In the event of a campus closure, all University activities are cancelled for the time period specified in the closure. This cancellation can cause significant issues to course schedules and assessments. Faculty should strive to minimize the impact of the cancellation when possible. It is important to recognize that during a campus closure, all students and faculty will not have equal access to the same necessary University resources and may have other commitments (e.g., childcare) during the closure. When a campus closes, faculty may provide asynchronous online instruction to make up for the cancelled class as long as students are given a reasonable time after the closure to complete it. Faculty should be mindful of the increased demand on student time from such make-up assignments. In extenuating circumstances (e.g., an accelerated course for which one week constitutes a significant portion of the course period, or the course is already offered in hybrid mode), faculty may offer a remote synchronous option during the regularly scheduled class time, but student attendance and participation cannot be required. If a remote synchronous option is offered, students should be given an opportunity to participate asynchronously (e.g., watch a recording) if at all possible. Exams and other high stakes assessments should be postponed.
If the closure causes an in-class exam to be rescheduled, the faculty will administer the exam no sooner than the next regularly scheduled class period. If the exam is taking place outside of class, students will be given a reasonable and timely notice to reschedule the exam. In the case of an exam administered through an online learning management system on the day of the closure, faculty will communicate an opportunity to make up the exam to students who are unable to take it that day. The same considerations will be given to previously announced assessments and/or assignments with submission deadlines on the day of a closure.
Procedures for dealing with a campus closure should be clearly spelled out in the syllabus, recognizing that specific circumstances may necessitate an immediate change in plans.
Initial Legislation: 3/17/20
Revised: 3/15/2022
