspects of building an asynchronous course, will have to make the decision to teach asynchronously by October 1, 2020.

Fall Teaching Resources for Online Classes

This is a reminder that many resources for online teaching, FAQ’s, 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/

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