The following message is from Kevin Tasa, Associate Dean Academic of Schulich School of Business.  

Dear Schulich Faculty and Staff,

I want to start by thanking each of you—faculty and staff—for your dedication to fostering the very best conditions for Schulich students to thrive during the fall term. The transition back to campus and in-person delivery has been successful because of your dedication and flexibility. Below, I have outlined the key information you may find relevant for preparing to teach in winter 2023. As always, I wish you the best for your work in the upcoming term and that you each enjoy a restful and restorative holiday break.  

Academic Policies and Guidelines for Winter 2023  

In-person as Delivery Standard:  All winter 2023 courses that are coded LECT or SEMR are in-person, including midterms and exams. If alternate assessment tools are to be used such as Canvas Quizzes, please state this and share any student technology requirements in advance in the syllabus. Please also continue using time windows for take-home exams. 

Programs with a high contingent of late-arriving students will have the option of live-streaming or recording in-person classes for the first two weeks of term to accommodate students who may be delayed by travel barriers or other circumstances. Students who may not be able to arrive by the start of classes are expected to communicate with instructors directly on a case-by-case basis and discuss available accommodation options based on course structure and academic expectations. Students will be advised that accommodation may vary from course to course and may include but not limited to live-streaming/recording class sessions, pre-recorded lectures/materials, access to lecture slides, leniency in participation grade due to unavoidable absence, etc.

Instructors are kindly asked to continue supporting students in these times when the global environment remains challenging.

If you have a student whose situation may require additional support or consideration, please contact Luba Pan, Director, Student and Enrolment Services (panlyuba@schulich.yorku.ca).

15% Remote Delivery Option:  The option of running up to two discretionary online class sessions for an in-person course remains in place. Instructors should use their judgment and discretion in deciding if or when to exercise this option. The purpose of these sessions is to help mitigate the impact of the unpredictable circumstances which may arise during the term (instructor and student illness, guest speakers not able to attend in person, etc.). If due to unforeseen circumstances you encounter a need to exceed the discretionary two online sessions limit, please contact assocdeanacad@schulich.yorku.ca for approval.

Remote Access to Course Materials:  It is recommended that instructors continue to make course materials for in-person courses accessible online.  You may use one of the following methods for sharing your lecture content whenever possible: 

  • Lecture Capture (live-streaming/recording class sessions): Each classroom will be set up with a webcam and tripod to facilitate live-streaming of the instructor. Instructors can also live-stream using their own devices in addition to the webcam and tripod equipment provided (but not as a replacement of the webcam and tripod). For more detailed instruction on how to do this, review the Live Streaming and Recording In-Person Classes guide, as well as CITE’s Classroom A/V Technology Training recording.
  • Note that for privacy reasons recordings should only capture the instructor and not students. 
  • Pre-Recording Lectures: Creating asynchronous lectures can be done quite simply via Zoom, PowerPoint, or Echo360. Review the Designing Asynchronous Lectures guide for a list of how-to videos.

Class Participation and Attendance:  The Canvas Discussions tool is a simple and effective means to allow students who are unable to be present in class the opportunity to contribute their thoughts on course content. However you choose to assess participation and attendance this term, please adopt a generous and multi-faceted approach to assessment that is defined clearly in advance whenever possible. 

COVID-19 Policies and Instructor Illness:  Masking is strongly recommended while indoors on campus during the winter. The use of YU Screen continues to be optional but is an effective tool for you and students in cases where one may need guidance about whether it is safe to attend campus in person. Especially if a student contacts you about being ill or having recently tested positive for Covid-19, please direct them to YU Screen which will connect them with employees who are trained to conduct case management to ensure privacy is maintained.  

The best source of up-to-date information regarding the University’s COVID protocols continues to be the Better Together website. If you get sick or are unable to clear the screening, do not come to campus. Viable options for dealing with illness continue to be: using the buddy system with another qualified instructor, deliver the class online using one of the two online meets covered by in-person delivery, or cancel the class and schedule a make-up session. If scheduling a make-up session, ensure you leave yourself enough time to contact your area admin as well as the ADAO for scheduling assistance.   

Student Illness:  Please remind students that if they become sick or fail their screening, they should also not be coming onto campus. 

  • Please familiarize yourself with the University’s guide for instructors on Covid case management which is designed to offer information on COVID-19 case management in the classroom. 
  • As a reminder, the University’s existing policies regarding absence from class remain in place. Students are required to stay home when they are ill, and they should not be penalized for being absent. Senate has recently voted to extend until the end of December 31, 2023 the suspension of requiring an Attending Physician Statement Form in cases of absences due to illness; this extension is to allow the Senate sub-committee an opportunity to amend the policy around the need for student documentation to reflect the current and ongoing needs of students, instructors, and governance committees adjudicating student appeals and petitions.  

Room Capacities and Physical Distancing:  While the University has removed capacity limits and physical distancing for all instructional and non-instructional spaces, you are encouraged to give each other as much space as is available whenever possible. 

Breakout Space:  Schulich breakout rooms are available for use. If you would like to book breakout space for your course, please contact your area administrative staff. 

Staff Room Booking: The Office of the Associate Dean Academic has launched a new electronic form for staff room booking requests. Please use the Staff Room Booking Form to submit future requests. Instructors are also reminded that their requests for room bookings should be routed through the appropriate area administrative staff using the established process.

Guest Speakers:  Review the Live Streaming and Recording In-Person Classes guide on how to have a guest speaker attend your class online. 

Classroom IT Support:  below is a summary of some key information: 

  • A/V Equipment Issues: IT will be conducting rounds at 7:30am each day to turn on the classroom equipment and ensure it is operational. Should you experience an issue in your classroom please contact the Schulich Help Desk at (416) 736-2100 ext. 66356, or drop by the desk on the 3rd floor of the Schulich building (8am-9pm on weekdays). 
  • Microphones and Personal Windscreens: Each classroom is equipped with a lapel microphone should you wish to make use of one. Instructors can obtain their own personal windscreen (cover) for the lapel mic, for hygiene purposes, by visiting the concierge if you do not have one already. Covers are assigned one per instructor, so please continue to bring it with you in future weeks. 
  • Classroom Power Outlets: The availability of power outlets varies by classroom. Office Services has additional power cords and extensions if your classroom does not have enough accessible outlets.  To obtain some power cords or extensions, instructors should submit a request through their area administrative staff to askit@yorku.ca that will be routed to IS&T.  Please provide as much advance notice as possible when making these requests.
  • In-person Computer-based Assessments: Requests for in-person laptop-based exams and assessments are increasing since we have returned to in-person delivery; instructors planning an in-person laptop-based exam should provide details of this plan through the area administrative staff in the examination details request spreadsheet that is routinely submitted to the ADAO at the start of term. At this time, we cannot guarantee that laptop-based exam requests received after the submission of the exam spreadsheet will be accommodated. Undergraduate final exams are coordinated in collaboration with the Office of the University Registrar according to Senate policy; some of these exams must be scheduled in non-Schulich rooms which we do not control and that do not have adequate electrical outlets for every student to charge a device. The Office of the Associate Dean, Academic and Information Services & Technology are currently working with central facilities to determine whether CSBO can support the temporary installation of power bars for laptop-based final exams outside of Schulich. Finally, please provide as much detailed information about technology requirements to students via the syllabus at the start of term.

Room Access with YU Cards:  Rooms in Schulich that previously required access via a white HID card have been replaced and now require access to be programmed to an employee YU Card. YU Cards can be obtained from the YU Card Office (https://www.yorku.ca/yucard/). Schulich can no longer provide one-off access to rooms.  Access requests must be made through area administrative staff (for instructors and faculty) or through your operations manager (for staff). We strongly encourage instructors teaching in winter to request a YU Card and Doorcard access—as needed—as soon as possible to ensure timely access.

Directing Academic and Conduct-related Concerns:  Student Services and International Relations has created a flowchart to help students and instructors better direct academic or conduct concerns they may have. See the Academic and Conduct-related Concerns Chart for more information. 

Reporting Suspected Academic Honesty Violations:  Student and Enrolment Services has also created an electronic form for instructors to submit complete information for investigation of suspected academic honesty violations. Please be reminded that when an instructor perceives an academic honesty violation, the protocol is to notify Student Services and the Office of the Associate Dean Academic using this form; instructors are not to pursue further communication about the incident, investigation or disciplinary measures with students.  

Questions?  
Instructors teaching in one-year masters programs should direct their questions first to their program directors. Program directors will be in touch with instructors if they haven’t already to set up a time to discuss program-specific plans. Instructors teaching in other programs can direct their questions to the relevant area coordinators.  

Additional Questions:  

Kind regards,  

Kevin Tasa
Associate Dean Academic