Faculty

Faculty are encouraged to utilize an assignment, syllabus quiz or introductory assignment to document engagement with course materials. Logging into OAKS does not designate course attendance. If you are uncertain about whether a student has “engaged” with your class to meet the threshold of “verification,” please consult with your department chair or academic program director before deleting the student from your class roll.

While masks may not be required in classrooms, faculty may request that masks be worn in their classroom and private office. If you plan to make such a request, please inform students in advance and have some masks on hand in case they have forgotten to bring their own. 

Faculty members may also raise any concerns about the voluntary-only face mask policy directly to their chair/program director and dean, as appropriate, and seek guidance about possible temporary modifications. Chairs/program directors and deans are encouraged to work with faculty members to identify and implement temporary modifications, including sending communications to classes where a faculty member is requesting that masks continue to be worn and an issue arises. 

Should faculty need disability related accommodations, the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs can assist. More information on how to request disability related accommodations can be found here Employee Accommodations - College of Charleston (cofc.edu).

Please have students, who require a disability accommodation for the face covering requirement, contact the Center for Disability Services at SNAP@cofc.edu or 843.953.1431.

In the event you have a student who refuses to comply with the face covering requirement in your class or office, you are within your rights to ask that student to leave the room and not return until he/she/they are willing to follow our campus-wide policy. If this does happen, we ask that you report this student for non-compliance using this form. Faculty may also consider penalties for class participation and attendance-related grades.

Professors have the discretion to determine whether the nature of the course and the technology available lend themselves to remote instruction.

Professors should encourage students to seek assistance from the Student Instructional Technology Services.

Visit the Academic Affairs syllabi web page. Department chairs and program directors are responsible for reviewing syllabus compliance.

The best educational practice is to post grades frequently and provide regular feedback to students, and OAKS provides a common tool for students. This is particularly important during the first four weeks of the semester. Faculty are encouraged to submit a F.A.S.T. Referral for students who are struggling.

All such requests should be submitted to Academic Affairs. Contact Mark Del Mastro (delmastromp@cofc.edu).

The 2021-2022 Joint Memo on tenure, promotion, renewal and third-year review outlines the accommodations in place for major faculty reviews. Candidates, department chairs and deans are also reminded of the College’s standing tenure clock modification policy and the April 3, 2020 memo on pandemic-associated clock modifications. Faculty members considering requesting clock modifications should review all three documents, consult with their department chair or academic program director, and be mindful of deadlines for requesting clock modifications. The deadline was July 1, 2021 for candidates with mandatory reviews scheduled in 2021-2022.

If students are having trouble hearing you in class or on Zoom, contact Mark Staples or Zach Hartje in IT.

Please visit the library website for current information on library hours. Safety protocols for the library will be the same as the current campus-wide protocols.

No. Student Health Services is requesting this information from students, but it is being kept confidential.

No. Faculty can decide whether or not to record their lectures. This can be an effective way to allow students to review material they have missed because of an excused absence.

No. Students who sign up for in-person classes are expected to attend in person.

Please work with the student to make sure he/she/they have the opportunity to make up the work.

No, this will not be required but wipes will be available.

Faculty are on the front lines with students and your efforts can make a material difference in reducing the spread of COVID in our community. Please be sure to:

• Let students know to self-report if they have recently tested positive for COVID-19 or are identified as a close contact. This reporting tool is vital in helping Student Health provide supportive services for students and for identifying trends in cases
• Promote an environment that discourages sick students from attending class

The College of Charleston strongly recommends its students, faculty and staff receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, please note: a COVID-19 vaccination is not required for any student to enroll or an employee to work at the College of Charleston.

Check out the Teaching & Learning Team tutorials.