January 14, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
As we kick off 2022 and the new semester, I am sure you saw the President's message on COVID and returning to campus this spring. That note was followed by Silver Dean Neil Guterman's message. As described in these messages, Silver’s classes will resume for the spring semester in-person starting January 24 and January 25 in Rockland and Westchester. All programs at Silver must follow the University’s direction and guidance in meeting in person and will take extra precautions while remaining flexible in the first few weeks.
To summarize the position that you have likely now heard several times, NYU anticipates that faculty will offer their classes in-person, and will make resources, such as recorded lectures or lecture notes, available to students who are unable to make it to class because they are ill, in quarantine, or are experiencing travel disruptions. We want to be mindful, too, that faculty may face similar disruptions, so we want to offer suggestions and ways to address these concerns for both.
NYU has made several suggestions, which I will repost here:
- If a student needs to be out of class, relevant materials can be shared on NYU Brightspace and students can follow the course live via the course Zoom link. Instructors can make asynchronous material available to the student using Brightspace or separately assigning material. In addition, if you are in quarantine but still able to teach, you can offer remote instruction, either synchronously, as a Zoom class, or asynchronously, by preparing materials and assignments for students while you are out of class.
- Although hybrid instruction is not conductive to a social work education, Silver understands that some instructors may wish to use that model for the first few weeks of class, only. To avoid hybrid classes, however, instructors are encouraged to record their lectures and make those available to students instead. If recording is not an option, then meeting separately with absent students or making lecture notes available are other alternatives.
- If you cannot teach, remember that you have the usual options of having someone cover your class, offering asynchronous makeup work later, or rescheduling. With that said, the University is discouraging instructors from rescheduling because there might be a heavy demand on classroom space at the end of the semester.
- There may also be scenarios where you shift to remote instruction if most of your class is absent. This is an option that should only be used in rare cases. Please consult with your Chair or Program Director before any shift is made. Please avoid same day shifts, if possible.
- Under no circumstances should an instructor and students vote or take similar actions to move their class online. Any class listed as an in-person class must continue to meet in-person throughout the semester.
Click here for Zoom resources and instructions that will be useful as you make contingency plans for your class.
A few things to note:
- Only essential visitors will be permitted at Silver at the start of the semester. Classroom speakers are not considered essential.
- There will be no non-essential in-person events, meetings, or gatherings at Silver until further notice.
Meanwhile, we are trying to stay abreast of NYU requirements and are continuing to seek clarity from the University. Thank you all for your patience as these issues continue to develop. Please feel free to reach out to your Chairs or to me if you have any further questions.
Best regards,
Robert Hawkins
Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs