The following email was sent to Maryville College students this afternoon.
MEMORANDUM
TO: Maryville College Students
FROM: Daniel Klingensmith, Vice President and Dean of the College RE: Academic Affairs’ Responses to Virus Mitigation
DATE: Aug. 17, 2020
Classes are scheduled to begin in just two days, and now that most of you are on campus, I’m delighted to be able to welcome you, whether you’re joining us for the first time or returning. I’d also like to share some very important details as they relate to classes, classrooms, academic resources and support.
Masking and Distancing in Academic Spaces
As in other areas of campus, students, faculty and staff will be required to wear masks and stand or sit at least 6 feet from others in classrooms, labs, offices, and hallways. When posted, please follow directions for queues and entering and exiting buildings.
All classrooms and labs have been configured to adhere to physical distancing guidelines, which means that the capacity in many rooms has been reduced dramatically. The College is also utilizing other spaces, like the Alumni Gym, to allow for larger in-person classes.
Three tents have been purchased and erected on campus – two adjacent Cooper Athletic Center, and one on the Clayton Center Plaza. These tents also will allow larger classes to meet in person. In the event of severe weather, professors of classes scheduled for tent usage will be responsible for having a contingency plan and communicating the plan to students.
Class Schedules
Schedules have been posted on Self-Service. As I noted in a recent memo, some classes will meet in-person, some are entirely online, and a very large portion are hybrid, meaning that they are partly online and partly in person. Check the schedule of courses on Self-Service to make sure you know what format your courses are in.Hybrid courses will not necessarily meet in person on every scheduled day, so I recommend emailing your professor to make sure you know what the schedule will be, if you haven’t heard already or can’t tell from Self-Service.
Academic Support
MC Academic Support will be a hybrid model of assistance this Fall 2020 semester, utilizing safe, physically distanced and in-person support in the Academic Support Center, as well as the Google Hangout online platform for our group study, tutoring, Writing Center, Math Tank, and Cooper Success programming. Supplemental Instruction will also use a hybrid model, meeting safely in-person, as well as online. Please contact Noah Bowman at noah.bowman@maryvillecollege.edu for any academic support-related questions or requests.
Students with a disability requiring accommodations or any student who believes that they will require accommodations due to a disability should contact (via phone or email) Kim Ochsenbein, 865-981-8124, Kim.ochsenbein@maryvillecollege.edu or Debbie Stietenroth, 865-981-8120, Debbie.stietenroth@maryvillecollege.edu in the Academic Support Center located in the lower level of Thaw Hall. Students are encouraged to make contact before or during the first week of classes.
Class attendance and COVID-19
It is of paramount importance that students do not come to class (or if they are commuters, to campus) if they have tested positive for COVID-19 or are experiencing the symptoms of the virus: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and/or diarrhea.
Students who are sick, think they might be sick, and/or think they’ve had close contact with a person who is sick should email Dr. Melanie Tucker, Vice President and Dean of Students, at mcdos@maryvillecollege.edu to request assistance.
In the event that students need to quarantine or isolate, a member of the COVID-19 Student Support Team will assist with notification to faculty members so that accommodations can be made to keep students engaged and on track with classroom assignments.
Technology Support
The College’s Instructional Technology Team will work to assist all students with technology challenges on a case-by-case basis. Please email support@maryvillecollege.edu with information about the problems you are encountering.
Library
Librarians and library services and information are available through the virtual library.
The library’s common space in Thaw Hall is open; however, capacity is significantly limited and will vary based on the larger public health situation. Students should visit the library’s website to make appointments for time-limited study sessions. In between study sessions, the library will be cleaned and sanitized.
Entrance into the library has been moved to the doors on the side closest Cooper Athletic Center. A face covering and Maryville College ID (scanned as students enter and leave) will be required.
Unfortunately, study groups will not be allowed to use the library common space this semester.
In order to support physical distancing guidelines, the library computer lab will be reduced to 10 total workstations (one per pod), and all on the main level in order to maintain social distancing. Keyboards and mice will be provided to students then quarantined and rotated after use.
Computer Labs & Printing
No changes have been made to computer labs located within classrooms to date. However, physically distanced seating and masking are mandatory in these spaces.
In order to support physical distancing guidelines, the library computer lab will be reduced to 10 total workstations (one per pod), and all on the main level in order to maintain physical distancing. Keyboards and mice will be provided to students then quarantined and rotated after use. Students will still have access to printers in the library.
The four computers normally available in the Bartlett Hall sitting room will not be available; however, two printers will be available in a configuration that maintains physical distancing and encourages best practices such as the use of hand sanitizer after using the touchscreens.
Career Center
All of the Career Center’s services are available online, and students are encouraged to schedule appointments on Handshake to connect with staff members. Zoom and phone appointments are available. Also, numerous guides and helpful documents are posted to Handshake. Drop-in hours, the Fall Career and Internship Fair and employer information sessions will be conducted virtually. Please watch your campus Inbox and the Career Center’s social media channels for updates.
As you already have heard and read numerous times this summer, the Fall 2020 semester will be unlike any in the College’s history. The expectations and changes may seem excessive and cumbersome to some, but we have put these in place to protect and maintain the health and safety of the entire campus and to ensure that we can continue in-person education until Thanksgiving. Please be patient with us if we have to modify any of the above policies in order to better safeguard the well-being of the campus community and our ability to achieve our educational mission.
Thank you, in advance, for your compliance and care for our community. And best of luck to you all as you begin this academic year!
