Pandemic Resilient Teaching

While we celebrate the chance to connect once again with one another in person, it is also important to remember that the pandemic will continue to influence our teaching and learning environments. The pandemic itself is ongoing and continues to affect students and faculty well-being, employment, and family commitments. Additionally, the pandemic reshaped our teaching and learning practices in profound ways. Instructors have invested many hours in creating new syllabi, assessments, and course materials for their remote courses, finding new ways to connect with students. Students have rapidly adapted to a profoundly different learning and social environment and have gained skills to learn in flexible and changing contexts.

Innovations that have supported remote instruction will continue to be valuable instructional assets, even as course modalities change with our return to campus. This module of the Keep Teaching website is aimed at encouraging instructors to consider how to leverage what worked from their remote instructional experiences to transition back to campus instruction. We also share considerations for teaching in ways that remain conscious of the pandemic’s ongoing impacts on students and instructors, while continuing to offer meaningful, engaging educational experiences to our students.

First steps for getting started with resilient teaching
I WANT TO...	FIRST STEPS
Support my students and teach equitably throughout the pandemic.	View strategies for supporting students and Instructional Assistants as we return to learn, read research from the Basic Needs Hub and Engaged Teaching Hub on pandemic impacts on students , and learn how to support students amid national calls for racial justice.
Utilize classroom technology and assessment strategies to engage with my students.	Read about technology tools that can replicate your favorite remote engagement and assessment strategies ; get to know your students even before the first day of class ; and learn about updates to classroom technology and other EdTech tools available to instructors.
Teach my course in a flexible format.	Consult our modalities guide to get familiar with different modes of hybrid teaching, view sample hybrid course schedules.
Learn how to quickly deliver my class in an emergency remote format.	See our Get Started with Remote Teaching for a quick start guide. For detailed information on specific topics related to emergency remote instruction, take a look at the topics listed under the "Remote Teaching Strategies" section of this website.
Adapt or reuse videos and multimedia that I created for my remote course in a face-to-face context.	Learn more about creating effective instructional videos and six ways to use video in your courses ; access information about multimedia services on campus to make professional-quality course content.
Document the impact of the pandemic on my teaching and research productivity.	Review the FAQ: In what ways will disruptions to research and teaching be documented in review processes?
Learn more about campus policies and options for remote teaching moving forward.	Read the Academic Affairs faculty FAQ on Educational Continuity, and the Academic Senate Guidelines on temporary educational policy changes.
Access campus support services for returning to campus.	Schedule a counseling appointment with the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program ; access resources for stress management.
Inform my students about pandemic classroom safety policies.	Get the latest on the Return to Learn Campus Safety website, including indoor classroom and screening policies. Set classroom expectations early and encourage students to stay up to date.

Last updated: Sept. 21, 2021

Due to the evolving nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the language and policies in this sample language are subject to quick change. We will do our best to update this page as new recommendations are announced.

Return to Learn is the primary source for current policies and recommendations.
See the Campus Safety Requirements for the most up-to-date information.

[link to this section: sample classroom safety syllabus language]

Classroom Safety for In Person Instruction: Sample Syllabus Language

Campus Safety Requirements and Expectations

Keeping our campus healthy takes all of us. You are expected to follow the campus safety requirements and pursue personal protection practices to protect yourself and the others around you. These include:

Participate in the university’s daily screening process.
Everyone must complete a Daily Symptom Survey to access a university-controlled facility.

Participate in the university’s testing program.
All students are required to participate in the COVID-19 Testing program as required by their vaccination status:

Unvaccinated students with approved exceptions must complete a COVID-19 test twice a week.

Students who are fully vaccinated must complete a COVID-19 test once a week, for the first four weeks of the quarter.

Wear a well-fitted face covering that covers your nose and mouth at all times.
Everyone is required to wear face coverings indoors regardless of vaccination status. If you see someone not wearing a face covering or wearing it incorrectly, then kindly ask them to mask up.

Monitor the daily potential exposure report.
Every day the university will update the potential exposure report with building and some classroom information and the dates of exposure. Download the CA COVID Notify app to your phone to receive an alert if you have been potentially exposed to COVID-19.

Assist in the contact tracing process.
If you’re contacted by a case investigator, it means you have been identified as close contact, please respond promptly. You must assist with identifying other individuals who might have some degree of risk due to close contact with individuals who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Contact the instructional team if you are impacted by COVID-19

Please note that due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, changes may be made in response to new developments and information.

Classroom Safety for In Person Instruction: Sample Lecture Slide Language

Keep Tritons Safer: Classroom Safety Requirements

No eating or drinking in class.

Everyone must properly wear face coverings.

Stay current with your COVID-19 testing.

Monitor your symptoms, stay home if you’re sick and report positive cases.

Keep your hands clean, cover your cough and don’t touch your face.

Language adapted from UC Davis: Campus Ready