Accommodating students who can’t attend class
While in-person learning will be the norm, instructors should aim to create course structures that are flexible enough to accommodate student absences due to COVID-19. You will not be expected to teach in two different modalities, but we encourage you to adopt some strategies that have already been successfully used by instructors and appreciated by students.
Recording and livestreaming lectures
Whenever possible, make asynchronous video or audio recordings of course lectures available to students. You may also decide to livestream lectures by Zoom (making sure to turn on real-time automatic captioning). Check to see what audio-video recording capabilities your classroom has, or reach out to the UCLA Center for Advancement of Teaching for information on alternative options.
Grading and attendance
In light of COVID, instructors might reconsider grading schemes based on attendance or in-class participation. Alternative, asynchronous activities may offer more effective — and less logistically challenging — ways to engage students. At a minimum, instructors will need to offer students who miss class due to illness ways to make up participation and attendance points.
It is recommended that instructors design class assessments that can easily be completed by students who were absent and that can be transferred to a remote environment if remote instruction becomes necessary.
Accessibility for students with disabilities
UCLA is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in the rich academic experience UCLA offers. The UCLA Center for Accessible Education will work closely with these students and their instructors to determine appropriate accommodations and develop a plan tailored to the needs of students in each their courses.
The UCLA Office of Information Technology’s Disabilities and Computing Program also helps to ensure that faculty and students are aware of accessible best practices and that academic content is available and understandable to all.
Violations of campus COVID protocols
There may be times when a student, after being reminded, continues to ignore campus health and safety protocols. Instructors are encouraged to report repeat violations to the Office of Student Conduct at dean@saonet.ucla.edu or 310-825-387. In addition, reports of violations may be made anonymously through UCLA’s whistleblower hotline at 800-403-4744.
If faculty members or TAs demonstrate repeated noncompliance with health and safety protocols, a complaint can be made to the instructor’s department chair, divisional dean, academic personnel officer or the dean of students.
