Academic Affairs Brief 01.27.22
Faculty + academic staff weekly updates
Important Upcoming Dates
Classes Fully Virtual Mon, Jan 17 thru Fri, Jan 28
In-Person classes begin Mon, Jan. 31
Division Meetings Wed, Feb. 2
This Brief Includes:
FAQs for Spring 2022 Re-Opening
Events + Special Programs
- Faculty field trip to BETA Technologies
- Supporting Remote Attendees in F2F classes
- Curriculum Proposals Due
- Barrie Silver, M.Ed. Testimonial
- CLT Calendar of Events
- SMART Space
- Student of Concern Report Form (SCART)
Academic Calendar Spring 2022
COVID-19 Updates
In an effort to expedite the process by which close contacts are notified, and in keeping with recent updates made at the state of Vermont, we are updating our contact tracing protocol to transition to a contact notification protocol. Below are a few notes about our contact notification process for the spring semester:
If anyone (students, faculty, or staff) is identified as a close contact, they will be notified by the Student Health Center. This is not a change, this is a continued practice.
If a student tests positive for COVID-19, the Student Health Center will interview the student to identify their close contacts. This is not a change, this is a continued practice.
If a student cannot identify all of their classroom contacts, the Student Health Center will refer to a previously submitted seating chart to assist with the identification process. If you would like to assist in this process, you have the OPTION to submit a seating chart for your class. SEE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW. This is an updated practice for Spring 2022 to expedite the contact notification process. The Student Health Center will not be requesting seating charts from the faculty, nor will they be asking faculty to identify student contacts.
If the student interview reveals that the classroom activities could have led to a large number of close contacts, the entire class will get notified. This is not a change, this is a continued practice.
How to provide a seating chart:
Faculty have the OPTION to submit a seating chart of their class with whatever frequency they would like. The Student Health Center will look for the most recently submitted seating chart for contact notification purposes. Please use this Google Form to submit your seating chart.
You are welcome to use whatever tool will work best for you to capture this information. If you want to setup a seating chart in Canvas, this tutorial from University of Mary Washington will show you how. To submit a Canvas seating chart to the google form please take a screenshot and submit the image. Questions? Contact Josh Blumberg, jblumberg@champlain.edu.
As a reminder: Classes on Mon, Jan. 31 can be held in-person or virtually, that is faculty choice. Students who arrive on Sun, Jan. 30 will need to submit a negative PCR result prior to arrival and will also get a campus PCR test on Sun, Jan. 30 upon arrival. Classes will be fully in-person starting Tue, Feb. 1.
Click on the blue Covid-19 Dashboard bar above to see updated information.
Faculty visit to BETA Technologies
BETA Technologies, a fast-growing electric aviation start-up based in Burlington, is interested in developing a closer collaboration with Champlain. The company is inviting a group of Champlain faculty across academic divisions to visit and tour the company's HQ. For faculty, this is a chance to learn about BETA, develop networking connections, and explore collaboration opportunities through student internships and projects in a variety of academic areas like data science, business administration, finance, marketing, broadcast media production, computer science & innovation, game, and more. Please contact Kellie Nadeau at knadeau@champlain.edu in the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs if you are interested in a visit to BETA.
Supporting Remote Attendees in F2F Classes
Whether it is a student who is in quarantine or a guest speaker, there are multiple reasons you may want to virtually connect a remote attendee to your in-person class. In general, you have two options:
Use the webcam/mic at the podium computer. Most classrooms have this equipment.
Have a student attending class manage a laptop or smartphone to connect the remote attendee.
If you are doing more lecturing with a lot of content on the projector then using the podium is preferable. If you are doing more small group or whole-class discussion work then the laptop/smartphone option can work better.
If a webcam/mic at the podium is required and your classroom does not have this equipment, send a request to champsupport@champlain.edu and let Champ Support know what class time and room location needs this equipment. Please allow for as much advance notice as possible to ensure that the equipment can be brought to your class on time. Want to learn more about how to support remote attendees? Attend the CLT workshop on Wed, Feb. 2. More info below.
Curriculum Proposals Due
Proposals intended for the Wed, Feb. 9 Curriculum Committee meeting need to be approved at the Wed, Feb. 2 Division meeting. The February Curriculum Committee meeting is the deadline for new courses or program modifications intended for fall 2022.
Barrie Silver, M.Ed. Testimonial
The CLT is a support resource for both new and veteran faculty. New teacher and Champlain faculty member, Barrie Silver, M.Ed., participated in CLT's New Faculty Orientation on Jan. 6, connected with CLT coach Caroline Toy for weekly class planning and coaching, and attended the "Google Meet for Teaching" training, facilitated by Josh Blumberg, that made it possible for Barrie to conduct a Poll, experiment with Jamboard, and host multiple small-group conversations in Breakout Rooms on the first night of class.
Barrie, who is teaching COM-365 / Legal Issues in Communication, said, "As an Adjunct instructor who is brand new to teaching at Champlain, I was worried about starting the semester with virtual classes. Nancy Kerr, the CLT team, and other staff have been incredible resources. They all provided me with invaluable insight and guidance, relevant and accessible professional development opportunities, and much-needed support and encouragement. Thanks in large part to them, I felt both well-prepared and confident -- and my first class was a huge success!"
Barrie also noted, "As I work to plan an engaging and meaningful semester for my students, I'm also keeping in mind Rebecca Mills' suggestion to strive for "progress over perfection."
CLT Calendar of Events
Teaching and Learning about Algorithmic Bias (Part 1)
Wed, Feb. 2⋅1:00 – 2:00 pm
New Faculty Micro-Training: Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Champlain
Wed, Feb. 2⋅2:00 – 2:30 pm
Faculty Writing Group
Wed, Feb. 2⋅2:00 – 3:30 pm
Successful Collaboration (Part 1)
Wed, Feb. 2⋅3:00 – 4:00 pm
Classroom Technology and Supporting Remote Attendees
Wed, Feb. 2⋅3:30 – 4:30 pm
Faculty Micro-Training: Executive Function in the Classroom
Thu, Feb. 3⋅12:30 – 1:00 pm
-----------The CLT "Progress Over Perfection" Team ---------- Caroline Toy + Rebecca Mills + Freddy Angel
Smart Space
SMART Space is open for tutoring in person starting Sun, Jan. 30.
3-week Executive Function Group Coaching begins on Wed, Feb. 3 at 11 am.
Interested in Social Wellbeing for your students? Encourage them to join the Stern Center Social Cognition student group starting on Feb. 16.
For more information on all upcoming SMART Space space support services available, please check out our latest SMART Space newsletter.
Student of Concern Report Form (SCART)
Faculty are encouraged to support students experiencing academic challenges by submitting the Student of Concern Report Form (SCART). Faculty can identify specific academic concerns including excessive absences, failure to complete assignments, poor test scores, quality and/or content of written work, suspected learning disability, inappropriate classroom behavior, and/or needs academic coaching. The reports are reviewed by Student Affairs and Academic Affairs staff that now includes Roz Whitaker-Heck, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, in addition to Lauren Bruneau, Director of Academic Support & Coaching Services. Please reach out to Dr. Roz or Lauren if you have any questions about the SCART process.
This week's news highlights Champlain College Esports! The comprehensive program launched this week with the naming of its first varsity teams for the 2022 spring season. The Valorant and Rocket League varsity teams are the first varsity teams in over 20 years to represent Champlain. See the varsity rosters and learn more about the launch of Champlain Esports on The View. Roster reveal videos are also being posted on the Champlain Esports YouTube channel this week, produced and edited by Graphic Design & Visual Communication student Cy Krevlin ‘22. Community members can follow coverage of the new varsity teams and show support by following Champlain Esports on social media:
01/17 - Spring 2022 classes start
01/17-01/21 - Add/Drop Period
03/06 - Midterm Grades Due
03/14-03/18 - Spring Break
03/28-04/8 - Registration for Summer
04/08-Last Day to withdraw from a course or the College
04/27 - Deadline for incomplete grade requests
04/29 - Deadline for medical withdrawals
05/02-06 - Finals Week
05/14 - Commencement