From the Provost: A note on Distance learning

March 19, 2020

From: James McCarthy, Provost

Colleagues,

Our new academic environment launches today.

Again, let me start by expressing my deep thanks and admiration for all you’ve done in recent weeks.

I thought I’d try to boil down what seem to be the essential pieces of advice into the smallest number of bullet points.  Here goes:

1) especially in the beginning go easy on yourselves and your students. The changes are enormous.

2) be as flexible as possible with students who undoubtedly have less advantageous technical and physical environments than we do.

3) keep things as simple as possible. Vice Chancellor Cruz yesterday suggested favoring asynchronous rather than synchronous as perhaps the best approach to simplicity.

4) have a back up plan

5) let CTL and BCTC know what may not be working

6) let your Dean’s Office and perhaps Dean of Students Art King’s office know if there are students who are “missing”, i.e., who have not been in touch at all.

7) manage e-mails carefully; try to include the fewest number of people possible on each message and try to avoid “reply all” unless it’s truly necessary.

These are more points than I hoped to have, but it’s a much more complicated situation than I wish it were.

Most importantly, be well and take care of yourselves.

Jim