Fall 2021 Course Modality Change Guidance and FAQs for Return to In-Person Instruction
Dear Colleagues,
As fall classes draw near and instructors work through the details of class planning, many questions are surfacing about what fall teaching will look like for instructors and when it is appropriate to shift a class to remote delivery. You have been forwarding good questions to us and we recognize the need for more clear guidance and processes to address these issues. We also recognize the need for compassion and flexibility towards instructors who will be at the forefront of our re-entry to in-person learning. We want you to know that we value your health and well-being, as well as your evident dedication to educating your students. It is our hope that the fall 2021 course modality change guidance and answers to many asked questions will help alleviate ambiguity and ensure that all instructors can approach the classroom with confidence and resilience this fall.
This summer, the Senate Educational Policy Committee provided a blanket exemption from the distance education policy whereby only Senate-approved R-courses can be fully remote. That blanket exemption means that faculty can choose to change their modality without having to get permission from the Senate, however they will need to make decisions in collaboration with their chairs and deans to ensure educational continuity. We are providing additional guidance to chairs, deans and instructors (“instructor” includes faculty, lecturers, teaching assistants and instructional assistants for the purpose of this guidance) about best practices in this collective decision-making process.
Guidance and a description of the formalized process for the review of changing course modality for the 2021 fall quarter can be found here. Please note that all course modality requests need to be submitted to the cognizant dean by Sept. 10, 2021 at 4:30 p.m., so there is time to settle the modality of all courses well in advance of the start of the quarter.
We feel confident that the work we have all engaged in as a community over the last 18 months has prepared us for in person instruction this fall, even given the additional challenges presented by the Delta variant. As noted in the message sent earlier today, thanks to the careful attention our students and employees gave to health and safety precautions in 2020-21, we were able to keep our campus safe for instruction and research, and kept infection rates well below 1% while 10,000 students resided on campus, did in-person research, and even took some in-person classes. UC San Diego’s Return to Learn program has served as a model for our peer institutions, many of whom have adapted vaccine mandates, testing requirements, wastewater testing and contact tracing to ensure their return to in-person instruction is successful as well.
I anticipate that with our continued collective vigilance, mandated vaccination and indoor masking, we can continue working together to help maintain our collective health and well-being. Thank you for everything you are doing every day to keep the UC San Diego community strong in the face of innumerable challenges!
Best regards,
Elizabeth H. Simmons Executive Vice Chancellor
University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093
