How should we modify our class policies for online participation? 

 You will need to specify what participation means in your revised online course. For example, you might say that a student gets full credit for participation if they make three comments on blog posts by a certain time, or they email you the paragraph they revised within a given timeframe. 

Please be flexible here– just as many of us find ourselves at home with new caregiving responsibilities, so too do our students.  They also may suddenly find themselves out of a job, they may be panicking about the pandemic or they may be sick themselves. 

If you do hold some synchronous (Zoom, etc) meetings, please do not penalize students who cannot attend. 

How should I conduct office hours?

As per the English Department’s guidelines, “Office hours should be conducted online. This can mean that faculty inform students they will be available by email during those hours. And during those hours faculty should respond to student emails as they come in. Faculty may also make themselves available through Blackboard Chat, Google Hangouts, or any number of other methods. If faculty want to video conference, they may, but there is no expectation and no pressure as to the medium/s they choose. Whatever medium is fine, so long as faculty are available to students during that time and that students are aware of when faculty will be available. Please inform Ms. Lily Lam if there are any changes in when office hours will be conducted from what was indicated at the beginning of the semester.” We do not suggest that you give students your phone number. 

What about the final exam?

There will still be a final exam (except for those who have taken or who are taking the First-Year Writing PD), which will be administered remotely.  Details to follow.