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Many of our faculty normally request proof of illness in order to take a make-up exam, particularly in large enrollment classes, and for repeated absences from lectures or workshops. So it is understandable that many are asking whether they can require attendance in online courses, too.
So much is in flux right now. Students are moving out of dorms and apartments. Some are losing their jobs. Their childcare may be closed and schools are closed. They may not have a computer of their own, or they may be sharing a computer with family or roommates. Although Charter and Comcast have made high speed internet access free for the next couple of months, your students in rural areas may not have the infrastructure to connect to that at all.
We're all dealing with a lot of change right now, and so are they. We need to ensure they get the learning experience they need to be successful in future classes, but we should make that experience as easy as possible.
If you chose to continue with a synchronous course, please record your meetings so students can watch later.
I hope you polled your students to learn about their access to resources. For those without regular internet access, offer transcriptions or other materials that they can download quickly from email and use offline.
We understand the challenge this will create for instructors, particularly those with large enrollment classes, but patience and empathy are the two most important qualities we need right now. Of course, the final decision about course attendance policies rests with the instructor unless department-level policies exist.
Brooke Burk, the new Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and the instructional designers in the Center for Excellence and Innovation (ML 88) can help faculty imagine and create ways to accommodate students who are ill this semester.
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