Fall course delivery FAQ

Click/tap a question to see the answer.

How will the calendar shift affect my course?
  • There are a number of changes to keep in mind with the adjusted fall calendar:
    • The first week of classes will be remote and will begin Aug. 17. This is a week earlier than originally scheduled. The remote start is intended to assist faculty and students who had not planned to arrive until closer to the official start of classes. The CTT will post recommendations for the first week on their site.
    • The remainder of the term will be on campus. Classes will meet on Labor Day and there will be no Fall Break in order to maximize instruction days and minimize travel to/from campus.
    • "Fifteenth Week" (sometimes referred to as "dead week") preparation for finals Nov 19-20. 
    • Finals will take place Sat Nov. 21-Wed. Nov. 25. 
  • If possible, you might relieve student and instructor fatigue by adding in a 'reading/study/catch up" day and/or reducing assignments due the last week of classes to give students more time to study before Finals.
Should I prepare a fully online version of my class?
  • We encourage faculty to design their flexible, on-campus courses in such a way that they could move easily to fully online without having to make significant adjustments. The models we shared would enable the whole class to go fully online the next day if the local situation were to make that necessary.
Where can I find the maximum number of students allowed in a specific classroom?
  • The updated general purpose classroom capacities and planned equipment capabilities are available at go.unl.edu/gp-classrooms
  • CAS will list this information for classrooms managed by the college and its departments here as soon as it is available.
Where can I find the technology available in a specific classroom?
  • The updated general purpose classroom capacities and planned equipment capabilities are available at go.unl.edu/gp-classrooms
  • CAS is working to determine the technology needs for classrooms managed by the college and its departments and will partner with departments in trying to meet the needs.  We will post what is currently available here and supplement with the kinds of technology that will be added as that information becomes available. 
Will instructors be provided masks for use in the classroom and on campus?
  • Yes. All faculty, staff, and students will be given two reusable facial coverings.
What should I do if a student doesn't have or won't wear a mask?
  • Ask if they have forgotten or are in need of a mask.
  • The student might be in need of a break from wearing the mask. Invite them to take a break in a more open, less-densely populated space than the classroom where they can remove their mask for a bit without compromising the health of the community. 
  • If they refuse to take the break and insist on not wearing the mask in class, remind them of the policy and the consequences for not wearing the mask and explain that it is your obligation to ensure that the whole group is in a safe learning environment. 
  • If they continue to refuse, simply ask the student to leave the classroom. Let them know they are welcome back when they are prepared to follow University policy. 
  • If they continue to refuse and won’t leave the classroom, explain that you are dismissing the class. Invite everyone to exit the classroom while maintaining six feet of separation.  Contact Student Conduct & Community Standards to report the misconduct.
  • If you have concerns about the following class period, consult with your department administrator about next steps.
What should I do if my students won't maintain required social distancing in the classroom?
  • If a student chooses to sit in a seat too close to another student, remind them of the policy and ask them to move seats.
  • If they say the person they are sitting with is a roommate/close friend/sibling, tell them that even if that is the case, we all must follow social distancing guidelines in the classroom.
  • In classrooms with fixed seating, which seats are available and which are not should be evident.  In classrooms with moveable seating, maintaining social distancing may be a little more challenging.  We anticipate the floor will be marked with correct placement of available seats.
What kinds of face coverings can faculty use?
  • There are no universal design standards for facial coverings. However, the covering must extend from the bridge of the nose to below the chin.
    • Reusable cloth facial coverings are acceptable, as are disposable paper masks.
    • A face shield is an acceptable alternative.
    • Regardless of the type used, a mask should not be designed with an exhalation valve.
Who owns the lectures I post online? (Intellectual Property and permission to share).
  • Many instructors have expressed concern about putting their intellectual property online. Under the terms of the university’s existing Board of Regents Policies (see RP-4.4, “Ownership of Intellectual Property” and sections 5.b.2 and 5.c in particular), instructors retain copyright in the instructional materials they create, including those developed for the purposes of online instruction. Please see the policy for definitions and information about exceptions, particularly relating to substantial use of university resources, which would relate only to additional resources significantly in excess of the norm for educational and research purposes. Additional guidance may be found in the Memorandum on Copyright and Law and Compliance. Specialists in the Libraries can assist with general questions, but cannot give legal advice. Legal questions will be coordinated by Libraries with the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel.
How can I keep students from sharing my lectures or other classroom video with people outside of the class? 
  • Text has been approved by university general counsel for addition to the syllabus section of Canvas courses. The decision of whether to include the text can be made at the instructor level, but the protections described in the text will only apply to the course if the text is included in the course information. There are ways to make it more difficult for students to download videos. For example, in VidGrid, you can disable the downloading of your lectures and restrict video access to those at UNL.
What options are available to Instructors who have personal/family health-related concerns pertaining to the return to campus this fall?
  • All employees can request an alternative work arrangement. Please review the page Principles and Guidelines for Alternative Work Arrangements due to COVID-19.
    • If you would like to request an accommodation plan based on any of the criteria set forth in the eligibility section of the policy, you can submit your request using the Accommodation Planning Request form on the Faculty/Staff Disability Services website.
    • If you would like to request an alternative work arrangement, but do not fall within any of the criteria specified within the eligibility section of the policy, you can submit an Alternative Work Arrangement Request form to your supervisor (chair/director).
What additional teaching resources and support are available?
  • The next iteration of the CTT’s Summer Institute for Online Teaching (SIOT) will begin on June 15. Registration is now open. Please be sure to log in or you won’t be able to access the form.
  • In July, the CTT will offer a series of workshops of 1 or 2 hours designed to support instructors teaching in the fall. As soon as the program of sessions is complete it will be posted on the CTT front page. In addition they are developing a tips sheet for the flexible hybrid model.
  • Guides
  • Instructional Designers
    • And, of course, the instructional designers will continue to be available for individual consultations with instructors, but we encourage you to make use of these other resources first.
How can I prevent cheating on exams?
  • This is a serious problem that does not have a simple solution—technical or pedagogical. There are a number of steps instructors can take. The EVC's office will be sharing a tip sheet about what you can do to foster a culture of academic integrity. The CTT has a detailed Assessment guide that offers suggestions for alternatives to high stakes exams and includes information about how to use Respondus Monitor, the remote proctoring software that is currently available. The Digital Learning Center Exam Commons will be open during the term but will have reduced capacity in accordance with social distancing rules.
How will classrooms with microphones be disinfected? Will each faculty member in large classrooms with microphones be issued their own lapel mic?
  • We are waiting on more direction on this from ITS and will post a more detailed answer when we have one.
Do we need to close caption (cc) every video?
What kind of access to technology will students have outside of class?
  • Computer labs will be open and ITS will be loaning laptops as they have in the past. Students on campus can access wifi.