[Mathregionals] MATH and Covid Update 3/18/20

[Eisworth, Todd]

Lots of information today.  Right now, university leadership is focused on the immediate problems, and attention will turn soon to short-term problems.

Libraries Closing
Physical access to OHIO libraries  is ending effective 5PM Friday.  Some services will continue, and more information will be forthcoming tomorrow in an email from the Dean of Libraries.  Our subject librarian, John Canter (canter at ohio.edu<mailto:canter at ohio.edu>) , wanted me to let you know  that if you need any assistance with finding and linking to any library resources, he's available to help.

Building Access
We have been told to prepare for building access to be limited. I do not have a date for this, but it will be the next step once the virus begins to spread through the community.  Internet would remain on, so in theory those without access at home could use a device in the parking lot.  Please keep this in mind as you develop teaching strategies for finishing the semester - you will not be able to count on access to your office, and should have some contingency plan in place.


Tenure Clocks
Tenure clock adjustments are being considered, as there is clearly an impact on people being able to do research during this time.  No decisions have been made yet, but information will be coming.


Contingency Plans
We need to develop contingency plans in case of illness.  For most faculty, this involves reaching out to one or two colleagues who may be able to take over your teaching duties. Please do this by Monday, March 23rd 5PM and send me the information.   I would like to involve RHE folks in this as well.  The same holds true for staff, and departmental administration, but I will handle organizing this part.  Basically, we need to identify all solutions to "If person X gets ill, then task Y cannot be done" to mitigate consequences of illness..


Laptop-loaner program:
OIT has developed a computer/laptop loaner program to provide selected students with access to laptops at no cost to the student or college. Details will be posted in the Covid Information section of our Blackboad Organizaiton.  This is also a possibility to provide necessary equipment to graduate students who are instructors or TAs.   I will handle reaching out to our TAs.  If you are aware of undergraduate students who might need such equipment to complete a course, please let me know.

Communications with Students
Please reach out to your students to inquire about their access to textbooks and reliable internet if you have not already.  This may help you as you make decisions on delivering content.

Exams and assessment
The advice we're being given from the college is in line with some of the things we discussed in our Teams meetings this morning.  Quoting the Dean directly:
"Many students will have difficulties with online access and will need to navigate their new living situations, so asynchronous exams will beat synchronous exams and timed-exams will run into difficulties.  It will be impossible to eliminate all opportunities for cheating.  Faculty might need to change the format of exams.  Breaking exams into smaller units reduces the impact of individual exams.  In some cases, we might need to resort to snail-mail, as faculty did in the old days with correspondence courses (where the cheating issue also existed). "

Finally, thanks to all of you who participated in the Teams discussions this morning.  Everyone in Higher Education is in the same boat more-or-less. There are no answers right now, but we're smart people and we'll figure it out.

Best,

Todd



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