Winter 2022 Course Modality Change Guidance

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted that the situation on campus and in our community continues to improve, allowing for a greater return to the in-person modes of operation that afford our students so many opportunities for engaged learning, hands-on experimentation, and in-person research and co-curricular activities. At the same time, we recognize that there are certain situations where remote delivery of instruction continues to be a necessity and we want to make appropriate provision for these cases.

The Academic Senate's Educational Policy Committee (EPC) has approved a limited-term exception to the Policy on Distance Education Courses to allow a course approved for a course modality change for Winter and Spring 2022 to be offered remotely without an R-course designation. The exception was approved for Winter and Spring 2022 to provide clarity on the plans for course modality accommodations for the rest of the academic year, with the goal of reducing uncertainty about the process and acknowledging the need for continued flexibility and responsiveness should pandemic conditions change.

EPC’s exception for Winter and Spring 2022 is limited to those courses with an “approved course modality change.” This notice provides guidelines for how instructors and academic programs may request to switch a course that is not an R-course to remote instruction modality for Winter term. The same process will be used to request and review modality changes for Spring term, with a separate set of deadlines to be announced in November. As detailed below, the instructor consults with their department chair regarding the request, consults the Disability Counseling and Consulting Office if appropriate, and fills out a brief web form. The form is sent to gain endorsement of their department chair and Dean, and is then reviewed by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Educational Innovation (AVC-EI) and by the Graduate or Undergraduate Council of the Academic Senate. Please note that the term “instructor” applies to faculty and lecturers in all appointment series, as well as teaching and instructional assistants.

Only classes approved through this process may be taught fully online for the Winter or Spring 2022 terms without obtaining an R-course designation. At the same time, we want instructors to remain aware that Senate policy always accords them extensive flexibility to mix in-person and remote instruction, as long as the percentage of remote instruction does not exceed 50% of the contact hours in a given course.

Please understand that once a given course section has been shifted to remote instruction for the Winter or Spring term, it cannot be shifted back to in-person delivery again for that term. However, new in-person sections may be added as required to address the needs of students.

Please also be aware that a shift of modality is solely a change in the format of instruction, not a change in the days or times a course is offered. We need to retain the set of days/times that the programs have already arranged with the Registrar’s office in order to ensure that students have access to the sections they need, without undue overlap.

A detailed description of the criteria, process, and timeline for instructors to use in requesting remote modality for their Winter 2022 courses is given below. This same guidance is also posted on the Academic Personnel Services webpage addressing COVID-19 Academic Affairs FAQs and Resources.

In closing, I’d like to say once again how deeply we all appreciate the exceptional efforts that instructors have been making throughout the pandemic to support their students. We hope that this modality guidance will, in turn, provide the clarity and support that instructors themselves need in these challenging times.

With best regards,

Elizabeth H. Simmons
Executive Vice Chancellor

Winter 2022 Course Modality Change Guidance

Overview and Criteria

The Academic Senate's Educational Policy Committee (EPC) has approved a limited-term exception to the Policy on Distance Education Courses to allow a course approved for a course modality change for Winter and Spring 2022 to be offered remotely without an R-course designation. The exception was approved for Winter and Spring 2022 to provide clarity on the plans for course modality accommodations for the rest of the academic year, with the goal of reducing uncertainty about the process and acknowledging the need for continued flexibility and responsiveness should pandemic conditions change.

EPC’s distance education policy exception for Winter and Spring 2022 is limited to those courses with an “approved course modality change” obtained via the process described here (which has been updated relative to the one followed for Fall 2021). Only classes approved through the process described in this guidance document may be taught fully online for the Winter or Spring 2022 terms without obtaining an R-course designation. At the same time, we want instructors to remain aware that Senate policy always accords them extensive flexibility to mix in-person and remote instruction, as long as the percentage of remote instruction does not exceed 50% of the contact hours in a given course.

A request to change the modality of a course for Winter 2022 should be the result of a collaborative process between instructors and department chairs. Chairpersons should work with individual instructors to accommodate their needs while also ensuring the department’s instructional needs are met. A change in the modality of instruction from in-person to remote is appropriate in the following three situations:

1. Documented student need

For Fall 2021, this category was predominantly used to ensure that students impacted by visa delays or travel restrictions and students with documented accommodations could make adequate progress toward their degree. The visa and travel situation has now improved to the point where only documented accommodations need to be taken into consideration. Courses applying under this category will need to document why hybrid delivery or other accommodation would be inappropriate or impossible. In addition, evening/flex/part-time graduate professional programs may provide justification under this category, to be reviewed on an individual basis. We expect few accommodations to be granted on these grounds for Winter and Spring 2022.

2. Inability to deliver course content with current in-person restrictions

Alongside the university’s vaccine mandate, symptom screening, and testing protocols, masking is still required for indoor classrooms, as well as in all but two of the outdoor classrooms. We understand that some classes are difficult to conduct while masked, for various technical reasons [e.g., certain kinds of language or music instruction]. An academic program impacted in this way will need to assess the alternatives for delivering instruction for each course offered (remote, in-person with masking, outdoor with masking, or outdoor without masking). Courses applying under this category, will need to make a case for why remote instruction is the only feasible solution for supporting students’ learning appropriately. Examples might include inability to use instruments, operate equipment, or wear necessary PPE with masks.

Please note that each request submitted should be for an individual class (not an entire academic program).

Also, note that challenges associated with bringing in outside speakers or collaborators is rarely a reason for moving an entire class online; having a speaker join an in-person class via Zoom on the classroom screen has been found to work very well.

3. Request for remote teaching modality as a workplace adjustment, through the Disability Counseling and Consulting Office (DCC)

Some instructors may have health or caregiving situations that cause them to request to teach a course in remote modality during Winter or Spring term.

To make sure the request process is private and non-discriminatory for the instructors, we have asked the office of Disability Counseling and Consulting (DCC) to assess and make a recommendation on requested work modifications. While many of the health and caregiving situations that may cause instructors to request remote modality are not related to disabilities, DCC has agreed to assist the campus in this unusual situation because DCC staff are trained to analyze information, discuss options with the employee, and provide a brief letter that simply states whether a workplace adjustment is recommended. They are a confidential office, and in conveying their written recommendation to the department and administration, they do not share any personal information about why instructors request a workplace adjustment.

Here are some general guidelines about working with DCC. No set of guidelines can cover all situations; when in doubt, please feel free to consult DCC.

Given the short turn-around time in preparing for Winter, documentation issued by DCC for Fall 2021 will also be accepted as part of a request to teach in remote modality for the Winter 2022 term even if the instructor is teaching different courses in Winter than in Fall (the DCC documentation should be sent to the chair and dean again, along with the Winter request).
Instructors who are exempt from the UC vaccine mandate for medical reasons may request to use remote modality in Winter 2022 with appropriate documentation from DCC or HR (again, this documentation will simply state that the instructor has an accommodation, not why).
Instructors with a documented ADA accommodation interfering with their ability to effectively teach in-person with existing restrictions should provide a letter from DCC stating such in order to request to teach in a remote modality for Winter.
Instructors with other documented medical conditions recognized as vulnerable by the CDC, or caring for someone with a condition on the list will need to provide documentation to DCC in order to request a shift to remote instruction.

- Instructors with caregiving responsibility for young children, especially those not in school or daycare.

- While vaccines for children aged 5-11 are expected to be approved soon, we recognize that instructors with caregiving responsibility for young children are concerned about managing their work and caregiving responsibilities in the context of the pandemic.

- Caregivers with children in school should bear in mind that they have the flexibility to shift their class from in-person to remote modality temporarily (up to 50% of the total class contact hours) should they need to. Departments should do their best to support instructors in such circumstances.

We recognize that there will likely be instructors who may not merit a workplace adjustment under these standards, but are still encountering very challenging personal situations as the University continues to shift back to a primarily on-campus presence. Both the Administration and the Academic Senate encourage instructors to continue to communicate with chairs and deans about pandemic-related stressors that are not directly covered by these guidelines, and encourage everyone to remember that we are not yet through this, and must continue to support instructors beyond the specific procedures outlined here.

Please note that unwillingness to comply with the UC vaccine mandate is not an acceptable reason for requesting remote teaching modality. Similarly, requests for remote teaching modality may not be based on housing or commuting concerns, or external commitments.

Please also be reminded that regardless of their course modality, faculty members still need to maintain a significant presence on campus, meet classes, keep office hours, hold examinations as scheduled, be accessible to students and staff, be available to interact with University colleagues, and share service responsibilities throughout every quarter or semester of active service.

Process for Modality Change Request:

A program wishing to schedule a new remote section, or to change the modality of an existing in-person course section should follow the process and timeline outlined below.

If a request is initiated by an instructor, the instructor should submit a request to their department chair (or delegate) via the brief web form located here. All forms must be submitted as soon as possible to allow completion of review and consideration by the chairperson and cognizant dean by no later than Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021.

a. If the request is made due to documented student need or inability to deliver the course content with current in-person restrictions, the necessary documentation/justification must be forwarded to the chairperson to review along-side the output from the web request form.

b. If the request is made as a work modification with endorsement from the DCC, the necessary documentation from DCC should be forwarded to the chairperson along with the output from the web request form. The DCC letter states only the DCC’s recommendation, without disclosing any private details. To request a review by the DCC, please fill out the form linked on their website.

2. The chairperson should review the request according to the criteria specified above and if appropriate the request should be forwarded with all necessary documentation to the cognizant dean (or delegate) for their review by no later than Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021. If the chair is not endorsing the request and forwarding it to the dean, the chair must promptly inform the instructor of this.

3. If a request is based on curricular or documented student need, the chair may initiate the request directly, providing the necessary documentation to the dean.

4. The cognizant dean reviews and forwards their approval and accompanying documentation to the AVC-EI for review by no later than Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021. If the dean is not endorsing the request and forwarding it to the AVC-EI, the dean must promptly inform the instructor of this.

5. The AVC-EI reviews requests and forwards their approval to the appropriate Senate committee for review and final approval (Graduate Council or Undergraduate Council, depending on the course). If the AVC-EI is not endorsing the request and forwarding it to Senate, the AVC-EI must promptly inform the instructor of this.

Appeals of Modality Change Decisions: faculty and lecturers in all appointment series

A request denied at stages 2, 4, or 5 above may be appealed directly to the appropriate Senate body [Undergraduate Council for undergraduate courses or Graduate Council for graduate courses] for an additional review. The Undergraduate and Graduate Councils will consider appeals based on a justification from the instructor or program explaining how the educational quality of a course will not be adversely impacted if offered remotely.

Appeals for both undergraduate and graduate courses may be submitted by e-mail to Senate Associate Director Ashley Welch (awelch@ucsd.edu) by no later than Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, and should include the following:

Course Information: Subject Code, Course Number, and Instructor of Record
A statement from the instructor or program documenting how the remote course will maintain course quality in a remote modality.
The required documentation for the modality change request.

Note: The Academic Senate is not authorized to consider appeals of DCC’s recommendation.

Appeals of Modality Change Decisions: teaching assistants and instructional assistants

A request denied at stages 2, 4, or 5 above may be appealed directly to the Graduate Division for an additional review. The Dean of the Graduate Division will consider appeals based on a justification from the instructor or program explaining how the educational quality of a course will not be adversely impacted if offered remotely.

Appeals for both undergraduate and graduate courses may be submitted by e-mail to Dean James Antony (graduatedean@ucsd.edu) by no later than Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, and should include the following:

Course Information: Subject Code, Course Number, and Instructor of Record
A statement from the instructor or program documenting how the course will maintain course quality if the teaching assistant or instructional assistant works in a remote modality.
The required documentation for the modality change request.

Note: The Graduate Division is not authorized to consider appeals of DCC’s recommendation.

Timeline:

We recognize that the timeline below is quite compressed. Senate and Administration have been working carefully through established shared governance mechanisms to update the process used in Fall 2021 so that Winter 2022 scheduling and registration can be smoother. In particular, the inclusion of Senate review, provision for an appeal of initial decisions, and establishment of course schedules and modalities before student registration begins are significant gains. We anticipate that a similar process, but with a more relaxed timeline, will be used for Spring 2022 (details to be announced in November 2021).

Tuesday, Oct, 26, 2021: Deadline for submitting course modality changes to AVC-EI
Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021: AVC-EI submits modality change requests to GC and UGC for review
Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021: UGC and GC return approvals to AVC-EI, who passes list back to Registrar
Friday, Oct. 29, 2021: Deadline for submitting appeals to Senate or Graduate Division
Monday, Nov. 1, 2021: Appeal cases reviewed and decisions passed to AVC-EI, who passes them to Registrar
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021: Schedule of classes published, so students can plan for Winter 2022 courses
Monday, Nov. 8, 2021: Registration opens up for students to select Winter 2022 courses