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Most Syracuse University classes will adopt an alternate-day format for the fall 2020 semester, an SU official said Friday. 

Under the hybrid instruction model, half of the students in classes with 60 students or fewer will attend in-person while the other half will join virtually, Interim Provost John Liu said in a SU News release. Students will alternate between in-person and virtual instruction on different days. 

“Given physical distancing and physical density constraints, classroom space is our greatest challenge in delivering in-person instruction,” Liu said. “Applying a physical distance requirement of six feet reduces the capacity of our classrooms considerably.” 

SU will operate on an accelerated schedule for the fall semester, with classes starting on Aug. 24 instead of Aug. 31. Residential instruction will conclude on Nov. 24, and final exams will be administered remotely.

Final review sessions will take place online beginning Nov. 30. The semester will conclude on Dec. 9. 

SU will limit classroom capacity by up to 60% in rooms with movable seating, Liu said. SU may limit classroom capacity by more than 80% in classrooms with fixed seating, he said.

For classes with between 61 and 150 students, SU will prioritize in-person instruction for courses with a large number of first-year students, Liu said. Students will attend lectures, recitations and discussions on an alternating attendance schedule, he said. 

Classes of 61 to 150 students that do not have a large number of first-year students will not have rooms for lectures and will only meet in-person for recitations and discussions, Liu said. 

Faculty with classes of 150 students or more should plan to deliver lecture material completely online, Liu said. Students will meet on an alternating attendance schedule for recitations and discussions but will not attend any lectures in person, he said. 

All fall courses must be fully accessible to students who opt out of in-person classes due to medical conditions or travel restrictions, Liu said. Instructors should also consider classroom accommodations for students with disabilities, he said. 

SU’s Fall 2020 Open Working Group and Academic Strategy/Contingency Subcommittee have made specific recommendations for these course instruction models, Liu said. Faculty should receive compensation for adapting their courses over the summer to fit the hybrid model, he said.

Criteria for faculty promotions and tenure, as well as other forms of faculty evaluation, should be adjusted due to the instruction models, Liu said. SU will also provide “clear guidance” about intellectual property policies in relation to digital content for fall classes, he said. 

SU’s social distancing model will take “equity and justice issues” surrounding race and disability into consideration, Liu said. 

“We know that you still have unanswered questions, and we are moving quickly and thoughtfully to be in a position to answer all of them,” he said. 

Published on June 12, 2020 at 8:20 pm

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