Novel Coronavirus (nCoV2019)

April 16, 2020

After extensive and in-depth conversations with infectious disease experts at our university, and higher education peers in the state and the nation, I have made the following decisions.

All classes will be delivered remotely starting March 18 for the remainder of the Spring term. Summer classes for 2020 will also be delivered online.
All travel is suspended effective immediately.
All events hosted by UofL or at a UofL facility will be postponed or cancelled through April 28.
UofL’s campuses remain open but recommend employees work remotely, if eligible.

UofL Messages Regarding the Coronavirus Outbreaks

What you can do

The best thing you can do is follow the steps listed here to help prevent further spread of the coronavirus.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

Protocol for Reporting Cases of COVID-19

If you come in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or you are diagnosed with COVID-19, or your students report either of the above 2 cases, you are to report this to the UofL Executive Director of Campus Health Services, Phil Bressoud

Engineering Students

First, you will be given the opportunity to complete your current coursework by the end of the Spring semester. Those who successfully complete all courses will move on/graduate as scheduled.

Pay attention to emails sent to your University email account and check Blackboard Announcements FREQUENTLY.

Because some assignments will need significant alterations, instructors will be allowed to alter their course syllabus. Revised syllabi should be posted to Blackboard by Friday, March 20^th. Additionally, all Instructors have been asked to communicate their plans for continuing instruction via online methods to their students. If you have not heard from your instructor by Wednesday, March 18^th please contact Associate Dean Dr. Gail DePuy (depuy@louisville.edu).

Some Faculty may choose to conduct their online courses during the scheduled class meeting times. Others may opt to post online lectures such that students can view the content at any time of day. Either way you must meet the posted due dates for assignments and exams. Be sure you are clear on how each of your courses will be run and the expectations of your Instructors.

Online tutoring will be available during this time. Watch for an email from REACH with information on these opportunities. Also, instructors have been asked to continue hosting their office hours through alternative means. Please reach out to them as needed.

All course instruction and assessment (HW, tests, presentations, projects, etc.) will be conducted remotely for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. For some of you, online learning is a new experience and you may have concerns or be anxious about how to manage your time.

Please read these helpful hints for adjusting your studying habits during this transition to remote classes.

You will be receiving an email from your advisor within 24 hours. All students will be advised and holds released by the time of your registration date. Advisors will be available during regular business hours by email, phone, and video conferencing. The Advising Office will remain open as long as the campus is open. Questions can be directed to your advisor, ssadvise@louisville.edu, or (502) 852-8084.
The decision to move classes to online delivery does not directly impact students currently on co-op during the Spring 2020 semester. Students should continue their placements and follow guidance from their employers about remote work policies or potential closures. Should your employer alter your work schedule or delivery method, please notify the co-op office.
The Engineering Career Development office will continue to work with students who are seeking placements for the Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 semesters. Please contact your co-op advisors directly via phone or email, to set up an appointment.
Classes for Graduate students are included in the changes described above.
If you are a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), please contact the Instructors of any courses for which you are assigned. Since all courses are [temporarily] transitioning to online formats, online grading will likely now also be a requirement.
As of this time, University Buildings and Labs will remain open. Additional decisions on use of these facilities will be communicated to GRAs, Faculty, and Staff by Speed Administration. If you have additional questions regarding your responsibilities during this time, please contact your Advisor, Department Chair, or the Director of Graduate Studies, Katherine Markuson (Katherine.markuson@louisville.edu).

Speed School Faculty & Staff

The period to work remotely has been extended to May 31st for those faculty and staff who can do so.

You MUST provide students with a viable means to complete their course and meet all of the course’s learning objectives by the end of the Spring 2020 semester. Choosing to give students an Incomplete (I) grade in Spring 2020 because of the transition to online format is not an option; students must be able to progress toward their degree or graduate in Spring 2020. If a student meets the conditions to receive an incomplete grade https://catalog.louisville.edu/undergraduate/university-wide-unit-specific-policies/incomplete-course-work/ then an I grade can be assigned. The last day of Spring 2020 classes will REMAIN Monday, April 20^th and final exams will still take place between Wednesday, April 22^nd and Tuesday, April 28^th.
You MUST contact your students NO LATER THAN Tuesday, March 17^th to let them know how you will be conducting your course in an online format, both in regards to lectures, and assignments/assessments. Additionally, please inform your students of how to best reach you during your office hours, which must also continue via this alternative format. Please also contact your GTAs to let them know how these changes will affect their work.
Some Faculty may choose to conduct their online courses during the scheduled class meeting times. Others may opt to post online lectures such that students can view the content and complete their work at any time of day (abiding by due dates). Be sure you are clear on your communications to your students on the expectations you are placing on them with regard to these changes.
Given that many assignments may now need significant changes, you are permitted to make changes to your course Syllabus. The revised Syllabus must be posted by Friday, March 20^th.
Currently, the plan is to move the face-to-face courses online through Sunday, April 5^th, resuming face-to-face meetings on Monday, April 6^th. However, there is always the possibility that mandated online delivery will be extended through the end of the Spring 2020 semester. This timeline will be reevaluated by the President’s Office as we get closer to this date, and updates will be sent out accordingly.
We strongly encourage you to participate in the online delivery training being provided by the Delphi Center. For those of you who have not taught online previously, the fastest way to convert to online “lectures” is to use Panopto software (available through Delphi: http://louisville.edu/delphi/resources/continuity-of-instruction), or a similar software package, to add voice over to your PowerPoint slides, and post them to Blackboard.
Information regarding online proctoring of exams can be found here: http://louisville.edu/delphi/resources/resources-for-online-programs-and-courses/exam-proctoring-2/online-proctoring
If you have any questions about moving your class online, please call or email Aimee Greene in the Delphi Center at aimee.greene@louisville.edu or 852-4482.
If you have students who are not responding to your communications, or are not submitting their work, please contact Gail DePuy (depuy@louisville.edu) so that their Academic Advisor can be notified.
If teamwork is a portion of your coursework, you will need to provide guidelines to your students of appropriate methods to work together virtually. Microsoft Teams is available to all Faculty and students through the Office 365 package. Information Technology Services will be sending out additional information about this package soon.
If you are an instructor for a lab course, greater levels of inventiveness may be required in making this transition. One suggestion would be to video the TA completing an experiment, and sending the resulting dataset to the students for their analysis and report write up. As additional methods for conducting online labs are found, we will distribute those ideas as well.

Speed School Research Facilities

Research facilities will remain open at Speed School unless otherwise directed by the central administration.

Remote Technical Support Instructions

Working remotely provides many challenges, one of which is receiving hands on technical support. Thankfully Microsoft Teams helps in that effort. You can now use Teams to share your screen with, and give control of your PC to Speed IT staff. For instructions on what to do in the event we need to take control of your PC, please follow this link.

The most important thing to remember, however, is if you are seeking help, you must either email the Speed IT Helpdesk at spdhelp@louisville.edu or call and leave a voicemail at 852-7620. Calling or emailing individual Speed IT members is not the most efficient way to receive support, now more than ever since we are working remotely, so please follow this advice.