{"id":2157,"date":"2020-11-19T15:59:03","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T23:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/ltc\/?p=2157"},"modified":"2020-11-19T15:59:25","modified_gmt":"2020-11-19T23:59:25","slug":"recast-inclement-weather-teaching-remotely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/ltc\/2020\/11\/recast-inclement-weather-teaching-remotely\/","title":{"rendered":"RECAST | Inclement Weather \u2013 teaching remotely"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From:<\/strong><\/a> Academic Deans <deans@evergreen.edu>
Sent:<\/strong> Thursday, November 19, 2020 11:58 AM<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear colleagues, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following up on John Carmichael\u2019s\nemail about contingency planning for inclement weather, we wanted to offer some\nspecific guidelines\nfor those of you providing direct instruction to students. Many of you are primarily working at home, but come to campus occasionally to teach in your offices, especially when your own internet access is\nunreliable. We appreciate the extra level of commitment and energy everyone is exerting to ensure that you can continue to teach our\nextraordinary students.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, the personal safety of\nemployees and students is primary. No one should be putting themselves in danger to teach or attend class. If conditions present\ndanger to you or students, suspend synchronous learning until it is safe to\nresume.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, if the power is out or campus paths are too icy, the College cancels classes and suspends operations.  The Tacoma campus typically follows the Tacoma School\nDistrict\u2019s determinations for closure. This year, as John noted, we may be able to continue remote operations\u2014including teaching–under those conditions, if we\u2019re able to maintain access to network services.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, it\u2019s crucial for\nevery course or program to have its own <\/strong>contingency plan. <\/strong>You are the expert when it comes to your own working\nconditions and your students\u2019 learning conditions. If Canvas, email, etc. are unavailable, a phone tree or text chain can be useful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To aid in planning for a weather\nevent, Computing and Communications has created a page with information on\ncomputing resources during power and internet outages<\/a>.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some basic reminders as\nyou are developing that plan. To get started, consider this advice from the LTC<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are working remotely<\/strong>, make a plan for a power outage at home. If the power outage\nis not widespread, the college may continue to operate. Create a contingency plan. For example, provide students in advance with projects they can work on if you become unavailable. For instance, you can ask them to move on to next week\u2019s reading or writing assignment, build a concept\nmap, work on a project, do some reflective writing, practice a skill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are working on campus<\/strong> in your office,<\/strong> <\/em>make a contingency plan in case the physical campus is closed due to weather. For example, provide instructions to students in advance if you cannot reach them, locate a secondary broadband source; etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your students lose power<\/strong>, <\/strong>create a plan\nwith them in advance about how they will communicate with you, whether you will\nexpect them to make up missed class sessions, and what kinds of alternate work are available.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you lose power<\/strong> <\/strong>some of you may be able to work at the College, if your campus is open, your workspace is accessible, and you are not in self-isolation or quarantine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n