Navigating COVID-19 Response: Resources and Guidelines

Emory moved to a modified yellow operating status last week to address a recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the community and on campus caused by the Delta variant. The number of COVID cases present challenges for us all, especially in providing support to students who are out of class due to being in isolation or quarantine. 

All faculty and instructors have been sent guidelines developed by OUE and Office of Faculty for teaching in-person with students in isolation or quarantine. Below are other important resources to help faculty and instructors navigate these challenges and maintain academic continuity in the coming weeks.

Webinar Recordings

The CFDE hosted a webinar today with Provost Ravi Bellamkonda, Amir St. Clair (COVID-19 response), Dr. Sharon Rabinowitz (Student Health Services), Deputy Provost Christa Acampora, and CFDE director Eric Weeks to review the university’s public health protocols and response (including contact tracing), followed by a webinar hosted by the Emory College Faculty Senate and ECAS administrators to answer questions and surface additional concerns from faculty. Missed today’s webinars? View the CFDE session here and the Emory College session here.

Emory Online Resources for Temporarily Transitioning to Remote Instruction

While most ECAS courses are being taught in person this semester, there may be occasions throughout the semester that individual courses need to temporarily transition to remote teaching. Please see this Emory Online compilation of resources and tips to proactively prepare for such scenarios and/or to seek assistance if the need for temporary remote instruction of your course should present itself. The Emory College Online team is available to answer questions or provide support for such transitions. Email emorycollegeonline@emory.edu or schedule a consultation with an instructional designer.

Campus Life Student Support Guidebook

Emory Campus Life has developed a comprehensive resource guide for faculty and staff to help us support students’ learning, well-being, and sense of belonging. Known as The Blue Folder Project, it provides practical advice on how to relate and respond to a variety concerns students may face, including academic, medical, financial, etc. It also contains information on mandatory reporting—when it is required and when it is not – as well as contact information for a plethora of programs and support services. Bookmark it now for easy reference.

CFDE In-Person Teaching Guidance

Most of the questions Emory College faculty and instructors have about teaching in person, best practices, and health and safety measures, etc., can be found in the FAQ of current teaching protocols developed by CFDE. The comprehensive document continues to be updated as new questions and protocols emerge.

Check Emory Forward Regularly

The Emory Forward site provides the latest COVID-19 guidance, policies, and protocols for the university community.

Gathering Anonymous Student Feedback

The Emory College Council requests that all Emory College courses have a mechanism for students to provide ongoing anonymous course feedback. We have prepared an Anonymous Student Feedback template that you may adapt for your courses (access instructions for deploying the survey through Microsoft Forms/One Drive). You may embed the link to this form in your Canvas course site, and it may be left open to collect anonymous feedback throughout the semester. Any feedback collected will be visible only to the course instructor.

Reminder: Indoor Mask Mandate

Masks are required indoors at all times and while teaching. Indoor masking mandates, combined with extremely high vaccination rates and regular testing, are keeping our classrooms safe. 

Exceptions include if you are in an office or other space by yourself with the door closed or if you are actively drinking or eating. The University is at full occupancy, so there are no physical distancing requirements in effect.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to keep their office doors open as much as possible to create a welcoming space for students and colleagues. Please note, however, that you must mask if your door is open. Report any mask compliance challenges with faculty and staff to ECAS_Connections@emory.edu.

Testing Requirements

Any employee or student who is not fully vaccinated is required to undergo weekly testing. Only COVID-19 screening tests administered by the Emory University program count towards compliance with the testing requirement. Disciplinary procedures are in place for non-compliance. Testing is also available to any employee. Testing locations, and days and hours when testing is available, are found on the Emory Forward website.

Faculty Development Opportunities

Call for Applications: Grantseekers' Institute for Humanities, Social Sciences

Early-career faculty in humanities and humanistic social sciences fields university-wide are invited to apply for the Center for Faculty Development and Excellence’s Grantseekers’ Institute, a semester-long introduction to the culture and practice of external funding idea and proposal development in these fields.

The program will consist of six group sessions – two in person with a Zoom option and the other four via Zoom-- beginning in late September 2021, plus two separately scheduled one-on-one consultations for the participants with a faculty mentor selected to provide individual feedback on a proposal idea or draft. Space is limited. Deadline to apply is Friday, September 10. Apply Here.

Workshop: "Can I Use This?" Copyright and Permissions in Scholarly Publishing

Are you daunted by the prospect of getting permission to use the work of others in your publications? Whether you plan to publish books, journal articles, or multimedia pieces (YouTube videos, podcasts, etc.), this two-part workshop takes place from noon-1 p.m., September 15 and 22 will decipher all aspects of reusing copyrighted and open content.

Presented by Jody Bailey and Melanie Kowalski, of Woodruff Library’s Office of Scholarly Communications, the workshops will cover basic introduction to copyright and copyright exceptions, as well as how to analyze and interpret your publishers’ policies around using third-party materials, how to seek permissions to reuse these materials, and how to find and integrate openly licensed works into your publications. Please visit this link to register for these sessions.

"In the Wake of Slavery and Dispossession" Symposium Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for the symposium “In the Wake of Slavery and Dispossession: Emory, Racism, and the Journey Towards Restorative Justice,” set for Sept. 29 through Oct. 1. Hosted by Emory University, the symposium will take place in a hybrid format on Emory’s Atlanta and Oxford campuses, with in-person and virtual sessions, as well as physical and digital exhibits. The symposium is open to the public at no charge. Please click here to register.

Many universities are examining their histories and discovering their connections to slave labor and Indigenous dispossession. This symposium will highlight the ongoing efforts and research in the areas of slavery, dispossession, and restorative justice, with a focus on the legacy of racism and its enduring effects at Emory University. The sessions will include creative interpretations and dialogue, with a primary focus on the perspectives of Black, Native American, and Indigenous peoples. Click here to read an article about the symposium.