Another keep teaching note

[AcadFac] Another Keep Teaching note

AcadFac <acadfac-bounces@lists.colostate.edu>

on behalf of

Miranda,Rick <Rick.Miranda@ColoState.EDU>

To: acadfac@lists.colostate.edu <acadfac@lists.colostate.edu> Dear Colleagues,

I’ve been deeply moved over the past week, hearing from so many of you about your concern for students and commitment to suppor ng them as part of our collec ve effort to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s inspiring to see faculty and staff working crea vely and collabora vely to ensure that we’ll be able to provide high-quality courses to students for the rest of the term. Thank you for your ini a ve, dedica on, and focus on priori zing students’ welfare and success! I also hope that you are taking some me to care for

yourselves.

Because many faculty have wri en with ques ons about how to ensure academic integrity during online tes ng, I want to let you know that proctoring service is now available to all of campus through ProctorU’s auto-launch service. Our subscrip on covers high-stakes exams only (e.g., mid-terms and finals). You can take advantage of technologies that use low-stakes assessments to enact instruc onal approaches based in the science of learning. For instance, this can include using open-book Canvas quizzes to promote spaced prac ce or alterna ve

assessments (e.g., Canvas discussions, essays, or projects) to encourage elabora on and deeper conceptual understanding. Please note that ProctorU auto-launch serves only in-person courses moving online. Distance courses through CSU Online should con nue to use ProctorU’s live-launch service.

As teachers and leaders in and out of the classroom, we ask our students to trust us in so many ways. I suppose mechanisms that provide oversight of our academic integrity expecta ons may be seen as us not trus ng our students. We do know that the vast majority of those studying with us are trying their best to be responsible; but our commitment to all of our students’ learning and our need for accountability puts us in the posi on of Trust But Verify, it seems. However, let’s try to avoid ge ng into a mindset of suspicion, and maybe a few silly puns will help:

Don’t trust atoms: they make up everything; Don’t trust trees: they are kinda shady;

Don’t trust ladders: they are always up to something; and my favorite:

Don’t trust People with graph paper: they’re plo ng something!

(That hit pre y close to home, the mathema cian in me loves graph paper.)

Trust can be hard to come by, and it has to be earned. I hope that we have earned that trust with our students, and with each other.

Stay healthy, be trustworthy, and stay tuned, Rick

Rick Miranda

Provost and Execu ve Vice President Colorado State University