Message From the Chancellor (COVID-19 July 28, 2020 6:43 p.m.)
Solidifying our fluidity
Dear Texas Woman’s Colleagues,
I hope this message finds you well. With so many feelings of uncertainty these days, I want to keep you updated about the things we now know.
The start of our fall semester is fast approaching, and we have plans for increased on-campus activity beginning August 3. For example, while maintaining their current phonebank, our student financial aid team will expand their workdays to allow families to attend meetings with their students while maintaining safe social distance.
For staff still working from home, please be on the lookout for a message from your VP about returning to on-campus work. Different parts of the university will operate differently, depending on the needs of the area. I think we all recognize that childcare, K-12 school openings, and individual health are weighty concerns. Deans, chairs, VPs, the provost, and so many others are balancing numerous factors as we move forward together.
We continue to update the Fall 2020 website and recently sent a message to students about fall plans.
We are currently offering about 40 percent of our classes with a face-to-face component (including hybrid sections). Based on an analysis of available seating relative to enrollment trends, undergraduate students are currently showing a slight preference for hybrid classes, while graduate students are enrolling more in online sections. About 2,100 students are currently registered to live on our Denton campus.
We are doing everything we can to create an engaging fall experience—both in the classroom and out. I am inspired by the preparations our faculty and staff are undertaking.
Three cohorts, totaling 99 faculty, are enrolled in a professional development course called “Promoting Active Learning Online” that runs from June 19 to August 16. This course focuses on planning, designing, and managing key concepts to optimally engage students in online courses. Through this program, faculty have the opportunity to develop relationships with colleagues and instructional designers to learn more about effective online course design and teaching strategies.
Twenty-three adjunct faculty and graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) also are enrolled in an opportunity called “Camp Operation Online Learning,” a six-week summer course that guides them through the process of developing engaging online courses for fall.
In the first two weeks prior to our quick transition to online classes in the spring, our instructional designers worked with more than 300 faculty in group and individual meetings. Since then, they have had 1,627 appointments with faculty, adjuncts, and GTAs.
We also have a group dubbed the Captioning Brigade. Some staff have redirected portions of their duties towards supporting our students and faculty by editing the auto-captioning of videos and lectures to accurately reflect the content. In sum, they have reviewed and corrected the auto-captioning for 344 videos in courses, 7 videos used in orientation, and 17 videos for marketing. And, of course, in doing so they have advanced support of visually impaired, the deaf and hard of hearing community, and those for whom English is not their first language.
Student Life has partnered with the provost and our risk management team to make use of non-academic spaces such as our beautiful new, high-tech ballrooms in the Student Union to support teaching and learning, and help reduce classroom density.
We cannot eliminate risk, but we can mitigate it. If a student or instructor comes down with symptoms of COVID-19 or tests positive, our contact tracing team, certified and trained by the renowned experts at Johns Hopkins University, can minimize the impact on face-to-face classes. With accurate attendance logs and seating records, they can even further minimize disruption.
If asked to go into quarantine following the contact tracing process, instructors who are well enough might choose to continue holding scheduled classes via a videoconference. Others may work with their department chair to engage substitute instructors. Some may pivot to an asynchronous online format for a time, and once the quarantine period is over, move back into the physical classroom space.
Our IT Solutions team is busy outfitting 60 classrooms with quality camera and microphone options—including working with Academic Affairs on safe-use protocols—to add new versatility to our physical classrooms. As a reminder, we previously added cleaning supplies, installed various plexiglass shields and traffic flow guides, posted signs, and launched a protective face covering campaign that includes branded masks for purchase online or at the bookstore.
The Center for Faculty Excellence is working with the risk management team on a safety checklist for classroom management. Dr. Hansen-Thomas, vice provost for research, has been working with our institutional review boards at each campus and Risk Management to ensure research safety protocols are in place.
I hope this relatively brief summary of our preparations for fall is helpful. I have had some in the community plead with me to prioritize community health—and I would like to underscore that the health and safety of everyone is of primary importance. That said, health and safety mean different things to different people. For each student who writes advocating to move completely online, there are others who share their struggles with learning online. Many have written to express their lack of resources. Others say their preferred learning environment is face-to-face. In those messages, students worry their preference means they may have to drop out or wait until the pandemic passes.
Experience shows that when students take breaks, they rarely return. The need to pay back student loans and earning a living becomes a focus. The structure of campus life is also a lifesaver to some who struggle with mental illness, or for those who depend on the campus for food security. Those who write to me do not always realize that “health and safety” has multiple facets—and may wish to consider the safe space that campus life provides, even during this pandemic.
I have said several times recently that as a 6-foot-2 woman, I know one size does not fit all. For those students who are concerned about their risk of contracting—or spreading—COVID-19 from learning on campus, we have tried to create options for online courses. For those who express the opposite concern, we are creating a different experience for them. In both cases, we want students to have options to keep moving forward towards degree completion. If students find their schedule is not working for their needs, I encourage them to work with their academic advisor on options.
We believe there is ample evidence that with protocols—distance, enhanced hygiene, and protective face coverings—we can safely interact with one another on campus. Many countries and communities have shown these protocols work when followed. Nevertheless, we know many do well with teaching and learning online. And, if that is the case, we want those students to thrive academically as well.
I know we are all adapting to life in this “new normal.” I believe it will get easier and safer, too, as we acclimate. When you step back and consider our university’s legacy, we have found ourselves on the front lines of health crises before. In all of them, our “leadership DNA” has shone through—from our nursing and health care professionals who helped teach and support those who healed the sick and wounded, to those who helped pioneer innovative teaching approaches and technology for students near and far. Already, just months into this global pandemic, I am proud to see the leadership and contributions of the members of our community, and I look forward to seeing more and more of you in the coming weeks!
With a pioneering spirit,
Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.
Chancellor and President
P.S. For the latest information, check out TWU's COVID-19 webpage.
Page last updated 3:40 PM, May 7, 2024