Spring 2021 course modality

For spring 2021, faculty and instructors will still be able to choose their preferred course modalities. Physical distancing guidelines will also be in place for the spring 2021 semester, so the modality should be chosen based on classroom capacity constraints. Instructors should decide on their preferred course modalities in consultation with their departments chairs or heads (see the class format guide for definitions of the four different modality options). Departments must then update CCS with modalities for spring classes no later than October 2, 2020.

Spring 2021 CCS extended to October 2

Departments now have until the end of the day October 2, 2020 to edit their spring schedules in CCS because more time was needed to update spring classes. This was due to the 6 ft. physical distancing guidelines still in place for spring 2021 and instructors still determining their modality for their courses. Additionally, all General Purpose Classrooms (GPC’s) for the spring semester have already been released. For more information, visit the UMTC Spring 2021 Class Setup Guide.

Academic Alerts project update

Academic Alerts is replacing the mid-term grades process for undergraduate classes this fall. The new process, part of the APLUS system, will be available to instructors in early October. The Academic Alert project team is currently in the final stages of testing. The team is also putting the finishing touches on training materials for instructors. Later this week, instructors will receive communications and resources about the new process.

Academic Policy Petition and One Time Only Drop update

The undergraduate Academic Policy Petition and One Time Drop processes will be changing this year. In the past, colleges required different documentation and routing processes, causing students to secure signatures and hand deliver forms to advising offices or One Stop Student Services in order to request exceptions or accommodations to policy.

Later this term, we will be moving the process to an electronic form where it can be filled, submitted, routed, and approved entirely online. This will reduce the need for collecting signatures in person and imaging the documentation for our records. Ultimately, this will improve the student petition experience when necessary. Additionally, the One Time Drop process will be a separate online form, distinct from the Academic Policy Petition process.

Leave of Absence reminder

As a reminder, processing a Leave of Absence always begins with Term Activation.

The first step to processing a Leave of Absence is to check the Term Activation page to see if a student is currently enrolled. The student must not be actively enrolled for any classes for the term(s) for which they request a leave. Classes must be in dropped or withdrawn status before you can proceed.

On the Term Activation page there are a few things you must watch for:

• If the Academic Load field indicates enrollment, assist the student with dropping all classes.
• If the Academic Load field is blank, attempt to remove that term row from the page.
• If, when you attempt to save, you receive an error message that “enrollment records exist.” Do not remove the row. Click OK and do not save.
  
• Then, uncheck the Eligible to Enroll checkbox for that term and save.
  

Processing a Leave without these first steps can “orphan” enrollment records and cause the student undue financial distress. Please refer to the Effective Date Chart for details, including how to add a leave row on the Student Program/Plan page.

If you have any questions or need assistance, contact OTR Training and Support at SRHelp@umn.edu.

FERPA Q&A

Q: We have recorded several class sessions that were held over Zoom. Can those recordings be shared with students that were absent from that class meeting? Can the recordings be shared with students taking a different course, but where the content would be helpful to them?

A: Any recording that is saved and captures students in an identifiable way, such as their images or names being shown in the recording, is a private education record under FERPA. The recordings can still be shared with students in that class section because they are enrolled together and are aware of each other's presence in the (virtual) classroom. However, the recordings cannot be shared with other people, unless the identified students give permission. For more information, consult the FERPA resources for COVID-19 document linked from the ASR website.