In responding to the pandemic, we have realized that we can teach at least some of our classes in a remote or hybrid fashion. This discovery has many implications for the faculty and the college, opening up potentially exciting opportunities, but also creating some potential challenges. Therefore, we need to develop policies and procedures concerning the appropriate use of remote and hybrid instruction that are in keeping with our institutional mission.
So CPC considered:
When is remote or hybrid instruction appropriate and justified?
- When should courses be designated as remote or hybrid courses?
- When should instructors be allowed (or even encouraged?) to use remote instruction for some class sessions?
What is the procedure (or procedures) for securing approval for remote instruction?
- Who approves? CPC? Provost? Department?
- How should temporary requests be handled? Semester-long courses?
Where should this policy be enshrined?
- Faculty handbook?
- Guidance from CPC/Registrar/Provost?
Starting Principles
- We are a residential college and the baseline expectation is for in-person classes, with both students and the instructor present on campus. This is our norm.
- Exceptions to this norm should generally be based on curricular/pedagogical benefits to the students, departmental/programmatic needs, or unique learning opportunities. Personal preferences and professional opportunities for instructors are generally not acceptable reasons for proposing remote learning.
Below, we detail a provisional policy to be added to the CPC Course Approval Procedures Webpage maintained by the Provost’s Office, and this policy will be accompanied by a new Remote/Hybrid Course Approval form. As with other course approval policies, CPC will continue to refine the procedures as we gain further experience incorporating remote and hybrid approaches into Kenyon’s curriculum.
Approval of Remote/Hybrid Instruction
When is remote/hybrid instruction appropriate? When is CPC approval required?
Kenyon is a residential college and the baseline expectation is that classes will be conducted in-person, with both students and the instructor present on campus, in the same place at the same time. This is our norm. Exceptions to this norm should be based on curricular/pedagogical benefits to the students that meet specific departmental learning goals or present uniquely valuable learning opportunities. The personal preferences or off-campus professional opportunities of the instructor are generally not acceptable reasons for teaching remotely.
If a faculty member must be off-campus due to short-term illness or dependent care or professional travel related to their teaching or scholarship, then the faculty member may choose to teach remotely for up to one week of class sessions by informing the department chair and Provost. CPC approval is required for any course in which remote or hybrid instruction is used as the main mode of interaction for more than one week of class sessions. In both cases, instructors must ensure that all students in the class have the technological and other resources necessary to engage effectively in their planned remote or hybrid work, and this may require coordination with staff from LBIS.
Proposals for fully remote courses or courses with a significant (>1 week) remote or hybrid component must be submitted by the department chair prior to the course being listed in the schedule of courses for registration so that the mode of instruction is clear to students before they enroll in the course. This includes both new courses and existing courses being modified to include remote or hybrid instruction. In addition to ensuring appropriate access for all students working remotely, proposals for hybrid courses must document coordination with staff from LBIS and the Registrar’s Office to ensure that appropriate technology is available in the classroom. Note that all courses need to be scheduled during the regular class period hours as listed by the Registrar’s Office. Courses that involve waiving the expectation that faculty work on campus during the academic year, i.e., when instructors work entirely remotely, require additional approval from the Provost.
How does a department or program propose a remote/hybrid course?
You may propose a remote or hybrid course by submitting the appropriate form in Etrieve. See Faculty Forms for a link. The form should be completed by the department chair or program director. The proposer must upload the course syllabus. Although the syllabus may be tentative, it should include all of the required components as listed in “Anatomy of a Syllabus.” In addition, the details of remote/hybrid instruction for the course should all be clearly articulated, including the mode and frequency of class meetings and student-instructor interactions, procedures for assignment submission and grading, and the technology required for all students (and the instructor) to fully participate in the course.
If the course involves an instructor working entirely remotely, the Provost will be prompted to complete an approval form in Etrieve as well. CPC does not receive and will not consider a proposal until all relevant forms and the syllabus are submitted.
What is the deadline for proposing a remote/hybrid course?
To be listed in the schedule of courses, completed forms must be received by the chair of CPC by the deadline specified for either Permanent or Special Topics courses, as determined by the status of the course in question. See Course Proposal Deadlines. If Provost approval is necessary, the department chair/program director should allow sufficient time for the Provost to complete their approval form prior to the deadline. In all cases, we urge all faculty to submit their proposals as early as possible and well in advance of the deadlines.
Adopted April 26, 2021