Manage Expectations

for Emergency Building or Campus Closure

In order to make the course run smoothly during this time, focus on the most basic elements you need to put in place to meet your short-term instructional objectives. If the situation continues, you can add more activities back in, finding ways to accomplish them online as well.

Communicate with your students early and often: Even if you don't have a plan in place yet, communicate with your students as soon as possible. Inform them that changes are coming and what your expectations are for checking email or ELMS-Canvas. Keep in contact with them regularly; providing updates with a supportive tone will reassure them and give them direction to succeed.

Rely on familiar tools: Try to rely on tools and workflows that are familiar to you and your students, and adopt new tools only when absolutely necessary to meet course goals. Emergency disruptions are already taxing everyone's mental and emotional energy, and introducing a lot of new tools and approaches may leave even less energy and attention for learning. If you do need to pick new tools and approaches, give yourself and your students time to practice with them in lower-stakes situations where a few mistakes don't matter so much. Don't assume all students have access to a computer - some may be working from a cell phone or relying on the library for computer/internet access.

Use Learning Technology: See the TLTC's Learning Technology resource page for more.

The IT Service Desk also has helpful information including: