Subject: Start of Classes Monday
To: FAS Faculty and all other faculty teaching in Yale College and GSAS
CC: FAS Steering, FASDO, YCDO/GSAS staff, Poorvu Center leadership
Dear Faculty,
Monday will be an unusual and notable day for Yale: instead of marking the end of spring break by gathering in classrooms, we will be gathering online.
As you prepare for the week ahead, we ask you to remember that the technologies we are using are likely to be unfamiliar to your students. We encourage you to communicate with them this weekend, if you have not already done so. In particular, we urge you to take the following actions:
- Write to your students and remind them that classes will be resuming on Monday, and remind them of how to access your remote classroom and course materials.
- Encourage your students to test Zoom, Canvas, or any other technology required to participate in your class so that they become comfortable with these platforms before instruction resumes.
- Review the message, shared with you yesterday, that was sent by Marvin Chun to Yale College students and their parents regarding changes to grading policy so that you up-to-date on recent changes and can direct student questions appropriately.
For more information and guidance, you can refer to the COVID-19 Update Webpage, where you can find easy links to all of the COVID-19-related announcements sent by the FAS, GSAS, and Yale College. On that page, you’ll find a list of Frequently Asked Questions pertaining to the shift to remote teaching, as well as links to resources at the Poorvu Center.
This is a time of uncertainty and change, but over the past days we have been heartened by the ingenuity, generosity, and collaborative spirit that so many of you have brought to your preparations for teaching in the face of the current crisis. Thank you for your dedication and courage as we navigate this moment together.
Warmly,
Tamar, Lynn, and Marvin
Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Dean of the Graduate School, and Dean of Yale College