Spring 2022 Information for IPO Course Faculty

As a follow-up to President Jahanian and Provost Garrett's January 6 email message announcing a mostly remote start to the spring 2022 semester, we are contacting all faculty who are connected with an IPO (in-person only) course or course section, as you are. In the proposed modified campus posture, all IPO courses will continue to meet in person starting on the first day of classes, on or after Tuesday, January 18, 2022, as an inherent aspect of the IPO course modality assignment.

We wanted to alert IPO faculty to the following:

• 1. Assume a need for flexibility concerning attendance since high COVID-positive rates are anticipated.
     1. Take a flexible approach to attendance for short-term absences due to illness. The Eberly Center has updated their information on attendance policies.
     2. Work with college liaisons and/or student advisors when student absences extend beyond the attendance policy outlined in the syllabus. Reference the memo from Vice Provost for Faculty Molly Steenson and Associate Vice President Mo Dasey-Morales sent in December.
     3. Visit the Faculty COVID FAQs, which include classroom management issues in the COVID context. This website will be updated weekly during the omicron surge.
  2. Faculty requests for temporary changes to IPO modality. If you determine that meeting in person is not a requirement for your course during this initial period of primarily remote course modalities at the start of the spring 2022 semester, you may request a modification to your IPO modality assignment by proposing a change to your department head and the dean of your college. Department heads and deans are responsible for granting such exceptions to in-person class meetings for the period of time (likely two weeks) that the university will be in a mostly remote posture.
     1. If it is agreed that an exception is appropriate for the short-term, each faculty member is responsible for communicating the change in modality with your students directly.
        1. Note: The temporary course modality change will not be reflected in the S3 (Student Services Suite) or in SIO (Student Information Online portal), so your direct communication about any changes is important!
     2. You may download your course roster by following the instructions in the S3 Roster guide (pdf).
  3. IPO course space questions:
     1. For departmentally controlled spaces, contact your department's facilities coordinator, and for university teaching spaces, contact the University Registrar's Office at cmuregistrar@andrew.cmu.edu.
     2. If you have questions about ventilation, filtration or air circulation, contact your department facility coordinator or FMCS at fixit@andrew.cmu.edu or call 412-268-2910.
     3. Physical distancing and assessing workspace(s) to accommodate physical distancing requirements is no longer required. If you wish to have a consultation regarding your physical workspace(s), please contact cdfdconsult@andrew.cmu.edu.
  4. Student communications. Students have been instructed to attend all IPO courses in person starting with the first day of the spring 2022 semester (Tuesday, January 18), unless they hear otherwise from their faculty member. (See above on faculty requests for temporary changes.)

Thank you for your flexibility and cooperation as we continue to adjust and adapt to new conditions during this global health situation. If I can answer any questions, please let me know.

Contact:
John Papinchak
University Registrar