Accommodations and flexibility during Fall 2023

[Summary: This message outlines current campus COVID guidance, including accommodations for students who may need to be absent; resources on flexibility in course design; expectations for teaching fellows; the processes by which faculty may request workplace accommodations or make short-term remote arrangements; and current campus guidance on masking, COVID testing, and isolation. Up-to-date information about campus policies can be found at the University’s COVID-19 website.]

To: FAS and SEAS faculty and instructors in Yale College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Cc: FAS Steering; FAS Dean’s Office; SEAS Dean’s Office; Yale College Dean’s Office; GSAS Dean’s Office; President’s Office; Provost’s Office; Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility; Poorvu Center; University Registrar’s Office; FAS and SEAS Chair’s Assistants, Operations Managers, and Lead Administrators

Dear colleagues: 

As we did last fall, we are writing today to encourage compassion and flexibility during this academic year. COVID remains a reality – both on campus and in the wider community. We hope you will approach your interactions with fellow faculty members, students, and staff with consideration and understanding.

The university’s COVID-19 website should remain your primary source of guidance on campus-wide COVID precautions; it is updated regularly. This message offers specific information on the following topics:

• Accommodating student absences
• Flexibility for students
• Expectations for teaching fellows
• Short-term remote arrangements for faculty
• Faculty requests for long-term accommodations
• Masking on campus
• Testing and isolation

Accommodating student absences

Absences resulting from the public health situation will inevitably arise this semester.

• If a student must be absent from your class for a period of one week or less, you may encourage them to take the initiative to catch up on material they have missed (for instance, by consulting with classmates and completing missed readings or assignments).  
• If a student must be absent for more than one week, we ask you to assist them as much as is feasible, just as you ordinarily would whenever students miss class because of illness. This assistance may take the form of alternative assessments or assignments, extended deadlines, or other mechanisms which you may adopt, at your discretion, to help your students stay on track. 
• Residential college deans may approve postponements of in-class evaluations such as exams and quizzes when students in certain circumstances, including illness, cannot attend class, but instructors have the sole authority to address attendance and absences. 

Flexibility for students

• The Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning has developed guidance and resources on how to facilitate academic continuity.  
• In addition, they have consulted with many faculty and the educational literature to develop a set of recommendations on introducing flexibility into course structures.  
• As the Poorvu Center notes, for students who need to be absent for health, family, or any other reasons, flexible deadlines and multiple forms of engagement can be fundamental to their success in the course.

Expectations for Teaching Fellows (TFs)

• There will be no remote TFs during the fall 2023 term. All TFs are expected to be in residence, teaching in person.  
• While one-on-one tutoring and informal supervised study sessions may take place remotely, all formal group instruction must take place in person.  
• Instructors may not make ad hoc hybrid or remote arrangements with their Teaching Fellows.  
• In the event that a TF requires remote teaching arrangements, please contact Pam Schirmeister for guidance.

Short-term remote arrangements for faculty

• If it is not possible for a faculty member to hold class in person for a single class or pair of classes, faculty should make arrangements that allow maximal continuity to the student experience. Depending on the size and nature of the course, you might find a substitute, offer a makeup class, teach remotely, etc.  
• If, during the semester, it becomes impossible for you to teach in person for more than a one-week period, please reach out to the FAS or SEAS Deans for guidance:
  • Faculty in FAS Humanities departments should submit short-term arrangement proposals to John Mangan, FAS Senior Associate Dean and Dean of Faculty Affairs. 
  • Faculty in FAS Social Science and Science departments should submit short-term arrangement proposals to Bob Burger, FAS Senior Associate Dean. 
  • Faculty in SEAS departments should submit short-term arrangement proposals to Kristin Flower, SEAS Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs. 

Faculty requests for long-term accommodations

• Faculty are expected to teach in person. 
• If a faculty member needs a workplace accommodation because they have a medical condition that places them at exceptionally high risk for severe illness with COVID-19, they should contact the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA). OIEA will work with the FAS or SEAS Dean’s office to put in place reasonable accommodations. 
• If special arrangements are deemed appropriate, details of those teaching arrangements will be coordinated at the departmental level, so as to best meet the needs of the students in those courses. 

Masking on campus

• Please consult the university mask requirements and guidance for the most up-to-date information on masking on campus.
• In most campus spaces, masking is optional. It is welcome in all spaces, and it is recommended in crowded spaces and for those at increased risk. 
• Given the wide range of classroom settings and configurations, individual instructors are permitted to continue to require masking in their own classrooms or instructional spaces.
  • In particular, if an instructional space doesn’t allow for distancing, an instructor may ask the class to mask.  
  • This also applies to final and other exams: if an instructor requires masking, students are obligated to mask. 
  • If you opt to require masking in your course, you may enforce this requirement by asking any student who is not wearing a mask to leave the classroom. 
  • Students have been informed of instructors’ authority to require masking in their classes. 
• Sponsors or organizers of large gatherings may require or strongly encourage masks at their discretion. 

Testing and isolation

• If you develop COVID symptoms, please follow the university-wide testing and close contact guidance for information on how to proceed.  
• If you test positive for COVID, please report your test result using the university’s self-report form (CAS login required) and follow the university’s isolation guidance.  

Thank you for all of the thoughtful preparation that has gone into your fall courses. We are looking ahead to the coming academic year with anticipation, and we hope that you have an engaging and enriching fall semester.

Warmly,

​​​​​​​Jeff, Lynn, Tamar, and Pericles