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Oct. 22, 2020

Dear Instructional Faculty,

Earlier today, Pat O’Rourke and I announced the calendar for ��ƷSM����ӰƬ’s spring 2021 semester. Our plan is to continue with a mixture of in-person, remote and hybrid courses to ensure a safe and productive spring semester. This plan hinges on our collective ability to adhere to local and state public health orders and guidance. 

As we look toward spring 2021, I’d like to outline my expectations and guidelines for classroom instruction. Please look for more details next week in a new edition of guidance from the Academic Instruction Implementation Team that will be distributed to deans, chairs and directors and also posted on the Academic Affairs website.

Academic calendar

As Pat and I communicated in our announcement, the spring semester will start on Thursday, Jan. 14, three days later than previously planned, with no spring break, but with two days off for students on Feb. 17 and March 25. 

I know this decision is difficult for our students and represents another loss. By eliminating spring break, we strive to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through optional travel. We intend to help prevent the very real possibility that COVID-19 could spread through our campus community after individuals travel outside the city, state or country.

To compensate for the lack of spring break, we are starting the semester three days later than planned, to give students a longer break between the fall and spring terms; we are also giving students two days off, on Feb. 17 and March 25, to offer a day off each full month during the term, and a reading day before finals on April 30.

The semester will end as previously scheduled, with April 29 as the last day of classes and May 1–5 as the final exam period. More details about the academic calendar will be explained in the forthcoming Academic Instruction Guidance edition, including how student contact hours will be kept consistent and how the slightly different academic calendars of Colorado Law and Continuing Education will work.

Instruction modes 

Like the fall 2020 semester, the spring 2021 semester will have a mixture of in-person, remote/online and hybrid courses. Thanks to our facilities preparation and the efforts of faculty and students in following face covering and distancing protocols, our COVID-19-ready classrooms have proved to be safe environments. There have been no reported cases of classroom transmission of COVID-19 thus far in the fall semester. Therefore, I feel confident in including in-person teaching as part of our spring plan.

For spring course scheduling, I will not be assigning target percentages of in-person courses for each department, program, college or school. However, I expect that every department, program, college and school will make a significant and meaningful number of in-person learning experiences available to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Currently, course offerings for spring 2021 show an increase over fall 2020 in the number of in-person courses, which I’m pleased about. At the same time, we are aware that some students may want to take all of their courses remotely or online. Students who wish to have fully remote or online courses can work with their advisors to develop a spring schedule that meets their needs. 

Our students are reporting this semester that hybrid courses are the least satisfying of the instruction modes we offer. They find the multitude of hybrid course formats confusing and are frustrated that some courses labeled as “hybrid” rarely meet in person. In addition, many feel disappointed that their in-person or hybrid courses have shifted permanently to the remote instruction mode. Thus, we will be making some changes to how instruction modes work in spring 2021. 

• We will define hybrid courses more narrowly. A hybrid course must either (1) use instructional technology to meet simultaneously in person and remotely for every class session, with the instructor in the classroom; or (2) be taught in a consistent pattern with at least one class session per week in person, and other days remotely or online. Courses that do not fit one of these two definitions will need their instruction mode changed to entirely in person or entirely remote/online.

• We will require that instructors commit to maintaining assigned course instruction modes throughout the semester, barring any restrictions stemming from state or local public health guidance.

Academic units should consult the forthcoming Academic Instruction Guidance edition and watch for communications from the Office of the Registrar for details about making any necessary course changes to meet these new requirements.

Teaching assignments 

For spring 2021, departments and deans will define appropriate class instruction modes in concert with faculty and other instructional personnel. Departments should work with their instructional personnel, including graduate part-time instructors and teaching assistants, to determine a fair way of assigning in-person, remote/online, and hybrid courses and sections. No academic unit should assume that all of its GPTIs and TAs are able to teach in person.

Thank you for your flexibility and continued commitment to the fall semester. I’m hearing that our students are reporting positive academic experiences and that they appreciate our efforts to teach in person (when possible) and engage with them individually as often as we can. I appreciate all you are doing to deliver excellent teaching during these challenging times.

Sincerely,

Russ

Russell Moore
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs