For face-to-face teaching activities that are approved for the Fall term, faculty are asked to include specific language in their syllabus regarding expectations. Students should be made aware of the proposed health and safety requirements, such as but not limited to the wearing of PPE, regular cleaning and sanitary practices, and staying home when unwell. Further, faculty are encouraged to inform students of the consequences of not following these requirements. Example language has been provided below for inclusion in your syllabi:
“Compliance with university safety protocols for face-to-face teaching is mandatory and failure to abide by such protocols may result in removal of students from the learning environment and a referral to Students Rights and Responsibilities. If students refuse to abide by the COVID-19 safety protocols, outlined by the university and the instructor, they should be reminded of the protocols and asked to comply. If the student refuses to comply, they should be removed from the learning environment on an emergency basis due to the threat to other’s health and safety. Students may also be referred to Student Rights and Responsibilities for possible discipline for failure to comply with a university directive. If a student indicates they are not able to comply with the protocols due to medical or disability-related reasons, they should be referred to DSS to request an accommodation.”
Submitted applications for face-to-face activities will be reviewed by both a faculty committee and administrative personnel at the university. The following schematic outlines the approval process. If the application is not approved at a given stage, efforts will be made to provide feedback to the faculty member to consider and re-submit their application.
A small group of faculty, on behalf of the Provost’s Office, have designed the following application to allow faculty the opportunity to propose discrete learning activities (i.e., teaching, previously approved in-person research, volunteer work, etc) in a face-to-face learning environment.
The application has been designed to determine whether effective mitigation plans can be instituted to reduce the COVID Transmission Modes for faculty, staff, students, and the EWU community. COVID Transmission Modes are physical distancing, direct contact, direct contact with shared surfaces, and extended periods of time in confined spaces.
The application has taken into consideration the national and state-level recommendations for public health. Please note that these recommendations may change and thus your approval may be subject to change accordingly. The application will be reviewed by the faculty member’s department and college, the AFFLAC committee, risk management, and academic affairs. The primary emphasis is on delivering high-quality education to students while also maintaining the health and safety of the EWU community.
Should I be applying for a discrete face-to-face component?
The following application should be used to propose the inclusion of a discrete learning activity (i.e., teaching, previously approved in-person research, or others) in a face-to-face environment. When determining if you should propose a discrete face-to-face component to your academic activity you should consider the following:
- Why is a face-to-face component important for the academic activity?
Some examples to consider are: Is the face-to-face component necessary to achieve learning outcomes? Is it a necessary component of accreditation or licensure requirements? - How can you mitigate the risk of COVID transmission in the face-to-face component of your academic activity?
For example, will you use PPE, tabletop exercises, or virtual simulations? - What costs will be associated with the mitigation plans that you hope to institute?
You will need to communicate with your Department Chair in order to provide a budget for each of the mitigation components.
Are you ready to submit?
Prior to beginning the application, faculty should have the following information available:
