An email sent out to faculty and staff from the Provost and Executive Vice President Carol A. Fierke on March 10 stated that following Spring Break classes will be canceled on Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17 to allow faculty to move their classes online if they wish, however, it is not required at this time. Other campus operations will continue as normal.
Faculty are advised to contact students as they make decisions regarding how they would like to proceed with their classes. The email also stated the university does not have plans to extend the spring semester schedule.
Although it is not required to move classes online, this may need to happen in the future, according to the email. The university recommends individuals who fall into a high-risk category as defined by the CDC should move their classes online.
“Once instruction resumes on Wednesday, faculty who choose to teach courses online synchronously must teach at the officially-scheduled time so that students do not incur scheduling conflicts,” the email read. “Courses offered asynchronously are not time-restricted. Online delivery remains optional for faculty. Faculty wishing to continue teaching in their classrooms as they did before spring break may do so at this time. Should faculty wish to change the format, please notify your students in advance.”
The email presented a host of programs to help faculty accommodate their class to an online model if they wish to do so. The absence of students currently in isolation will be considered an excused absence under the Student Rule 7.2.2.1. Faculty are advised to also take into consideration students with disabilities as students with interpreters or transcriptionists will be affected greatly.
In an email sent to students, Fierke stated there are no current plans to cancel classes.
“The university will continue to keep faculty, staff, and students updated,” the article email read. “Faculty will communicate with their students on changes. In addition, please check the university’s COVID-19 website for updates.”
There have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus at Texas A&M and no students are currently presenting symptoms.
This is a developing story and will be updated as we receive more information.