March 16: Clarification Letter to Faculty

March 16, 2020

To the Faculty Community:

A number of questions concerning instructional continuity have arisen since my earlier message, so I am providing additional clarity. Please use the web posting for the most up to date information:

  1. Per my earlier message: Most classes are on a 15-week instructional calendar, including classes that are already online. Those classes will resume coursework on Monday, March 23. For those classes that are on an eight-week calendar, or special cohort, online classes began Monday, March 16. Classes at the Antonin Scalia Law School also began Monday, March 16. For classes that resume on March 23, please suspend all course related activities at this time, e.g., collecting homework assignments, administering exams, etc. This means NO work  should be required for the week of March 16 through March 22. Once the semester restarts on March 23, faculty can begin making assignments.
  2. If students reach out to you about specific health issues, perhaps concerned that they have been exposed to COVID-19, please have them contact the Student Health Services at 703-993-2831. Students should also contact their healthcare provider. In addition, there are also a number of student services that are available on the University Life website.
    Regarding library access, lab work, the school calendar, etc. This is a fluid situation subject to CDC and other evolving guidelines and we are working to get you details as soon as possible. Please refer to Mason’s COVID19 website for the most updated information. We are working on a student page, linked from UnivLife, that will have information on available centers and virtual hours. This will be available to link directly to your syllabi soon.
  3. IP statement: Consistent with Mason Policy 4002, faculty who create “traditional works” in support of Mason online instruction during the 2020 spring semester will hold ownership in that work, just as faculty hold ownership in traditional works developed and delivered by in-person instructional means.

Sincerely,

S. David Wu
Provost and Executive Vice President