In case our safety requirements have to change, please be thinking about the following:

• Most UAB classrooms now have built-in lecture capture technology to allow lectures to be recorded automatically starting and ending at the official class times. Instructors do not have to do anything to activate this system. Video recordings become available in the My Media section of a Canvas course website. Instructors have full discretion whether to make these available (i.e., ‘Publish’) to students in which case they are accessible in a student’s Canvas course. Know how to use this technology. Some students may receive a DSS accommodations requiring that faculty make such lectures available to them this way.
• You are encouraged to have a clearly-stated attendance policy in your course syllabi. There are only two situations where your attendance policy should not be applied: (1) you receive notice of a DSS accommodation related to class-attendance; or (2) you receive a “should not be in class on campus” notification about a student. COVID-related anxiety about in-person attendance is not a valid excuse for missing class. Click here for a Sample Syllabus.
• Use the functionality of Canvas to facilitate a remote teaching of one or more students. Consider the following course elements which students rate most helpful in Canvas:
  1. Listing topics, contents, and assignments by week
  2. Posting grades in Canvas
  3. Posting course materials in pages or modules
  4. Adding assignment due dates so that assignments appear in the syllabus tool
  5. Communicating via course Announcements
• Use the teaching resources available to you.
  • Make a request for consultation on instructional design
  • Schedule training on Zoom, Canvas, Kaltura and other academic tools such as Turnitin, Respondus, PollEverywhere, and more
  • Ask a technical support question on Canvas and other academic technologies
  • Register for upcoming eLearning workshops on Online Design and Teaching
  • Register for upcoming workshops from the Center for Teaching and Learning
• Given the dynamic nature of the COVID pandemic, faculty should be prepared to teach a class entirely on Zoom (this would require approval from your supervisor and dean, with notice to the Provost), either from a classroom, from your UAB office, or remotely, for a period of time. You might also record a lecture using Zoom or other technology (with supervisor approval). There are numerous resources from eLearning. At this time, we are not expecting instructors to run parallel versions of their courses for students learning remotely, or to teach in a synchronous “hybrid” mode from the classroom (where some students are physically present and others participate remotely).
• Disability Support Services works with students with disabilities and faculty to ensure students receive reasonable accommodations for their educational experiences at UAB in order to provide equal access to programs, services and activities. If you receive a notification from DSS about a student accommodation, please follow the instructions provided.
• Be watchful for guidance from Human Resources about how they are accommodating employees (including faculty) experiencing personal COVID-related situations. Go to UAB United and scroll down to “Latest Information.”
• Be prepared for travel restrictions. At this time international travel for UAB employees continues to be discouraged. Stay updated by going to UAB Financial Affairs/traveling.
• Be prepared to move academic events such as guest lectures or symposia to a virtual format.