Faculty Update Regarding Coronavirus

To all Rockhurst faculty:

By now you are keenly aware of the concerns surrounding the potential for the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus) to expand its reach in the United States. While there are no known cases of the virus in the Kansas City region or in the Midwest, it is prudent for us to consider how we might continue our instruction should the virus begin to spread in our area.

I am writing to request that you formulate an academic continuation plan for your semester-long courses or session B courses in the event circumstances reach a level that requires us to socially distance ourselves from one another. Rockhurst has a Crisis Response Team that has been meeting for the past several days to monitor the situation and review our communicable disease protocol. Rest assured we are monitoring the situation with the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff as our highest priority.

It is in the best interest of our students, as well as the university, that you have a plan in place in the unlikely event that we are unable to hold classes on campus. Using Canvas, our learning management system, is a logical and effective choice for many. I recognize, however, that there will be challenges with certain forms of learning (e.g., laboratories, service learning projects), as well as class discussions. While all faculty should be able to draft a continuity plan, which tools you choose should be informed by the learning you wish to occur, the content you wish to convey, your students, and your teaching style. To assist your planning, the Center for eLearning, along with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) will offer professional development opportunities for those who need assistance in learning how to hold synchronous classes via Zoom, as well as how to use Canvas or other methods to continue instruction. (Our eLearning team has created a public site where you can begin your preparation. Additionally, Georgetown University has a useful checklist of items to consider.)

Again, while – at this time – the likelihood that we would need to implement these plans is low, this has been and likely will continue to be a rapidly changing situation and we must be prepared to quickly adapt to new circumstances. Thank you for your consideration of how we could continue to offer learning opportunities that are of the highest quality in potentially difficult situations.