April 21, 2020 Volume 4 Issue 15

Today's Issue

Today’s issue of the Faculty Focus includes information on new resources for assessment and proctoring, course evaluation guidelines, tech tips on saving data, and additional Faculty 180 training sessions. The next issue of the Faculty Focus will be sent Tuesday, April 28.

Remote Teaching Resources

Several new resources regarding assessment and proctoring have been added to the Remote Teaching website. The Office for Undergraduate Education has put together helpful documents that highlight academic integrity considerations for different types of exams and proctoring, including:

Canvas Training

Teaching and Learning Technologies (TLT) is hosting several useful Canvas trainings this week, including:

  • Setting Up Your Canvas Gradebook,
  • Canvas Quizzes for Remote Assessment, and
  • Canvas Analytics for Evaluating Student Engagement.

You may view more details and sign up for these trainings on the TLT website here.

Spring 2020 Course Evaluations

Online course evaluations for this semester are now open for most courses via EvaluationKIT with Canvas as done in recent terms. Evaluations for most courses are now open through Wednesday, April 29.

Faculty are encouraged to continue to set aside time in final synchronous class meetings for course evaluations and consider offering incentives to students to complete them for both synchronous and asynchronous courses. Best practice suggests that students be advised to stay connected to the synchronous section but mute their audio and video (as should instructors) during the evaluation interval.

NOTE: Evaluations for this semester will be primarily used for pedagogical purposes and to provide some insight into the altered landscape of our academic activities. The Spring 2020 responses gathered will remain archived in the system; however, they will NOT be incorporated into T&P dossiers, unless specifically desired by the individual instructor. No instructor or faculty member should worry that the obvious contingencies of this term will affect their records.

Please send any questions you have regarding course evaluations to ec-courseevals@emory.edu.

Faculty 180: Reporting Deadline Monday, June 1

This spring all tenure-track and lecturer-track faculty will enter their activity information encompassing the past year (May 2019 – May 2020) in Faculty 180 instead of through OFARs. Activity information will need to be entered and completed by all regular faculty by the extended deadline on Monday, June 1.

Faculty 180 Training Sessions

Your department chair may have already arranged for a department-specific session but there are also general training sessions available through Zoom. You can access the instruction guide to Faculty 180 on the Office of Faculty website.

The six remaining general sessions available are:

May 19
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
May 21
9 a.m. – 10a.m.
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
May 27
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

These sessions will be posted on the Dean of Faculty Outlook calendar so faculty can go there to claim the session link(s). You may also RSVP to the Dean_of_Faculty@emory.edu email and we will send you a calendar invite with the Zoom link information.

Department and Program Reporting Deadline June 30

As in past years, the Online Annual Reporting System (OARS) for department and program reporting and recordkeeping will open in late May and close June 30. Please contact Lori Cavagnaro, lcavagn@emory.edu, if you have questions.

OUE: Grade Deadlines and Reminders

Deadlines for Spring 2020 Grades

Grade Deadlines for Spring 2020 are as follows:

  • 10 a.m., Thursday, May 7 for graduating seniors with exams taken before May 6.
  • 10 a.m., Friday, May 8 for graduating seniors with exams held on May 6.
  • 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, May 13 for all other (non-senior) grades.

Spring 2020 Incomplete Grades

A student may be granted formal permission by a dean in the Office for Undergraduate Education, in consultation with the course instructor, to defer the final examination or other parts of a course. To be eligible, a student must:

  • Have completed at least 50 percent of the course work;
  • Be able to pass the course upon completion of the remaining work; and
  • Be able to complete the remaining work independently (apart from the administration of any missed quizzes or exams).

Approval of Incomplete Grades can only be given by the Office for Undergraduate Education and is based on information provided by the instructor as well as documentation provided to a dean by the student of the specific health or personal circumstances. The submission deadline for incomplete work for Spring 2020 is Sept. 11, 2020, unless otherwise agreed to by the instructor and OUE. Questions regarding this policy can be directed to oue.advising@emory.edu and the full policy is available in the Emory College Catalog.

Academic Action Requests Reminder

In addition to taking an incomplete for a Spring 2020 grade, students have other academic action request options as they complete their coursework this semester.

Students can make the following changes:

  • Option 1: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading basis (in OPUS)
  • Option 2: Course Withdrawal (through online petition form)

As the semester continues, students will be able to request incompletes or other academic actions to respond to difficulties related to the Covid-19 crisis.

Note: Returning Study Abroad students must contact the Study Abroad office, studyabroad@emory.edu, with requests for academic action.

Full details are available on the Emory College Remote site. An FAQ for students also is available.

ILA Invites Proposals for "Side-Car" Courses

The Institute for the Liberal Arts invites applications from Emory College faculty members interested in developing a side-car course as part of a team that includes a faculty member in another department or discipline and two undergraduate IDEAS fellows. A side-car course brings together two courses (and instructors) that overlap, either through methodologies or topics, to create a short, one-hour, interdisciplinary course that runs simultaneously with its two sponsoring courses.

Each faculty member in the team receives a $1,000 stipend. No more than six side-car courses will be funded in Fall 2020. Contact Kim Loudermilk, klouder@emory.edu for more information about the program. Contact Emma Ellingson, emalise.ellingson@emory.edu, about the application process. Applications are due April 24.

Stay Connected: Emory College Social Media

Social media is providing an important tool for staying connected with our students and each other. If you or your department is active on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, please be sure to follow @emorycollege on your posts. Please share, comment and like our posts as well to help build and support our virtual college community. Email April Hunt, april.hunt@emory.edu, with any questions.

The College Communications team also welcomes your ideas for stories or virtual events. Please email College communications director Beverly Clark, beverly.clark@emory.edu.

 

Wellness Resources

The Faculty Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) offers free and confidential services to help promote emotional, behavioral, and organizational health, including new tele-mental health services through telephonic and video-conferencing sessions and consultations.

Videoconferencing services are conducted through a HIPAA-compliant Zoom platform. To learn more about the emotional support services offered by FSAP or to find help for you or a family member, contact FSAP at 404-727-WELL (9355), efsap@emory.edu, or www.fsap.emory.edu.

Emory Human Resources has launched a dedicated website offering guidance, support, and tips for the unique challenges we now face. Resources include:

CFDE Webinars Now Available as Recordings

The Center for Faculty Development and Excellence has presented several webinars for faculty since the transition to remote learning. The following webinars are now available as recordings:

TECH TIP: Have you saved your data lately?

To prevent the loss of important information, it is imperative to save your information in a secure location. Unfortunately, USB flash drives and computer hard drives are not considered one hundred percent secure.

One of the recommended storage choices is OneDrive, a cloud storage solution provided under Emory EnterpriseMicrosoft 365 educational licensing. OneDrive provides integration functionality with Microsoft Office and Office 365 services. More information about OneDrive and how to access it via Office 365 can be found on LITS’s website.

If you need assistance or would like more details on backing up your data, please email echelp@emory.edu.

University Updates

Refer to the University’s COVID-19 Website for the latest University-wide updates, including useful information and resources specifically for faculty, staff, and students.

Quick Contacts List

Student Advising: oue.advising@emory.edu

Faculty: oue.facultysupport@emory.edu

Tech Support: echelp@emory.edu

Parents: family@emory.edu

Housing: housing@emory.edu

Dining: dining@emory.edu

Admissions: apply@emory.edu

International students: isss@emory.edu

Remote teaching: http://college.emory.edu/oisp/remoteteaching/index.html

Covid-19 Emory Updates: https://www.emory.edu/coronavirus/