What is Academic Continuity? 

Academic Continuity refers to the continued delivery of instruction in the event of all, or parts, of an instructional site being closed.  Return to the MML Academic Continuity Plan

How should faculty communicate with students about Academic Continuity? 

Faculty should send initial communication through MyCWU > Faculty Center > Class Roster indicating that Canvas will be used to continue the course during closure. Students access Canvas (https://canvas.cwu.edu) and login with CWU username and password

Should I cancel my class in the event of a weather, medical, or other emergency?  

While we understand your concern and caution in these events, class cancelation should come at the direction of your academic department, university center, or the office of the President. Consult with your department chair or dean for more information.  

How should faculty prepare in advance for class disruption?  

Consider what aspects of your course are most essential so you can plan to refocus on those elements in a new modality, such as online, in the event that completing all regularly scheduled missed work becomes impossible or unreasonable. Prioritize these elements (assignments, discussions, etc.) for online delivery.  Review the MML Academic Continuity Plan & Checklist

How should faculty interact with individual students asking to stay home or work online due to medical concerns?  

Please be prepared to accommodate students who are requesting to stay home due to illness. Clearly communicate opportunities and expectations around alternative assignments or makeup work. 

How should I prepare my students for off-campus work in the event of a campus closure?  

Instructors should notify students to arrange for alternate course delivery options. These may include attending class using Blackboard Ultra, participating using Canvas, Office 365, and reviewing lectures recorded through Panopto, if appropriate.  

What technology is required for an instructor to deliver courses online?  

An internet-ready PC or Mac with web browsing capability is required for the faculty use of Canvas and Office 365. Use of Panopto and Blackboard Ultra requires a webcam and microphone.  

What technology is required for a student to attend classes online?  

Students may interact in courses using a computer with web browser, or the Canvas mobile app. Use of Panopto and Blackboard Ultra requires a webcam and microphone or telephone. More robust information for online coursework is available here.  

What resources are available to help faculty deliver courses online? 

• Access Canvas 24/7 Faculty support from within Canvas help
• CWU Instructor Resource course for faculty (login required) 
• Canvas Instructor Training self-paced Canvas course (no login required) 
• Login to Office 365 (https://office.com) with CWU credentials to access the full Microsoft Office Suite including OneDrive for saving documents in the cloud. 
• If you need to access your office computer from home, request access from Service Desk 

Who should I contact if I have more questions?

General questions:

• Forrest Hollingsworth

Canvas, online assessments and grading

• Delayna Breckon

• Muneeb Mobashar

Lecture capture, audio/video recordings, Panopto, web conferencing

• Chad Schone

• Nat Nickel

Streaming media & other library resources

• Geri Hopkins

What if I have Technical issues? 

Access Canvas 24/7 Faculty support from within Canvas help or contact CWU Service Desk 509-963-2001 

Should students who are participating in out-of-classroom settings, such as clinicals or placements in the field, continue their assignments as usual? 

 Students involved in these activities should receive direction from their CWU faculty and site supervisor.  

What should faculty do for labs and other hands-on activities? 

When possible, labs and other hands-on activities should be delivered in Canvas when possible.  Online assignments can include: an overview and review of lab safety, a virtual tour of the teaching lab environment, an overview of projects and expectations for lab reports, and/or background reading for future lab activities. 

I understand that Canvas is the University learning management platform, but I am unfamiliar with this tool. What resources are available to me to learn more? 

Canvas provides a place where faculty can share course documents, assignments and syllabi with the students registered in the course. Most CWU courses have a Canvas course. 

• CWU Instructor Resource course for faculty (login required) 
• Canvas Instructor Training self-paced Canvas course (no login required) 
• CWU Canvas Support provides tutorials and request forms
• Multimodal Learning workshops

What if I have specific questions about academic continuity? 

Contact the Department Chair or the College Dean.