Virtual Teaching Summer and Fall 2020

As we continue with virtual instruction in the majority of our course offerings for summer and fall 2020, faculty are asked to continue to support their students by communicating regularly, sharing resources, and encouraging participation in virtual classes and completion of coursework.

Recommended Tools for Instructional Continuity

The Technology and Learning Program is available to help faculty learn about and make use of online tools for teaching such as Blackboard Learn, Zoom, and Kaltura. TLP has created the Keep Teaching page on their site as a dedicated resource and will also be offering a number of webinars to teach faculty about such tools.

TLP is available by:

• Live Zoom Room for drop-in help and consultations. The live Zoom Room is open Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Launch Zoom room.
• Phone at 530-898-6167. Leave a voicemail for a reply via email or phone call.
• Email at tlp@csuchico.edu.

Working From Home

View the Employee Resources page for information about paychecks, travel, and more. The Human Resources Services Center is also maintaining a list of frequently asked questions about telecommuting and University employee policies that apply to faculty, staff, and auxiliary employees, including Telecommuting Expectations that apply specifically to Faculty.

COVID-19 Faculty, Staff & Manager Resources

The Office of Academic Personnel (OAPL) website provides a bullet list of all personnel related CFA and OAPL COVID-19 agreements with instructions on Probationary Period Extension Requests; Administration of Summer SETS, RTP and lecturer evaluation protocol and more.

Telecommuting Tips and Resources

We've also created a complete list of resources for developing work-life balance at home, setting up a productive and healthy home office, and technology and connectivity, as well as guidelines for purchasing office supplies and other home-office expenses.

Additional Faculty Resources

• Getting Started with Blackboard Learn - quick reference (Google Doc) (faculty)
• Getting Started with Zoom - quick reference (Google Doc)(faculty)
• Engaging Students Online through Zoom
• Zoom Knowledge Base - Helpful resource that contains both video and step-by-step, print tutorials.
• If you do not have off-campus access to the Internet, free Internet Connectivity Resources are available.
• Though the Meriam Library building is closed (all due dates extended; fees waived), the library will continue to provide online research resources and virtual research support, including 24/7 chat support and the ability to schedule Zoom appointments with librarians. Faculty can also request synchronous Information Literacy Instruction for your class. In addition to the e-books and articles available through the library's OneSearch, the newly created National Emergency Library has thousands of free e-book resources.

Supporting Your Students

Direct your students to the Student Resources page for a list of services/resources available.

Additionally, the Keep Learning website provides students tips, best practices, and resources for online learning, as well as live support weekdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Add these web links to your Blackboard Learn course to support students:

• Keep Learning website
• Blackboard Learn Quick Reference (Google Doc) (students)
• Zoom Quick Reference Guides (students)
• Internet Connectivity Resources
• Meriam Library online research resources and virtual research support
• WellCat Counseling Center

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Instruction

• What support is available to me to teach remotely?
  

  This short essay on how to adapt instruction in a hurry offers a simple and useful organizing framework.

  The Technology and Learning Program (TLP) has developed an excellent Instructional Continuity guide with best practices, recommended tools, and trainings. TLP is also developing a list of tech-savvy faculty by discipline who are available to support their peers. Check their website for updates.

  Many faculty are already working and innovating with department colleagues. There are also great disciplinary conversations about teaching in this new context happening across the CSU and around the country. There’s even a Pandemic Pedagogy public Facebook group with troves of ideas (and good humor).

  Your department chair and dean are also available to help, and staff in the Office of Accessible Technology and Services (OATS) are available for consultation about how to make any newly digital material accessible to all of your students.

• Do I have to use Blackboard for remote instruction and communication? Can I just email instead?

  We strongly encourage using Blackboard as it is much more secure than email. If you do use non-Blackboard email to correspond with your students and/or to provide them with course materials, you must use your Chico State email address (csuchico.edu), not your personal email address.

• Are there specific technology platforms I should use?

  Use the technology that makes sense for you and your course. From simply sending email, to posting a YouTube video for students to critique, to online forums, to embedding full Kaltura lectures in Blackboard, you have many options, and many resources to support you. Please see the excellent “Keep Teaching” site prepared by the Technology and Learning Program (TLP) for advice and training opportunities.

  Please be sure to use tools that are campus-supported and approved through IT Procurement Review:

  • Audacity
  • Blackboard Ally
  • Camtasia
  • Eesy Soft
  • Kaltura Personal Capture
  • Kurzweil
  • Learning Glass
  • PowerPoint
  • Proctorio
  • Snagit
  • Softchalk
  • zyBooks

  We do not support unapproved software that may present security and accessibility issues, such as:

  • Adobe Presenter (Flash content is not accessible and Flash is not widely supported by browsers anymore)
  • Pear Deck for Google Slides (no screen reader functionality)
  • VoiceThread (issues exporting to PDF, not all functions are accessible)
  • Prezi (not accessible; unsuitable for online presentations)
    
    
• I don’t have a University-owned laptop. Can I borrow one? Or can I use my own computer for remote instruction?

  You may take your desktop computer home or use your own personal computer equipment, so long as you follow the Instructional Faculty Telecommuting Expectations and complete the Off-Campus Use of University Equipment form (PDF).

• I do not have sufficient internet resources at home. What do I do?

  Please see the university’s Internet Connectivity Resources webpage for information about additional internet resources available to you.

• Am I allowed to use my office during this time?

  Given Governor Newsom’s March 19 order for all Californians to stay at home except for essential functions, you should not use your office during this time.

  The campus’ Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is managing the roster of all individuals authorized to work on campus. This roster includes the name of the individual, by division, department, building, bargaining unit, exempt/non-exempt, and their anticipated on-campus schedule. In Academic Affairs, the Provost along with each college dean will have the authority to approve individuals for work on campus. The Provost and each dean shall maintain a list of permitted individuals, specifying parameters for entry including frequency, duration, and activity. 

• How can I support my students in what I know is a stressful time for them?

  Communicate, communicate, communicate. Students are understandably anxious and confused, and they may face challenges like lack of access to materials, internet access, or basic necessities. Their instructors are their most important University contact and will be a valuable source of reassurance. Please be in regular touch about course activities, assignments, and expectations. At least weekly contact in predictable times and formats is a good rule of thumb.

• My students have questions about things beyond the scope of my class. Where can I refer them for help?

  The campus COVID-19 website maintains a set of Student Resources.

• What about my Teaching Assistants (TA), Graduate Assistants (GA) and Instructional Student Assistants (ISA)?

  TA, GA, and ISA employee contracts will continue, as TAs, GAs, and ISAs are expected to report to work (remotely).  TAs and GAs should continue to work the same time base to which they were appointed under the supervision of the faculty instructor of record to assist with delivering the course in a virtual or alternative modality format, performing the same or similar duties including grading, leading discussion groups, and other duties as assigned.  Please do not suggest or assume that their services are not needed, as they should continue to be able to fulfill their Unit 11 appointment.  Supervisors are encouraged to broadly interpret the Descriptions of Duties so as to provide as many reasonable options as possible for work to be completed remotely.

  Student employees in the ISA classification perform teaching, grading and/or tutoring duties and can and should be assigned work assisting instructional faculty members with moving instruction to an online format.

  Student employees in the GA classification assist instructional faculty with various professional and technical duties associated generally with the subjects or programs in which the GA is doing graduate work.  In addition to supervising students in a classroom, workshop, or laboratory, GA work may involve assisting faculty with research and preparation of course materials, participating in the evaluation of students’ work, tutoring students remotely, and other related work.

  In addition to teaching university courses, TAs may also assist instructional faculty with various professional and technical activities.  TAs typically are responsible for providing classroom and/or laboratory instruction, making assignments to students, preparing course materials, administering examinations, assessing student performance, tutoring students and determining course grades.  TAs also may assist faculty with field experience, supervision, simulation exercises and/or research projects.

  TAs who are an instructor of record should follow protocols similar to faculty instructors of record as far as moving their courses to remote instruction.  Please refer to the Faculty Resources – Transition to Virtual Teaching website for resources.   

  With the goal of keeping student employees employed, supervisors should consult with their Unit 11 student employees to work out a telecommuting arrangement that allows them to accomplish their duties remotely.  When work can be assigned remotely, then an Individualized Telecommuting Agreement (PDF) needs to be completed.

  If, however, a Unit 11 student employee is unable to work remotely for the following reasons:

  • due to the employee’s own COVID-19-related illness or that of a family member who the employee would normally be able to use sick leave for;

  • it is not operationally feasible for the employee to work remotely;

  • due to a COVID-19-related school or daycare closure and the employee is required to be at home with a child or dependent, and it is not operationally feasible for the employee to work remotely or in conjunction with the childcare commitment

  Then the Unit 11 student employee shall be eligible to receive a one-time allotment of up to 128 hours prorated by time base of paid administrative leave from March 23, 2020 through December 31, 2020.  Please note that the Administrative Leave is only available due to the COVID-19 related absences listed above and while the Unit 11 student is employed.  The hours may be used at the request of the employee, in consultation with the supervisor, at any time during the contract period, including intermittently, either before or after the use of any accrued leave or other paid leave.  Of the Academic Student Employee classifications (TA, GA, ISA), only TAs accrue sick leave (at a rate of 8 hours per month, prorated by time base).  TAs and GAs will report Paid Administrative Leave on a paper Absence Report in the Other Absences column.   Please refer to the Paid Administrative Leave FAQ for additional information about Paid Administrative Leave.

  If a Unit 11 student employee is no longer interested in continuing to work, they are permitted to resign.  A student employee who wishes to resign shall send an email to their supervisor confirming their resignation.  The supervisor will then forward the email to the department ASC for processing, in order to end the appointment.

  ISAs should continue to submit timesheets electronically pursuant to campus protocol indicating the hours they have been assigned in their Description of Duties, noting in an email the dates and number of hours of any Paid Administrative Leave once approved after consultation with their supervisor. 

  Further information will be provided as additional information becomes available.

• How are faculty service obligations to be handled?

  Faculty service obligations remain in place, but these activities, including advising and departmental, college, and university committees, should be prioritized and adapted primarily to virtual settings. Additional detail about faculty non-teaching responsibilities during the period of physical campus closure can be found in the Instructional Faculty Telecommuting Expectations.

• Are we still utilizing the final exam period?

  Yes. While you are not required to give a synchronous (online in real-time) or asynchronous (at a student’s own pace) final exam, this is still a required instructional week, and faculty who do not provide final exams must still use this week for instructional activities. More information about final exams during remote instruction will be forthcoming.

• What will happen to SETs?

  Online SETs will be administrated for all eligible summer courses. Due to virtual instruction, the use of paper SETs has been suspended. Additional details can be found in this announcement from Academic Personnel.

RTP

• 2019-20 and 2020-21 RTP Calendar Evaluation Revisions
  
  Following the spring 2020 COVID-19 revisions to the 2019/20 RTP process and deadline calendar, CFA and OAPL is turning their attention towards the development of fair and practical guidance for next year’s RTP activities and candidate requirements. They are very aware of the impacts of COVID-19 on faculty teaching, scholarship, and service activities, and they are gathering information from others in the CSU and across the nation.

  Some FAQs can be found on OAPL’s website. If you have additional questions, please consult with your dean, Brian Oppy, or the CFA.