Dear Campus Community,
I want to provide another update on our Fall 2020 Semester Class Schedule and course delivery options, as well as a few other topics.
Course Delivery Options
We are planning for a combination of remote, flexible delivery, and safe, socially distant, in-person classes this fall. I am pleased to report that course delivery information is now available on WINGS Express, although there is a possibility the delivery option for some courses could change. The new flexible delivery option is defined as in-person delivery with a remote option. Read descriptions of all the course delivery options.
Classrooms
We are currently working on assigning classrooms for all in-person courses and hope it will be completed in the next week or so. This is taking more time this year because we first had to reconfigure classrooms for safety and physical distancing, which lowered the capacity of each room. Now we are matching these lower capacities with course enrollments. CaTS is outfitting rooms with new technology, such as webcams, recording software, and other equipment, to prepare for in-person courses with remote delivery in specific classrooms, labs, studios, etc. Please keep in mind that no matter how courses are delivered, our faculty will provide students with an engaging, high-quality education.
I want to reiterate that the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff remains our primary concern as we make plans during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are working with facilities to develop a plan for safety in the classroom space and across campus. This plan will include safety protocols for physical distance, cleaning, entering and exiting classrooms, signage, and many other aspects of managing the return to campus.
Virtual Parent Forums
We want to make sure our parents understand our plans and processes and have an opportunity to ask questions as we move toward fall semester. I am happy to announce three Virtual Parent Forums where parents can attend an online meeting with representatives from Residence Life and Housing, Dining, Student Success, faculty, the Registrar’s Office, Lake Campus, and Student Health. We’ll post more details on our fall planning website as they are firmed up. Here are the dates:
Thursday, August 6, at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, August 12, at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, August 18, at 6 p.m.
Residence Life and Housing
Residence Life and Housing is taking extra precautions during the 2020–21 academic year to ensure the health and safety of all of our campus residents. These include single rooms for residents, safety protocols, as well as guidelines for visitors, public spaces, and social gatherings. There also are plans in place to respond to a positive case of COVID-19. Read more details.
Employees
In the coming days, supervisors and their business managers will receive a communication that includes the plan and process to determine what work should be completed on campus and what work can continue to be done remotely. This is the first step in planning for a phased approach to bringing some employees back to campus. More details will follow, along with updated information on the faculty phased return to campus.
Thank you again for your patience and flexibility as we formulate our plans to keep our campus community safe while supporting our students’ academic progress. We continue to monitor the pandemic in partnership with local and state health departments and will adapt our plans as necessary.
You can find more details on our fall planning website. To learn more about Wright State’s response to the pandemic, visit our COVID-19 website.
Please stay safe.
Douglas W. Leaman, Ph.D.
Interim Provost
