November 24, 2020
The Teaching Engagement Program and UO Online offer many resources to support you.
Faculty and advisors are reporting that some students are experiencing stress and low motivation. To address these challenges, this message highlights ways to refer students to support, talk with individual students about their well-being, and incorporate well-being advice into class slides. We also suggest several ideas to help students find motivation by taking stock of and feeling a sense of accomplishment in their learning.We hope that the holiday this week brings you and your students a much-deserved chance to rest. Please be in touch if we can support your end-of-term teaching in any way. You are welcome to schedule an individual consultation.
Communicating about Week 10, Finals, and Academic Integrity
Please clarify for students how you’ll conduct Week 10 classes and finals. Academic Council has relaxed the synchronous requirement during Week 10—let students know if class will meet as scheduled or not. Scheduled finals will occur according to the normal Registrar’s Exam Schedule. TEP and UO Online offer these timely ideas for how instructor framing and testing practices can support academic integrity.The Accessible Education Center reminds faculty and GEs that they are responsible for adding extended time and adjusting availability windows in Canvas appropriately to facilitate testing accommodations. Instructors can view their students’ notification letters in one place by accessing AEC’s Instructor Portal. Questions regarding testing accommodations can be directed to aectesting@uoregon.edu or (541) 346-1074.
If you have a “take-home,” or longer-window examination, it should be due no earlier than the scheduled final exam time.
Accessing Student Well-being Resources
University Counseling Services encourages instructors to demonstrate their care and commitment to student mental health by reaching out to students who appear to be struggling. From a place of empathy and compassion, listen to their concerns and don’t hesitate to ask questions (e.g. "how can I support you?”). Students greatly appreciate your flexibility and effort to connect them to resources based on their circumstances. Learn more strategies from UO Counseling Services.
Find out how to refer students to a range of academic and well-being supports.
Download these brief automatic slide decks on mental health and wellness created by University Counseling Services. You’re welcome to use them prior to the start of class or incorporate these slides throughout the class. More slide deck options will be made available to you, so please periodically check back for additional content.
Supporting Student Motivation and Feeling of Learning
Research on student learning indicates that faculty can bolster motivation by establishing the relevance of the content, supporting student self-efficacy, building relationships, and supporting student autonomy. In addition, students may benefit from support in developing a feeling of learning and accomplishment in remote and online courses. Find concrete ideas for how to do this during the close of term and as you plan for the winter.
UO Student Success Summit
The University of Oregon’s 2nd Biennial Student Success Summit, “Inspiration to Realization: Partnering for Every Student’s Success,” will be hosted virtually February 1-5, 2021. Come together to learn, share, and network—and to reaffirm our commitment to support the success of every student by closing the opportunity gaps that exist at the university. Short proposals for posters and conference sessions due December 15. Learn more here: https://uess.uoregon.edu/2021-student-success-summit