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<p>As we all make our final preparations, I want to welcome you back for the fall 2020 semester. During the summer, I hope that you were able to stay healthy and find the chance to rejuvenate at some point. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the faculty and staff from across the campus who have been diligently working over the past few months to help us prepare for the semester's opening. Although there will undoubtedly be issues that arise to be solved, we have made great progress in working towards having as orderly a start as possible for both our instructors and students.</p>
<p>Our upcoming fall semester will include a limited number of face-to-face courses, with most sections being offered online or remotely. We have compiled several updates and requests for you that are included in this message. I will also submit this email as a Trib article so you can easily reference the material and reminders that will be so important to a successful start for the fall 2020 semester.</p>
<p><strong>Important Dates</strong></p>
<p>Because of the additional time needed to reprogram the comprehensive changes in the Master Schedule, the deadline for students to apply for the fall semester has been changed to August 21 and the deadline to register for classes has been changed to August 24. The dates for drop/add remain the same and are September 1st for adding a course without a green slip and September 15th to drop. Please note that the drop for non-payment will be on August 20, so we will have less time than usual to place students into the seats vacated during the drop.</p>
<p>Additionally, for this semester only, students will not need instructor permission to enroll in an online course after preview week begins, as was our practice in past semesters.</p>
<p><strong>First Day of Classes</strong></p>
<p>Students--especially new students--have been asking questions about course expectations and how to prepare for the first day of class. After the transition to remote instruction in the spring, one concern we often heard was that the revised delivery format reduced the frequency, quality, and timeliness of interactions with instructors. Our task this fall is to do everything we can to ensure that courses are delivered in a way that students continue to feel as fully engaged as possible with you, their instructor, and with the instruction you provide.</p>
<p>To help address student concerns, we have posted information about the first day on the <a href="https://www.monroecc.edu/coronavirus/student-resources/">coronavirus page</a>, but <strong>it is very important that each of you send an email or Blackboard message to your students stating how they will connect with you for both remote and in-person classes</strong>. It would also be helpful to send your Course Information Sheet to students in advance of the first day so they can get a better sense of what will be expected for the course. As the semester approaches and students move in and out of your course, you will need to send out additional messages to newly registered students.</p>
<ul>
<li>For Remote classes, your email should include the expectations for the first day--for example, if you are holding a Zoom class that day, you'll need to send the link to your students so they can access the classroom.</li>
<li>For face-to-face classes, expectations for students has been added to the CIS memo (attached). <strong>In addition, there is an addendum attached with this information that all instructors are required to both distribute to face-to-face students in advance and review with students on the first day of a face-to-face course.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>For all courses, please include information referring students to the Blackboard shell for your course. Since every course has a Blackboard shell, we recommend that you have students use the Blackboard messaging system to help organize and track communications related to each course. However, please remind your students that important information from the College will also be communicated through their MCC email and they should check it several times each week.</p>
<p><strong>Returning to Campus and Access to Campus</strong></p>
<p>All employees who are scheduled to return to work on campus must complete the "Return to Campus Orientation" in MyMCC before they return to campus. Follow the instructions in the <a href="https://www.monroecc.edu/mccannou.nsf/all+listings/205E6300E118CF64852585C3000B7BC2?OpenDocument">Trib article</a>. Your supervisor is available for 1-1 sessions if you have any questions about the content to the training.</p>
<p>For any employee who is not scheduled to teach or regularly report to campus, please continue to work with your chair and dean to secure access. Moving forward, we will be using an electronic approval process so please look for that information in a future Trib article.</p>
<p>For anyone coming to campus, each campus will have only one authorized entrance checkpoint through which to access MCC buildings. The Brighton Campus entrance is located at the first (ground) floor of the Spina Administration Building. Plan on needing an extra 10-15 minutes to reach your campus destination. Only individuals who complete <a href="https://www.monroecc.edu/covid/">MCC's COVID-19 Self-Assessment</a>, scan in with an MCC ID, and wear face covering will be allowed to enter the buildings.</p>
<p><strong>Required Use of Blackboard</strong></p>
<p>Based on recommendations from the Learning Experience Return to Campus Workgroup, all instructors are now required to use Blackboard for:</p>
<ul>
<li>Posting Course Information Sheets (this is in addition to the central location for CISs.)</li>
<li>Sharing your contact information with students</li>
<li>Posting office hours</li>
<li>Using the grading center*</li>
<li>Providing contingency plans for courses with face- to-face activities in the event the college is forced to cancel these activities for reasons of public health.</li>
</ul>
<p>Our Virtual Campus team has identified instructors who need to complete the Level I training in order to successfully manage the requirements above. If you have not completed the necessary training, please do so <strong>immediately</strong> to avoid any delay in students accessing course materials. If you are teaching a fully online course and have not previously completed that training, it is vital that you do this immediately.</p>
<p>The Workgroup also encouraged the use of Blackboard post assignments and course documents and for communicating with students. Given the uncertain nature of the coronavirus and the length some people are incapacitated with the illness, your department chair might need to quickly reassign your course; having assignments and documents already posted will help with this process.</p>
<p>*MyMathLab can synch grades with Blackboard by using this <a href="https://www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com/northamerica/mymathlab/educators/support/integrate-with-blackboard-learn/index.html">link</a></p>
<p><strong>Course Information Sheets</strong></p>
<p>The CIS is always one of the most important documents you provide to our students, but given the structure of the fall 2020 courses, it will be essential for student success this semester. I am asking you to ensure your CIS is uploaded before the first day of class. If possible, send it to your students as soon as is practicable, but definitely prior to the first day of class. Your department chair and/or secretary can help you with this process.</p>
<p>I have attached the updated CIS memo to this message with updates highlighted in yellow. The attached Addendum is for face-to-face instruction and should be distributed prior to the first day of class.</p>
<p><strong>Attendance Considerations for the Fall Semester</strong></p>
<p>The role that attendance plays in the success of student learning is clearly established. However, we need to view attendance for this semester in light of the impact of the pandemic itself, and in considerations of access and equity. The risk of communicable disease, as well as the resulting changes to our instructional delivery, will impact how we address student attendance for face-to-face, remote, and distance learning modalities.</p>
<p>Due to the current coronavirus health crisis, face-to-face learning experiences present the highest risk of contagion to all students, faculty, and staff involved in face-to-face learning. It is imperative that individuals who are experiencing symptoms of infectious disease or who have been in contact with such individuals follow public health advisories to stay home. If there is a significant academic penalty for student non-attendance, we run the risk of encouraging students who are ill to come to campus.</p>
<p>Most of MCC's fall courses will be either fully online or remote or have a component that is online or remote, and the pandemic may cause students to experience a variety of access or equity issues (such as unreliable internet access, malfunctioning hardware, childcare or work responsibilities, family medical emergencies, and personal illness) that impede their ability to participate in these activities.</p>
<p>Due to these health and equity concerns:</p>
<ul>
<li>Face-to-face courses must provide students who are experiencing symptoms of infectious disease, or who have been in contact with such individuals, an option to complete missed work without academic penalty.</li>
<li>Every CIS must contain a statement discouraging students who are feeling physically and/or mentally unwell from attending in-person meetings and emphasizing that students will not be penalized for non-attendance. Students must be reminded of this statement repeatedly throughout the semester.</li>
<li>We must recognize fundamental inequities in students' ability to participate in synchronous online course activities, including remote instruction and time-limited online activities. Students with financial challenges may not have the same access to materials and technology as affluent students. Therefore, we ask that students not be subjected to academic penalties if they are unable to attend scheduled synchronous online meetings due to pandemic-related obstacles. Students who are unable to attend in-person or synchronous online activities (including but not limited to in-person discussion, participation, hands-on work, or in-class assessments such as tests or quizzes) be provided with a way to meet the learning outcomes of these activities through means that do not involve a significantly greater burden of work than that carried by students who do attend.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Being Available to Our Students</strong></p>
<p>In the unfortunate event you become ill or are otherwise unable to complete your teaching responsibilities during the semester, please follow the established procedures for informing your department secretary/chair as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Face-to-Face classes: use the class cancellation link to cancel your F2F class, and also post an announcement or message within Blackboard.</li>
<li>Remote classes: use the class cancellation link to cancel your remote class, and also post an announcement or message within Blackboard.</li>
<li>Online classes: if you are unable to engage or respond to your students for more than an entire 24-hour business day, please use the course cancellation link to alert your students and chair, and also post an announcement or message within Blackboard.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you must cancel a class, please ensure that the missed content/engagement is delivered in some capacity during the semester. This could mean posting an assignment to an interactive discussion board (once you are well enough to do so--it doesn't have to happen while you are ill) or even recording a lecture you intended to deliver at some point in the future. Just as in a "normal" semester, a prolonged illness could require that we find coverage for your class(es), so please keep your department chair informed.</p>
<p>Your Course Information Sheet and Blackboard course should also include the best way for students to contact you and specific information on the days and times for your virtual office hours. For example, if you are planning to hold office hours in a Zoom room, you need to have the link and times posted along with information on whether or not students will be required enter through a waiting room.</p>
<p><strong>Proctoring</strong></p>
<p>With the help of an ad hoc committee, the College has identified a remote proctoring solution using products from Respondus. We are working to finalize the purchase and installation and will be sharing more specific information shortly. There are several products that you may consider using this semester:</p>
<p><em>Respondus LockDown browser</em> is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within Blackboard Learn. When students use LockDown Browser to access an assessment, they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, or access other applications. Students are locked into an assessment until it is submitted for grading. Students must take their exam in the Blackboard native Test tool. This does not work with third party applications (such as McGraw, Pearson, Cengage,Lumen, etc.). Students must install the LockDown client on their computer.</p>
<ul>
<li>Here is a quick look at this tool: <a href="https://youtu.be/e-QRHkoF8Xg">https://youtu.be/e-QRHkoF8Xg</a></li>
<li>Additional training materials can be found here:</li>
<li><a href="https://web.respondus.com/he/lockdownbrowser/resources/">https://web.respondus.com/he/lockdownbrowser/resources/</a></li>
</ul>
<p><em>Respondus</em><em> Monitor</em> is a companion product for LockDown Browser that enables institutions to protect the integrity of non-proctored, online exams. Students use their own computer and a webcam to record assessment sessions, all through the Learning Management System. Students must install the LockDown Client on their computer.</p>
<ul>
<li>Here is a quick look at this tool: <a href="https://youtu.be/XuX8WoeAycs">https://youtu.be/XuX8WoeAycs</a>.</li>
<li>Additional training materials can be found here: <a href="https://web.respondus.com/he/monitor/resources/">https://web.respondus.com/he/monitor/resources/</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Feel free to review these materials first if you are interested in using Respondus this semester. Contact the Virtual Campus at <a href="mailto:virtualcampus@monroecc.edu">virtualcampus@monroecc.edu</a> if you have questions, and look for upcoming informational sessions through the Virtual Campus. Ongoing training is provided by Respondus here: <a href="https://web.respondus.com/webinars/">https://web.respondus.com/webinars/</a></p>
<p><strong>Disability Accommodations for Students</strong></p>
<p>Students enrolled in all learning modalities, including remote and online learning, are entitled to reasonable accommodations as determined through the processes outlined by the Counseling Center and Disability Services office on the attached document. In the remote or online environment, students may not be sure when or how to communicate their need for accommodations. As part of your first day orientation to your course, please announce how students can privately provide you with documentation on requested accommodations; it is also helpful to include this in your CIS, too.</p>
<p>If you have questions about how to provide requested accommodations in the virtual modality or otherwise, please contact the Disability Services office.</p>
<p><strong>Time for students to move between in-person and remote classes</strong></p>
<p>To help reduce the population density on campus, we are discouraging students from remaining on campus when they are not in class or receiving services. One byproduct of our retrofitting our fall schedule to move the majority of sections to a remote delivery is that passing from a face-to-face section to remote section within the traditional 10-minute passing time would likely be impractical. We are committed to minimize the need for any student to be on campus to participate in a remote course in order to reduce density on campus. To that end, we have asked faculty who have a lecture and lab within a single course to accommodate the students' time needed to move off-campus to participate in a remote lecture by recording the lecture or other means that will not put students at a disadvantage. Please communicate these plans to students as soon as possible. We have reviewed the schedule to identify students who have cross-course concerns and have worked with students to adjust schedules to minimize concerns. There are still are a small number of students who will need to stay on campus to participate remotely and these students will be accommodated at the Brighton library. Students will need to reserve space in advance and the college will provide instructions on this process soon. In general, we ask that you please discourage any on-campus presence of students unless absolutely necessary.</p>
<p><strong>Supports for students/faculty</strong></p>
<p>We will continue with our virtual support of both students and faculty. Attached is an updated "Virtual Technology Supports for Students and Faculty" to help everyone access information on our helpdesk services, the library, Zoom, and other areas. For direct academic supports for students, please continue to check the Academic Foundations page for how our Learning Centers will be operating. For the fall, MCC will also be using the following to assist students remotely:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>TutorTrac</em> for our tutoring services. TutorTrac is a free online tutoring platform that allows students to schedule live sessions with MCC tutors during scheduled hours. This service provides one-on-one live support with content experts in MCC specific courses ranging from Biology, English, Business, Psychology, and Writing, among many other courses. Sessions are held within an interactive virtual classroom in which a student can video chat with an MCC tutor, screen share, and upload documents in real time.</li>
<li><em>CircleIn</em> for student collaboration. CircleIn is a free online space where students can study remotely, collaborate with peers in order to communicate and exchange ideas, access tutors or Supplemental Instruction Leaders, and stay productive. CircleIn transforms the class into a digital community and creates the space for students to brainstorm together, just like they would in a coffee shop or a library. CircleIn may be accessed on any device, including a mobile device with the accompanying app. Students compete for points by sharing resources, asking questions, and engaging within the app. Those points can be redeemed for gift cards and other rewards.</li>
</ul>
<p>As we see other campuses find the need to pull back from fully face-to-face instruction, I am optimistic that our conservative choices for in-person and distance learning are the right combination to give our students the best possible education in as safe a manner as possible. Arriving at this decision was not easy and I want to thank each of you for your ongoing and continued support.</p>
<p>Have a great semester,</p>
<p>Andrea</p>

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MCC Daily Tribune

Dear Teaching Faculty email August 19, 2020

Dear Teaching Faculty,

As we all make our final preparations, I want to welcome you back for the fall 2020 semester. During the summer, I hope that you were able to stay healthy and find the chance to rejuvenate at some point. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the faculty and staff from across the campus who have been diligently working over the past few months to help us prepare for the semester's opening. Although there will undoubtedly be issues that arise to be solved, we have made great progress in working towards having as orderly a start as possible for both our instructors and students.

Our upcoming fall semester will include a limited number of face-to-face courses, with most sections being offered online or remotely. We have compiled several updates and requests for you that are included in this message. I will also submit this email as a Trib article so you can easily reference the material and reminders that will be so important to a successful start for the fall 2020 semester.

Important Dates

Because of the additional time needed to reprogram the comprehensive changes in the Master Schedule, the deadline for students to apply for the fall semester has been changed to August 21 and the deadline to register for classes has been changed to August 24. The dates for drop/add remain the same and are September 1st for adding a course without a green slip and September 15th to drop. Please note that the drop for non-payment will be on August 20, so we will have less time than usual to place students into the seats vacated during the drop.

Additionally, for this semester only, students will not need instructor permission to enroll in an online course after preview week begins, as was our practice in past semesters.

First Day of Classes

Students--especially new students--have been asking questions about course expectations and how to prepare for the first day of class. After the transition to remote instruction in the spring, one concern we often heard was that the revised delivery format reduced the frequency, quality, and timeliness of interactions with instructors. Our task this fall is to do everything we can to ensure that courses are delivered in a way that students continue to feel as fully engaged as possible with you, their instructor, and with the instruction you provide.

To help address student concerns, we have posted information about the first day on the coronavirus page, but it is very important that each of you send an email or Blackboard message to your students stating how they will connect with you for both remote and in-person classes. It would also be helpful to send your Course Information Sheet to students in advance of the first day so they can get a better sense of what will be expected for the course. As the semester approaches and students move in and out of your course, you will need to send out additional messages to newly registered students.

  • For Remote classes, your email should include the expectations for the first day--for example, if you are holding a Zoom class that day, you'll need to send the link to your students so they can access the classroom.
  • For face-to-face classes, expectations for students has been added to the CIS memo (attached). In addition, there is an addendum attached with this information that all instructors are required to both distribute to face-to-face students in advance and review with students on the first day of a face-to-face course.

For all courses, please include information referring students to the Blackboard shell for your course. Since every course has a Blackboard shell, we recommend that you have students use the Blackboard messaging system to help organize and track communications related to each course. However, please remind your students that important information from the College will also be communicated through their MCC email and they should check it several times each week.

Returning to Campus and Access to Campus

All employees who are scheduled to return to work on campus must complete the "Return to Campus Orientation" in MyMCC before they return to campus. Follow the instructions in the Trib article. Your supervisor is available for 1-1 sessions if you have any questions about the content to the training.

For any employee who is not scheduled to teach or regularly report to campus, please continue to work with your chair and dean to secure access. Moving forward, we will be using an electronic approval process so please look for that information in a future Trib article.

For anyone coming to campus, each campus will have only one authorized entrance checkpoint through which to access MCC buildings. The Brighton Campus entrance is located at the first (ground) floor of the Spina Administration Building. Plan on needing an extra 10-15 minutes to reach your campus destination. Only individuals who complete MCC's COVID-19 Self-Assessment, scan in with an MCC ID, and wear face covering will be allowed to enter the buildings.

Required Use of Blackboard

Based on recommendations from the Learning Experience Return to Campus Workgroup, all instructors are now required to use Blackboard for:

  • Posting Course Information Sheets (this is in addition to the central location for CISs.)
  • Sharing your contact information with students
  • Posting office hours
  • Using the grading center*
  • Providing contingency plans for courses with face- to-face activities in the event the college is forced to cancel these activities for reasons of public health.

Our Virtual Campus team has identified instructors who need to complete the Level I training in order to successfully manage the requirements above. If you have not completed the necessary training, please do so immediately to avoid any delay in students accessing course materials. If you are teaching a fully online course and have not previously completed that training, it is vital that you do this immediately.

The Workgroup also encouraged the use of Blackboard post assignments and course documents and for communicating with students. Given the uncertain nature of the coronavirus and the length some people are incapacitated with the illness, your department chair might need to quickly reassign your course; having assignments and documents already posted will help with this process.

*MyMathLab can synch grades with Blackboard by using this link

Course Information Sheets

The CIS is always one of the most important documents you provide to our students, but given the structure of the fall 2020 courses, it will be essential for student success this semester. I am asking you to ensure your CIS is uploaded before the first day of class. If possible, send it to your students as soon as is practicable, but definitely prior to the first day of class. Your department chair and/or secretary can help you with this process.

I have attached the updated CIS memo to this message with updates highlighted in yellow. The attached Addendum is for face-to-face instruction and should be distributed prior to the first day of class.

Attendance Considerations for the Fall Semester

The role that attendance plays in the success of student learning is clearly established. However, we need to view attendance for this semester in light of the impact of the pandemic itself, and in considerations of access and equity. The risk of communicable disease, as well as the resulting changes to our instructional delivery, will impact how we address student attendance for face-to-face, remote, and distance learning modalities.

Due to the current coronavirus health crisis, face-to-face learning experiences present the highest risk of contagion to all students, faculty, and staff involved in face-to-face learning. It is imperative that individuals who are experiencing symptoms of infectious disease or who have been in contact with such individuals follow public health advisories to stay home. If there is a significant academic penalty for student non-attendance, we run the risk of encouraging students who are ill to come to campus.

Most of MCC's fall courses will be either fully online or remote or have a component that is online or remote, and the pandemic may cause students to experience a variety of access or equity issues (such as unreliable internet access, malfunctioning hardware, childcare or work responsibilities, family medical emergencies, and personal illness) that impede their ability to participate in these activities.

Due to these health and equity concerns:

  • Face-to-face courses must provide students who are experiencing symptoms of infectious disease, or who have been in contact with such individuals, an option to complete missed work without academic penalty.
  • Every CIS must contain a statement discouraging students who are feeling physically and/or mentally unwell from attending in-person meetings and emphasizing that students will not be penalized for non-attendance. Students must be reminded of this statement repeatedly throughout the semester.
  • We must recognize fundamental inequities in students' ability to participate in synchronous online course activities, including remote instruction and time-limited online activities. Students with financial challenges may not have the same access to materials and technology as affluent students. Therefore, we ask that students not be subjected to academic penalties if they are unable to attend scheduled synchronous online meetings due to pandemic-related obstacles. Students who are unable to attend in-person or synchronous online activities (including but not limited to in-person discussion, participation, hands-on work, or in-class assessments such as tests or quizzes) be provided with a way to meet the learning outcomes of these activities through means that do not involve a significantly greater burden of work than that carried by students who do attend.

Being Available to Our Students

In the unfortunate event you become ill or are otherwise unable to complete your teaching responsibilities during the semester, please follow the established procedures for informing your department secretary/chair as follows:

  • Face-to-Face classes: use the class cancellation link to cancel your F2F class, and also post an announcement or message within Blackboard.
  • Remote classes: use the class cancellation link to cancel your remote class, and also post an announcement or message within Blackboard.
  • Online classes: if you are unable to engage or respond to your students for more than an entire 24-hour business day, please use the course cancellation link to alert your students and chair, and also post an announcement or message within Blackboard.

If you must cancel a class, please ensure that the missed content/engagement is delivered in some capacity during the semester. This could mean posting an assignment to an interactive discussion board (once you are well enough to do so--it doesn't have to happen while you are ill) or even recording a lecture you intended to deliver at some point in the future. Just as in a "normal" semester, a prolonged illness could require that we find coverage for your class(es), so please keep your department chair informed.

Your Course Information Sheet and Blackboard course should also include the best way for students to contact you and specific information on the days and times for your virtual office hours. For example, if you are planning to hold office hours in a Zoom room, you need to have the link and times posted along with information on whether or not students will be required enter through a waiting room.

Proctoring

With the help of an ad hoc committee, the College has identified a remote proctoring solution using products from Respondus. We are working to finalize the purchase and installation and will be sharing more specific information shortly. There are several products that you may consider using this semester:

Respondus LockDown browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within Blackboard Learn. When students use LockDown Browser to access an assessment, they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, or access other applications. Students are locked into an assessment until it is submitted for grading. Students must take their exam in the Blackboard native Test tool. This does not work with third party applications (such as McGraw, Pearson, Cengage,Lumen, etc.). Students must install the LockDown client on their computer.

Respondus Monitor is a companion product for LockDown Browser that enables institutions to protect the integrity of non-proctored, online exams. Students use their own computer and a webcam to record assessment sessions, all through the Learning Management System. Students must install the LockDown Client on their computer.

Feel free to review these materials first if you are interested in using Respondus this semester. Contact the Virtual Campus at virtualcampus@monroecc.edu if you have questions, and look for upcoming informational sessions through the Virtual Campus. Ongoing training is provided by Respondus here: https://web.respondus.com/webinars/

Disability Accommodations for Students

Students enrolled in all learning modalities, including remote and online learning, are entitled to reasonable accommodations as determined through the processes outlined by the Counseling Center and Disability Services office on the attached document. In the remote or online environment, students may not be sure when or how to communicate their need for accommodations. As part of your first day orientation to your course, please announce how students can privately provide you with documentation on requested accommodations; it is also helpful to include this in your CIS, too.

If you have questions about how to provide requested accommodations in the virtual modality or otherwise, please contact the Disability Services office.

Time for students to move between in-person and remote classes

To help reduce the population density on campus, we are discouraging students from remaining on campus when they are not in class or receiving services. One byproduct of our retrofitting our fall schedule to move the majority of sections to a remote delivery is that passing from a face-to-face section to remote section within the traditional 10-minute passing time would likely be impractical. We are committed to minimize the need for any student to be on campus to participate in a remote course in order to reduce density on campus. To that end, we have asked faculty who have a lecture and lab within a single course to accommodate the students' time needed to move off-campus to participate in a remote lecture by recording the lecture or other means that will not put students at a disadvantage. Please communicate these plans to students as soon as possible. We have reviewed the schedule to identify students who have cross-course concerns and have worked with students to adjust schedules to minimize concerns. There are still are a small number of students who will need to stay on campus to participate remotely and these students will be accommodated at the Brighton library. Students will need to reserve space in advance and the college will provide instructions on this process soon. In general, we ask that you please discourage any on-campus presence of students unless absolutely necessary.

Supports for students/faculty

We will continue with our virtual support of both students and faculty. Attached is an updated "Virtual Technology Supports for Students and Faculty" to help everyone access information on our helpdesk services, the library, Zoom, and other areas. For direct academic supports for students, please continue to check the Academic Foundations page for how our Learning Centers will be operating. For the fall, MCC will also be using the following to assist students remotely:

  • TutorTrac for our tutoring services. TutorTrac is a free online tutoring platform that allows students to schedule live sessions with MCC tutors during scheduled hours. This service provides one-on-one live support with content experts in MCC specific courses ranging from Biology, English, Business, Psychology, and Writing, among many other courses. Sessions are held within an interactive virtual classroom in which a student can video chat with an MCC tutor, screen share, and upload documents in real time.
  • CircleIn for student collaboration. CircleIn is a free online space where students can study remotely, collaborate with peers in order to communicate and exchange ideas, access tutors or Supplemental Instruction Leaders, and stay productive. CircleIn transforms the class into a digital community and creates the space for students to brainstorm together, just like they would in a coffee shop or a library. CircleIn may be accessed on any device, including a mobile device with the accompanying app. Students compete for points by sharing resources, asking questions, and engaging within the app. Those points can be redeemed for gift cards and other rewards.

As we see other campuses find the need to pull back from fully face-to-face instruction, I am optimistic that our conservative choices for in-person and distance learning are the right combination to give our students the best possible education in as safe a manner as possible. Arriving at this decision was not easy and I want to thank each of you for your ongoing and continued support.

Have a great semester,

Andrea

Attached Files:
August CIS Memo Fall 2020.docx
Accommodating Students with Disabilities Fall 2020.docx
CIS Addendum Fall 2020.docx
UPDATED Virtual Technology Supports for Students and Faculty 8-21.docx

Andrea Wade
Academic Services
08/20/2020