Dear Faculty,

Firstly, I need to thank you for the Herculean effort you have undertaken to move most face-to-face classes to remote instruction.  As of today, 1,946 sections have moved to this modality.  Please know that we recognize how difficult this has been.  We are extremely grateful for your efforts, creativity, and problem-solving to keep students in classes.  We also appreciate the collaboration among faculty members trying to help their colleagues.  It has been very impressive.  Thank you. 

Below are a few updates:

1. As today’s Communication noted, please be sure that you are communicating with your students.  If you are still setting up your remote class, please advise them of that.    
2. We advise that faculty teach in an asynchronous manner (students can work online when they choose) as many of our students are having childcare or other issues currently. Asynchronous instruction gives them flexibility. If you opt to use the synchronous approach (teaching remotely at a specific time), please use your regularly scheduled class time. Some instructors are opening their live ConferZoom lessons to students from other sections, which is fine, but it should be optional to avoid a conflict with another class. 
3. The Learning and Academic Resources department offers online tutoring for a wide variety of subjects. Check out their site for the schedule and how to make an appointment. The Writing and Reading Success Center and the Math Success Center also offer online support.  
4. For full-time faculty, office hours can be conducted via confer zoom, Canvas chat, or even email. 
5. DSPS is directly contacting faculty who have students who will need accommodations or special assistance in transitioning to remote learning. If you have questions, please contact Stephanie Bonales. 
6. We are modifying the faculty link on the Coronavirus webpage to be more user friendly and to add more information/resources for you. Please continue to check it regularly for training, best practices, pedagogy for online learning, articles, etc..
7. The student link on the Coronavirus webpage provides information on student services such as Financial Aid, Counseling, Basic Needs, A&R, Veterans, etc. It may help you to take a look at it so that you can reference it to your students.

Thank you again for everything you are doing.  We will get through this thanks, in large part, to all of you. 

Sincerely,

Kathleen Scott