What will happen if a student becomes ill?
If a student becomes ill, they should stay in their dorm room or at home and not come to class. Students should continue to attend virtual and hybrid classes from home and contact their instructors for guidance on how to continue their course participation for face-to-face classes. Classrooms will be equipped with lecture capture technology this fall. In most cases, this will allow students to connect remotely to their classes when needed.
Students should stay in contact with their instructor to ensure activities and assignments can be completed. If a student’s symptoms may be related to COVID-19, they should contact Health Services for guidance on next steps.
What will happen if an instructor becomes ill?
If an instructor becomes ill, they will have the ability to continue instruction remotely. Each instructor at Northwestern has been working on plans to allow coursework to continue in the event that longer-term virtual instruction is needed. Each instructor will communicate specific plans to students.
How is Northwestern planning to address social distancing in classrooms?
To increase classroom flexibility while prioritizing the safety and health of students and faculty, UNW has set up classroom spaces to accommodate 6-feet distancing as best as possible while maximizing seating capacity for the spring. However, maintaining at least 6’ distancing may not always possible due to the size of classes and the amount of meeting space available on campus.
These measures, along with the requirement to have face coverings in all classrooms and some classes taking place in larger meeting spaces not traditionally used for instruction, will allow UNW to fulfill our educational mission and our commitment to offering in-person instruction while helping to mitigate classroom risk.
What will taking a hybrid course be like?
Offering hybrid courses is a new experience at Northwestern and is being offered at many schools in response to COVID-19. While it may look different from course to course, in general, the class is divided into assigned, rotating groups of students that alternate between attending the class in-person and virtually. For example, a class scheduled on T/Th could require half the students to attend in-person on Tuesdays, while the other half attends virtually; on Thursdays, the groups would switch. Likewise, a class scheduled on M/W/F might have one-third of the students attend in-person each day, while the other students attend remotely.
The specific arrangement will be determined by the instructor and communicated to students prior to the beginning of class. Class formats can be seen by the room number on student class schedules through theROCK.
How will courses that are hands-on, such as a science lab, be handled?
For students taking courses that require hands-on activity, eye protection, such as goggles or clear face shields, will be used in addition to face coverings. Certain classes may include the use of additional PPE items, such as gloves.
Can students take all of their classes virtually?
The majority of classes offered this fall will be offered in-person or in a hybrid format. Not all courses will be available in a virtual format. If a student has a need to request consideration for taking courses virtually, they should contact the Academic Achievement office (academicachievement@unwsp.edu) with details and rationale for that request.
Have the class times changed?
There has been no change to the spring class schedule, including passing times between classes.
What about students eating in classrooms?
Eating will not be allowed in classrooms. Students will be encouraged to eat before or after class times. If needed, a student can briefly step out of a classroom to eat.
Will students be allowed to drink in classrooms?
Yes, students will be allowed to drink out of water bottles and other closed containers while in class.
How will students help keep classrooms clean?
As a community, we will all be doing our part to keep our campus safe and clean. Each classroom will contain a spray bottle and disposable towels that students can use to clean the seating area upon entering the classroom and can also be used to sanitize hands.
Will instructors still have office hours?
Yes, instructors will still provide office hours to students. In many cases, these times will be offered virtually. Students should consult the course syllabus or Moodle site for details on when and how each instructor will be offering office hours.
Will students still be able to participate in travel abroad experiences?
Many travel experiences have been impacted because of COVID-19. All non-essential travel at Northwestern has been restricted for the spring. Students should confer with their advisor to see if their specific program and study abroad experience has been impacted.
Some programs rely on external academic partnerships. How will students be able to complete their program requirements if the academic partnership is disrupted?
Students completing academic requirements through external partnerships (e.g., clinical placements for Nursing, cooperating school placements for Education, partner school sites for PSEO, or internship placements) and faculty supervising in the partnership sites are required to follow the health and safety protocols defined by the partnering agency.
All academic departments with programs that engage external partnerships will prepare alternative plans in case students are unable to attend the partnership experience. For questions about specific partnerships, please contact the appropriate academic department.