Fall Semester Update From Provost & Vice Provost

August 6, 2020

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

As we move into August, rather than resting and relaxing in anticipation of the start of a new year, we are all working harder than ever to adapt to the challenging circumstances in which we find ourselves. All of us here in Waul House recognize and appreciate the sacrifices you are making, and we want to assure you that the many teams on campus that support your work are diligently preparing for classes to resume. Today, we want to share some of that work with you, which will hopefully answer many of your questions and put all of us in the best possible position to deliver our signature rigorous, formative education in a safe and healthy way.

As you know, the classroom assignment process is largely settled at this point. UIS and Course Information and Schedule have been updated, and should now correctly reflect whether courses are being taught fully in-person, hybrid, or online (asynchronous or synchronous). If you believe that your course is described incorrectly, or if you have any other need to request a course change, please speak to your department administrator who will let the Registrar’s office know. Note that a few courses whose enrollments fit completely in their assigned classrooms may still be marked as “hybrid” if the course cap (desired size) exceeds classroom capacity. You may request that the course be changed to “in person” if the cap can also be reduced to the room size.

Many of you have been asking for additional information about the classroom environment. We’ve prepared some resources to help you acclimate to teaching on-campus this fall:

• A classroom FAQ document, which describes the rigorous procedures and protocols which will need to be followed in order to ensure our learning environments remain safe for instructors and students;
• An accompanying classroom video walkthrough, which pairs descriptions of classroom procedures with pictures and video taken in two classrooms already set up as they will be in the fall; and
• A new classroom data website (requires login), which will provide an opportunity for you to get familiar with any new teaching locations. Please note that this was a project already underway in response to faculty requests for easier-to-access data about classrooms, and so most of the information there is “pre-Covid”. However, the pictures will still give you a sense of the classroom size and the layout of the boards and technology, and we have added a link to a spreadsheet that contains updated information on each room, including its current Covid capacity (typically around 50% of normal) as well as any upgraded technology, such as built-in Lecture Capture.
• Finally, the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) remains available to help you get your course ready for fall. In addition to their introductory Adaptable Blended Instruction (ABI) workshop (now a single 90-minute session), they’re also offering supplemental sessions on particular teaching questions and technologies. Log into MyBC to see the upcoming workshop schedule (if you don’t see any events, click “Sign In” in the upper right hand corner.) And if you haven’t yet, enroll yourself in the ABI Canvas course to get started. For more information, see the CTE's ABI Support page.

While we hope that these resources are helpful in getting comfortable with the classroom environment, we know that there’s nothing like the real thing. To that end, we’re working with Space Planning and Event Management to create times during the week of 8/24 (or the end of the prior week for Law faculty) to come in and “test drive” your classrooms. We’ll need to work around final upgrades and construction, as well as orientation events, but we’re hoping the majority of instructors will get a chance to see your assigned classrooms prior to the first day of classes.

As we contemplate that return to campus, we also want to reinforce the importance of ensuring a safe campus environment for all. While this takes many forms, from good hand-washing to daily health monitoring, we want to reinforce three aspects that will need everyone’s compliance to be effective.

• First, wearing masks will be mandatory at all times inside BC buildings except when you are alone in a private office. That means putting on a mask to welcome a guest at your door, go to the restroom, or walk down the hall to pick up something from the printer. Please remember that your mask protects those around you, as their masks protect you.
• Second, Boston College must comply with State of MA maximum occupancy limits in all spaces, not just our classrooms. For office spaces, that generally means no more than 50% occupancy. If you’re planning to come to the office, please get in touch with your department prior to doing so to ensure that your plans work with others’ schedules to limit the total number of people in the office at one time.
• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it is critical that absolutely every member of our faculty and staff be tested for Covid-19 prior to returning to work. Testing will start the week of 8/17. It is our expectation that every member of the BC teaching community will complete their test by the end of the week of the 17th. This includes anyone who expects to be on campus for any reason at any time this semester (not just in the classroom), as those without a test will be restricted from entering the libraries, their office, or any other campus spaces. Given that the following week (8/24-8/30) will be packed with undergraduate student testing, we’re hoping to see 100% of academic faculty, staff, and instructors complete testing no later than Friday, 8/21. If you absolutely cannot make it to campus that week—for example, you’re travelling out of the Boston area—please speak to your dean’s office immediately so that other arrangements can be made.

As we’ve said many times now, we’re living through an unprecedented time in the history of American higher education. We want to thank you, once again, for all that you do for our students and our community, and please know that the deans and everyone in academic leadership shares our sense of gratitude. We also hope to see many of you virtually at next week’s Faculty Forum, scheduled for Friday, August 14th at noon—you’ll need to register in advance.

Please continue to be well as we move through our final preparations, and feel free to reach out with any additional questions you may have.

Sincerely,