COVID-19 Instruction

Faculty Senate Executive Committee endorsed for Summer 2022/Fall 2022

COVID-19 Statement

All UWL students are encouraged to be vaccinated/boosted against COVID-19. Campus-wide mask policy will be communicated centrally by UWL leadership and the guidance may change during the term. Students who are ill or engaging in quarantine/isolation due to COVID-19 at the direction of a health professional should not attend class and should be in direct communication with each of their instructors regarding coursework. Instructors have an obligation to make sure students have access to course materials associated with missed days due to COVID-19.

• UWL does not have a standard office hour policy. The traditional recommendation is a minimum of 1 hour a week per prep or ~ 3 hours per week.  
• Office hours should be held at consistent times and times when students are likely to utilize them.
• Office hours should be noted on the syllabus and the Canvas site (if applicable).
• Office hours on the instructor web profile are helpful - please make sure to indicate the semester and create a task reminder to update every semester.  There is a way to note that virtual options are available and a textbox for additional information.
• Office hours can be virtual or in person (unless department policies indicate something different). Please be willing to provide virtual for students who request it.
  • You may wish to provide virtual and in-person concurrently depending on your student needs/preferences.
• Virtual office hours - please note the platform used when you list your hours - Zoom or Teams preferred.
• In person office hours - mask wearing should be guided by campus wide policy.  

Link to classroom directory with capacity and tech information https://www.uwlax.edu/its/computer-classrooms-labs-and-technology/classroom-directory/ 

Thinking about posting and/or streaming classroom "lecture" or activities as part of your course(s)? Please review the information below.  

Lecture capture: refers to recording the lecture and uploading it for access via Canvas or shared after the class ends. 

• Elements that can be captured include: 
  • Audio of instructor 
  • Computer Screen 
  • Document Camera
  • External camera if available (only a few rooms on campus are equipped with external cameras that can record/cast digitally - but there are other options noted below). See more on external cameras below.
• Classroom Podium Computers have Zoom, Kaltura Capture, Microsoft Teams and Mediasite Mosaic Recording Software for lecture capture, but most do not have an external video camera.

Live Meeting/Streaming: refers to “casting” the instructor’s presentation to a limited audience such as the students who have the access through Canvas to view it using a platform such as Zoom or Teams.

• Elements to be streamed are the same as those in lecture capture 
  • Audio 
  • Computer Screen 
  • Document Camera 
  • External camera if available(only a few rooms on campus are equipped with external cameras that can record/cast digitally - but there are other options noted below). See more on external cameras below.

• Classroom Podium Computers have Zoom, Kaltura Capture, Microsoft Teams and Mediasite Mosaic Recording Software for lecture capture, but most do not have an external video camera.

Interactive Web/Video Conferencing: refers to connecting classrooms and/or personal computers, iPads, tablets and phones to allow complete audio/video interaction between local and distant participants. 

• This is the only approach that is clearly set up to provide two-way interactive communication.
• There are three classrooms on campus fully equipped with cameras and microphones for the full-room interactive experience (Centennial 1404 and Wing 102 & 104).  Contact Eagle Help Desk for more information on using these rooms.

Tips/suggestions for video while lecture capturing or web streaming:

As noted above, most rooms do not have external cameras that would work to capture/record images of the instructor, whiteboards and audience.  An external camera could be a USB or Bluetooth camera that the user could bring to the classroom to connect to the podium PC or laptop.   If an instructor and/or department has their own external web camera, it may be possible to effectively use it in many rooms. 

• Cameras that connect to the computers via a USB cable are preferable as they are the easiest to set up and integrate with the existing classroom computer and software. 
• Cameras with USB cables, depending on cable length, may be limited in where they can be placed to view the instructor. 
• Bluetooth web cameras might also be used, but may require specific assistance from IT to set up properly. 
• If the web camera includes a microphone, that must be disabled to avoid interfering with the room's audio system. 
• Please note: ITS does not have any web cameras which can be loaned out to faculty or departments for use in classrooms.
• Another device with a camera such as an iPad, Phone or Laptop could also connect to the Zoom or Teams session to provide a camera shot.

Note: some classrooms with an all-in-one computer (listed as “AIO” in the classroom directory) have built in webcams.  However, these cannot be moved so the camera range is limited.

Should I use these options for my class? Please consult with CATL about the pros and cons of lecture capture in terms of your discipline, course goals, content accessibility, and student internet access issues. 

 How do I use these options in my classroom and for my class?  

• ITS can provide technical training by appointment on how to set up for lecture capture and web streaming. 
• ITS can provide classroom consultations specific to your class location.
• The Knowledge Base (kb.uwlax.edu) contains helpful articles and tips. Search keywords like Zoom, Canvas, Classroom, Lecture Capture, Kaltura for further information.
• Contact Eagle Help Desk to request appointment, classroom consultation or answer questions.

Definition of Course Types

Face-to-Face (F2F) or In-Person or On Campus: Course in which content delivery, course activities, and assessments take place in a physical classroom.

• Shown in WINGS as "P" for In Person in the Timetable 

Online courses (fully) - students do not meet in person at a physical site. All  content and course activities take place online. Prior to Fall 2020, shown in WINGS as "OL" for online.

• Synchronous - some or all of the elements of the class occur in real time. Elements can be required (e.g., a lecture or exam) or optional (e.g., office hours or discussion times). The course should be listed as online in the timetable and a meeting date/time should be noted.
  • Shown in WINGS as "OS" for Online Synchronous
• Asynchronous - although there are deadlines for students by which they need to complete work, there are no requirements for a specific date/time when the student must be available. 
  • Shown in WINGS as ""OA" for Online Asynchronous

Hybrid: Course in which content delivery, course activities, and assessments take place in a physical classroom classroom and online. This combination of online and in-person elements is based on meaningful learning strategies that best serve an instructor’s pedagogical goals and objectives. This classification signals to students that there is an expectation of both physical presence and online learning in the instructor's design of the course. While a percentage is not mandated, hybrid courses are traditionally 30% to 50% of seat time replaced with online components. Hybrid courses include a class note available to students at registration, which indicates anticipated in-person and online class time.

• Shown in WINGS as "HY" for Hybrid: Blend On-campus/Online
• NOTE: Faculty Senate endorsed definitions.

Students indicating a need for health accommodations that require a special modality should be referred the ACCESS center for advising and potential accommodations.

Although individual students may approach individual instructors with requests for different modalities, unless there is a medical reason, the modality in which the course was listed in the timetable will be the modality of the class.  If the entire campus needs to change modalities, that is a campus-wide decision. Instructors are not expected to provide each of their courses in more than one modality. 

No course modality can be changed for the duration of the semester without Provost permission. Requests to the Provost must be submitted from department chair to the Dean to the Provost. Instructors with accommodation requests work through HR.

"A finals week exists to allow students time to read, review, write, integrate, synthesize, and collaborate to maximize the student leaning outcomes of courses. Instructors are encouraged to use finals week for significant papers, assignments, exams (cumulative or not; take-home or in class), etc. in order to allow students the maximum time to distribute their workload and attend to quality. For the sake of student learning, the last week of classes should not be used as a proxy for finals week." UWL's final exam policy.

• In-person, hybrid, and/or online synchronous 
  • should use the time period associated with the class for an exam 
  • cumulative exams should be associated with finals week rather than the last week of classes.  
  • if there is an final exam that can be completed at the student's discretion in terms of time, the students should be given a final deadline no earlier than the date and time of the final exam. If all students agree to an earlier time than the published exam time, that is acceptable. However, a student who requests the time associated with the exam should have that request granted.
• Online asynchronous 
  • it is preferred for final exams for asynchronous courses to also be asynchronous and recommended that students have at least 48 hours during finals week to complete the exam (to reduce potential overlap with other synchronous exams).
  • if an instructor wishes to give a synchronous exam, a mass exam period might be a good option. However, a student who cannot make whatever synchronous exam time is offered, should be allowed an alternative if needed. Students should be informed of these exam times early for effective planning.