From the Dean: Thank you!

Thank you for a good start to the fall semester. I appreciate all that you have done to contribute to a safe working and learning environment and academically enriching experiences for our students. This is a semester like none other, and I am grateful to work with colleagues who are flexible, creative, and supportive of one another. I know there have been challenges this first week, so I want to share some resources and information with you.

Our [Innovation in Teaching and Technology](https://coe.uga.edu/directory/innovation-teaching-technology) (ITT) team is available to support, troubleshoot, and brainstorm with you as you work through the glitches of teaching in this new environment. I have heard from some instructors that it is difficult to engage both face-to-face and remote students simultaneously. The ITT team can help think through solutions such as assigning a student who is present in the classroom to monitor the chat and raised hands for remote students to alert you to requests from remote students. They can also help you refine or rethink the hy-flex model if it isn’t working for your teaching style, your content, or your students’ needs. And they can assist you with coordinating technology such as document cameras, webcams, whiteboards, and microphones. In addition to individual support, elsewhere in COEfyi, you will find an invitation to drop-in to the ITT Academy this semester to work with the ITT team and colleagues to address instructional challenges.

I have heard that teaching in the face coverings provided by UGA is tiring because the fabric tends to suction to your face when you breathe. We can procure three KN95 masks for each instructor who wants them. KN95 masks are made of a more rigid material and have a vertical seam in front of the nose and mouth, which makes breathing easier because it keeps the fabric away from your face. Information about the ordering process is forthcoming shortly. Our Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders faculty have developed some voice hygiene tips for those who are finding that teaching while wearing a mask strains their voices. These tips are forthcoming in a short video.

Please make sure your students, particularly undergraduate students, have opportunities to engage with you for synchronous instruction (in person and/or online, depending on how your class is scheduled) regularly. We are hearing from students and parents that some students are taking 75% of their classes online and that some students are experiencing a lot of asynchronous instruction (watching videos with no real-time interaction). While these reports are anecdotal, there are concerns about students’ mental health, their ability to ask questions about material they do not understand, and students’ perceptions about the quality of instruction they are receiving in these circumstances. Again, the ITT team is available to assist you with thinking of creative ways to engage with your students during class and office hours.

If you have additional concerns or suggestions about instruction, please [email me](mailto:coedean@uga.edu), and I will work to find solutions and act on your ideas.

Again, thank you for your commitment to our students and for the time, energy, and expertise you are putting into creating meaningful learning opportunities in these challenging times.

Denise A. Spangler
Dean