Academic Work Under COVID-19

In planning for the fall semester, the University has adhered to the current ordinances of the City and County of San Francisco Department of Public Health. We understand that our plans are subject to change at any moment. The University is prepared to move all classes and services to remote modalities, should a resurgence COVID-19 occur at any time during the fall semester. This document serves as a summary of our fall semester 2020 plan. For more information and updates, please refer to SF State’s COVID-19 site

San Francisco State’s Campus Plan for Fall, 2020, commits to the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and community by limiting the numbers of in-person instruction and support activities to the smallest possible number while also supporting student degree progress. With the collaboration of the departments, colleges, and other administrative units, the campus will offer only 70 face-to-face courses (and sections of courses), with all other teaching carried out through remote modalities. See Academics and Advising FAQ for classes that will meet in person.

Fall 2020 – Staff and faculty presence on campus

 Generally, staff who are working remotely and faculty who are not teaching face-to-face, on campus courses should refrain from coming to campus.

 Staff and faculty who need to access campus resources to perform essential work or teach, as well as students who have face-to-face classes or are residing in university housing, are permitted on campus. Staff who do not need to be present on campus to perform their responsibilities must obtain approval from their direct supervisor before coming to campus so we are aware of who is in campus buildings. Faculty intermittently coming to campus must obtain their department chair’s authorization and notify their dean so we are aware of who is in campus buildings. 

 Staff and faculty should be aware of the varying, frequently-changing schedule for when buildings are open. Health and safety and cleaning protocols will be aligned with when buildings are open. 

What you should know before coming to campus:

• Complete the required training: “Working Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The training will be assigned directly from CSU Learn. This mandatory training is required by Cal/OSHA regulations. Since this training includes information about COVID-19 and measures that can help protect you at home as well as on the job, it is being assigned to all employees, even those who have not been approved to work on campus and are working from home exclusively. Trainings will be updated as circumstances change.
• Complete a daily online health screening prior to coming to campus.

Upon arrival at SF State campus, staff and faculty must do the following:

• Wear a face covering
• Maintain a minimum 6-foot distance from other people
• Observe posted signage and going out guidance
• Practice proper health hygiene

Access to academic buildings will be facilitated by Gators Helping Gators (GHG) Ambassadors beginning on Monday, August 24. GHG Ambassadors will be positioned at the designated entrances of all academic buildings and will greet students, faculty, and staff upon entrance to the buildings. Students, faculty, and staff will be expected to present their health screening “badge” via their smartphone to the GHG Ambassadors. GHG Ambassadors will distribute Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as needed. 

For Detailed Information - See Campus Wide Message on August 21st

SF State has allocated $1.9 million in CARES 2 Act funding to support technology needs for continued remote instruction through the 2020-2021 academic year. Academic Technology (AT) is partnering with colleges, departments, the Library, and Information Technology Services to identify critical technology needs for remote instruction and will lead the acquisition and distribution of these items.  The strategy is to fulfill needs in three distinct areas:

Student Baseline Technology Needs –  Student technology needs have been focused around access to computers and internet connectivity. In order to best meet those needs, the number of laptops available in the Library Student Laptop checkout pool will be doubled to accommodate increased demand from remote instruction.  A special internet connectivity support channel will also be established to provide support to students for internet access. 

https://instructionalcontinuity.sfsu.edu/keep-learning-student-technology-quickguide

Instructor Baseline Technology Needs – Instructors across the University have a set of common technology needs for conducting remote instruction.  These include equipment such as webcams, digital writing pads, or headsets.  A request form is available for faculty to request accessories that support their remote instruction needs. 

https://sfsu.service-now.com/sp?id=sc_cat_item&sys_id=01f526fc1ba55450f3ca8661cd4bcba8

Laptops are also an important equipment need.  Academic Technology has partnered with departments to determine and prioritize needs for adjunct faculty.  Additionally, a form is available for all instructors to indicate a need for support or replacement of their existing computer.

https://sfsu.service-now.com/sp?id=sc_cat_item&sys_id=ea9c656ddb8e105081fd16994b9619c1

Departmental and Central Learning Technologies Needs – Targeting needs at the curriculum level will have the greatest impact on enabling and enhancing quality remote instruction.  Academic Technology will coordinate with all department and programs to determine needs for technology related hardware, software, or services that support courses and curriculum.  Additionally, centralized or shared services will be established to support key needs affecting multiple programs and students across the University.

Updated information can be found at Academic Technology

A survey developed by the University Research Council (URC) was sent to faculty to assess their needs for facilities access to support their research, scholarship and creative work outside of normal course instruction. One important concern was to support graduate students’ thesis and degree progress. 

Additional submission windows will be offered in the future. Check back here for future dates. Applications were submitted through InfoReady proposal management system.

Successful applicants must be approved by Chair, Dean, AVP for Research, and Provost. Announcements were sent to all tenure/tenure track faculty on June 11th with applications accepted June 12th to June 22nd. Informational open forums were held June 12th and 15th.

Received 19 fieldwork requests ad 57 applications from faculty.

We are currently taking new applications. Please follow link for information.  Deadline August 24.

In consultation with the Chancellor’s Office, SF State has developed a clinical field placement process that ensures that our students can a) participate in field placements that comply with health and safety protocols and b) receive academic and health and safety information necessary to make an informed decision about their voluntary participation. Please link to SF State for Clinical Field Placement Safety Review for additional information for programs and students. Faculty will need to work with their department chairs and/or field placement coordinators to confirm that a field placement site has confirmed their compliance with health and safety protocols. Students will need to work with their department and instructor to understand the pertinent health and safety information for their placement and voluntarily consent to their participation in a written waiver.

With SF State’s transition to remote academic instruction for fall 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working on a proposal that prioritizes student and community health and we urge students to practice social distancing and adhere to state-wide stay-at home ordered issued on March 19. 2020. As of June 18, 2020, California is now in early Stage 2 of Reopening Resilience Roadmap, where retail, related logistics and manufacturing, office workplaces, limited personal services, outdoor museums, child care, and essential businesses can open with modifications. The state is issuing guidance to help these workplaces reopen safely. Some counties may move more quickly through stage 2, following guidelines laid out on the County Variance information page. Other counties may maintain more restrictive public health measures. We will update this question once the proposal is approved.

The Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) is offering a series of faculty development offerings to support SF State faculty as they prepare to teach in online modalities for Fall 2020. Upon completion of one or more of these programs, faculty will receive a stipend funded through a CARES-2 allocation.

The Online Teaching Lab is a fully online course about online teaching and explores inclusive pedagogies that humanize the online experience for students and instructors. Topics include resilient course design, trauma-informed teaching, low-bandwidth teaching, video strategies, accessibility, assessment and academic integrity.

The JEDI PIE Institute builds a community of JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) protagonists through 10 hours of practice of developing anti-racist pedagogy and dismantling white supremacy in online teaching. Special attention will be paid to accessibility and universal design for learning; microaggressions in teaching practices; anti-racism in designing assignments and assessments; and centering student voice and experience. 

Online Teaching Squares bring together four faculty members to form a supportive, non-evaluative “teaching square,” to share inclusive teaching practices and learn from each other throughout the fall semester. Interested participants may propose their own four members, or may ask to be added to a Teaching Square.

These programs, which are offered in summer and fall, are optional and need not need not be taken sequentially or as a pre-requisite to each other, though they have been designed to build upon each other in meaningful ways when taken in succession. Please visit the CEETL Website (http://ceetl.sfsu.edu) to learn more and register.

All library services are available remotely. The Library Building closed Mon. 3/30 at 7:00 p.m. and will remain closed for the duration of the delivery of classes by remote modalities.

For updated library information go to  Library resources and services during the COVID-19 Campus Closure