Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students: Following months of hard work, rigorous planning, and detailed preparation, today we begin the fall 2020 semester at the University of Georgia. The success of this semester rests on the commitment of each of us to do our part to protect our UGA community from the spread of COVID-19. I […]
This semester will be unlike any other at the University of Georgia, so here are a few things to help you get ready for your classes.
Our faculty’s and staff’s student-centric approach is part of what makes UGA such a special place. With just over a week remaining until the first day of classes Rahul Shrivastav, Vice President for Instruction, shares a few updates, resources, and tips.
Overview
University of Georgia instructors are using a variety of teaching methods to enable social distancing while also meeting the course learning objectives for all students, including those who are unable to be physically present due to a COVID-19 accommodation from the University’s Disability Resource Center. The University continues to make every effort to maximize face-to-face interaction while maintaining social distancing.
More than 850 faculty members participated in the University’s short-course on socially distanced instructional options, while nearly 800 faculty members also took part in online learning seminars over the summer.
To accommodate social distancing requirements, students often rotate between in-person and online components in many classes. The need for social distancing required that several large, introductory classes that typically enroll first- and second-year students move the lecture component online but preserve the lab or discussion groups in-person. (Note that many lab sessions aren’t held during the first week of classes, and initial class sessions are often held online before establishing a rotational schedule).
Courses in which an instructor has been granted an accommodation through the University’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) process have been moved entirely online but are still required to have interactive, small-group sessions and online office hours during which the student can meet with the instructor.
Classroom Capacity
To maintain social distancing, the number of students classrooms can accommodate has been reduced, in most cases to between 20 – 40% of capacity, depending on room size and configuration.
Instructional Formats
Spring semester classes will be taught using one of five instructional methods: fully face-to-face, hybrid synchronous, hybrid asynchronous, online synchronous, or online asynchronous.
Read more on these instructional formats.
If you are a student, you should work through the Disability Resource Center’s (DRC) existing accommodations process. DRC professional staff work directly with students to assess their individual needs and to develop appropriate plans for accommodations and services. If you have questions regarding a COVID-19 accommodation, please contact the DRC at drc@uga.edu or 706-542-8719. More information can be found at https://drc.uga.edu/content_page/student-accommodation-guidelines.
If you are a staff or faculty member, you should work through the University’s existing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations process.
The academic calendar for the Fall Semester has not changed. Classes will begin on Thursday, August 20. In-person instruction will conclude at Thanksgiving Break, with all remaining coursework and final exams moving online following Thanksgiving. For more information about the plans for Fall Semester Instruction, read the June 23 announcement (see student message).