ACADEMIC CONTINUITY IN THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE 

This site contains administrative and practical information for the CAS community on preserving academic continuity in the event that remote instruction becomes necessary, and in relation to the contexts of CAS policies on academic programs, courses, assessment, and accreditation.  Remote instruction refers to course delivery through a technological medium other than the physical proximity of in-person or face-to-face interaction.  This mode of remote instruction could last for a single session, due to illness or weather issues, or for an extended period of time. The goals of remote instruction, as with regular instruction, are to facilitate students’ academic progress and timely completion of their classes, and to maintain serious engagement between students and faculty in an educational setting.  For any questions, please email cas-academic-continuity@nyu.edu. 

NEED FOR ACADEMIC CONTINUITY AND IMMEDIATE STEPS

There exist several reasons that signal the need for remote instruction, including instructor or student illness, infrastructure issues, and emergencies that require social distancing.  CAS has as its mission the success of all students as they progress in their studies, and we remain committed to this mission in the event that the curriculum cannot be delivered in person.  Many faculty already have experienced addressing a single missed class session due to illness or other temporary causes. Extended remote instruction (more than 1 week) is more rare.

WHAT IS THE CAS POLICY FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY WHO ARE ILL OR UNABLE TO ATTEND CLASS?

There are also occasions when an NYU course at Washington Square is fully in person, but there may be one or more individuals in the class who cannot attend. In this case: If students report being sick, please accommodate them as you would for any absence. This accommodation includes clearly documenting any agreed-on expectations or exceptions for completing assignments, providing digital copies of handouts or in class materials, and encouraging students to reach out to any in-person classmates for notes. You may choose to audio- or video record your in class session via Zoom. If the student is sick but well enough to attend virtually, you may choose to launch a Zoom web conference so that the student may join in real time.  If you (the instructor) require a doctor’s note from your students, then you should request one. It is up to the student to provide a note in a timely manner. If your student seeks medical advice, please send them to the University Health Center.  If the faculty member is ill or unable to travel to meet in person, the strategies outlined in our CAS Faculty Academic Continuity Guide can be used to ensure academic progress and engage students. If the faculty member and students in a class are both unable to meet in person, the strategies outlined in our CAS Academic Continuity Guide can be used to ensure academic progress and engage students.

Please explore the sections below for student and faculty resources, as well as updates.