OFFICE OF THE CHAIR, ACADEMIC SENATE, SAN DIEGO DIVISION
January 7, 2022
ALL STAFF AT UC SAN DIEGO
Winter Quarter Instructional Updates
Dear Colleagues,
Your dedication to the education and learning process of your students is thoroughly appreciated. We know how difficult the changing public health landscape has been physically, emotionally, and professionally, and we appreciate your flexibility, resilience, and commitment to educational excellence and continuity.
As you have seen from yesterday’s Campus Notice, the ongoing Omicron variant surge is leading campus to extend the period of remote instruction through Sunday, January 30.
We recognize that many instructors (which includes faculty in all appointment series and teaching assistants) are keen to return to in-person learning after this initial period of remote learning is over given the benefits for student engagement and both instructor and student enthusiasm for in-person interactions. Related educational support services through the Teaching + Learning Commons, the Library, and other units, will be available in person again after this initial period of remote learning.
Given the unusual circumstances, the Educational Policy Committee of the Academic Senate granted an emergency limited-term exception to the Policy on Distance Education Courses on January 6, to allow any course to be taught remotely for this quarter, without requiring instructors to request any additional approvals from the Administration or Senate. This means that all instructors will have the flexibility to continue teaching in a mixed in-person/remote modality or in a remote modality for the remainder of the Winter 2022 quarter.
We trust our instructors to choose the modality for the various elements of their courses that will best support student learning for the remainder of the Winter 2022 quarter. Instructors are encouraged to communicate with their department chairs about prospective modality changes as soon as possible, to support departmental planning. Likewise, department chairs should coordinate with and support their instructors to ensure consistent planning and be responsive to student needs. We ask instructors to communicate any teaching modality changes to students as soon as possible. This robust pattern of communication will help ensure continuity of learning, as well as planning for absences due to illness or caretaking responsibilities
Please remember that any synchronous teaching must be done according to the Registrar’s schedule for Winter (which is not subject to change).
Please continue to take advantage of the resources provided by the Teaching + Learning Commons and other campus partners on the KeepTeaching website, including pandemic-resilient strategies that help students who may become ill during the term keep up with coursework while in quarantine or isolation.
Again, thank you for your commitment to the highest quality of education possible in the face of these continuing obstacles. Please reach out to us with your inquiries and suggestions as the quarter progresses – including at this afternoon’s Town Hall.
Best regards,
Elizabeth H. Simmons Executive Vice Chancellor
Tara Javidi Chair, Academic Senate, San Diego Division
University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093
