Flu-Proof Your Course

Follow these steps to ensure class continuity for your classes in the event of a severe flu outbreak on campus this year. You’ll also want to check out the Faculty Flu Toolkit which provides the detailed “how-to” instructions and guidance on how to implement the following suggestions.

Step 1:  Plan ahead

The single most important thing you can do for yourself and your students to minimize stress and confusion is to plan ahead.  It is hard to be too prepared, and fortunately, many of the strategies outlined here may be beneficial to the operation of your course, even if our campus doesn’t experience severe impacts. Be aware that a number of the available technologies may require you to take a training course, request an account (separate from your e-mail/network account), additional equipment (such as microphone or web cam), or may involve having to wait for service personnel to set up systems for you. Therefore, keep this in mind and request yours as soon as possible to avoid the waiting when the time comes.

Step 2:  Create an emergency communications strategy

Determine how you will exchange course information and updates with your students should you be unable to meet with them face to face.  Here are some suggestions on how you might do this:

• Create an e-mail distribution list for your course(s).

• Include information in your syllabus explaining how you will communicate with your students in an emergency. Post this information online and provide the address location to your students;
• Talk to your colleagues and support staff in your office and plan in detail how you will stay in touch with one another if several people are absent in your department at the same time.  Consider who could take over for your class if you get sick, and also who you could back-up if a colleague gets sick.
• Review the information provided elsewhere on this site for students and all employees regarding prevention, procedures and other necessary information.
• Talk with your division administrator and get clarification on your duties, responsibilities and the availability of support in your department during a severe flu impact.

Step 3:  Establish your course policies

The college is advising students to stay home if they suspect they have the flu. See the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section for more details.  This may result in some of your students being out of class for an entire week or more.  Review your syllabus and attendance policies now—before your students are sick—so you can communicate expectations early. Consider the following suggestions:

• Inform students of your plan to help them keep up with their coursework should a flu outbreak occur.  
• Tell them how you will notify them about changes in your class plans or assignments.
• If you are already using Blackboard Vista or MyBC Class Sites, the announcements feature is a simple way to communicate updates.
• Simply using e-mail is another way to communicate.
• You may decide to be more flexible with attendance policies for your course by allowing online discussions or “virtual classrooms” to serve as a substitute for classroom participation. There are a number of resources available for conducting these types of discussions. Check these out in the Faculty Flu Toolkit.  This may be an ideal way to help accommodate students who have the flu, are still contagious and are not ready to return to campus, but feel well enough to attend class remotely.  Both the Blackboard Vista and MyBC Class Sites provide tools for this purpose.
• Students may miss assignment deadlines and/or exams because of illness.  In your syllabus and grading policy, outline how you will handle late assignments or missed exams and whether or not this policy will be revised if missed work is due to flu-related disruptions.

Step 4:  Determine how you will keep your class going

Handouts, documents and assignments may be posted online using a variety of distribution methods. You should also consider how you’ll want your students to submit assignments electronically in case they cannot come to campus.

Ideas to consider

• Share assignments and files to a class site—either using MyBC Class Sites or Blackboard Vista course sites.
• Send assignments to students via e-mail.
• Provide a way for students to submit assignments. Some possible ways to do this:
• Using a class site—either MyBC Class Sites or Blackboard Vista course sites.
• Using e-mail—have your students e-mail you assignments via an e-mail attachment.
• Conduct live, real-time discussions online using a MyBC Class Site or Blackboard Vista course site by scheduling a start and end time for the conversation and use provided discussion tools.  Alternatively you can use the e-mail distribution list to post questions to your students.
• Offer quizzes and exams using Blackboard Vista, or send to students via e-mail and as e-mail attachments.  This may require restructuring your quiz or exam as a "take home" assessment featuring less multiple choice or T/F questions and more open-ended, interpretive essay-style or short answer questions.

• Provide lectures or demonstrations by recording the lecture on your desktop or in the classroom using Camtasia Relay, software available to faculty.  The file you create with this tool will automatically post to a streaming server you can direct your students to. 
• Set up a virtual meeting or phone conference with Elluminate, software available if you complete training and schedule your meeting in advance. Elluminate is state-supported software provided to Bellevue College employees for the purpose of hosting live, web-based collaboration sessions. 
• Plan a virtual lab for your students by directing them to freely available websites relevant to your course materials that would provide suitable activities for your course. Check with your textbook publisher; many offer online course materials, labs and activities.

Next check out the Faculty Flu Toolkit.