Staying safe in this course during the COVID-19 pandemic
Staying safe in this course during the COVID-19 pandemic#
Note
This section and its contents are mandated by Boise State University; I did not write it, nor do I agree with all of it. For information about the plans and accommodations for COVID that I have designed into this specific class, see Coronavirus.
At Boise State, we’re looking forward to another successful semester. This success depends on all of us taking small but necessary steps to keep students, faculty, staff and the local community healthy and safe during the pandemic. For its part, the university has put public health requirements measures in place to support our success. For example, Boise State Public Health staff monitor case rates and perform contract tracing in every class where there may have been a COVID-19 exposure.
As students and faculty, our part of this work is to understand and adhere to Boise State’s rules and strategies to maintain public health. If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, you should stay home, test, and wait for the results before attending in-person campus activities. Layered COVID-19 prevention strategies are outlined on this University’s COVID-19 web page. And for the purpose of facilitating contact tracing of positive cases to prevent classroom/campus spread, you also need to sit in the same seat all semester.
You will select your seat at the first class meeting. Please note the seat number, as this seat will remain yours, unless seating arrangements are reassigned during the semester by the instructor. You will need to enter this seat number in MyBoiseState’s student view, on the Schedule tab.
I encourage you to learn about other precautions you can take to keep yourself and your peers safe; you can find the latest recommendations on [the Health Guidelines website]*https://www.boisestate.edu/coronavirus-response/health-guidelines/). Please note that failing to follow these rules and precautions is a violation of Boise State’s Student Code of Conduct and will subject you to university sanctions and discipline.
While facial coverings are not currently required in classrooms and most other campus buildings, students who feel more comfortable wearing a mask are encouraged to do so. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to view masking as “a critical public health tool” alongside “vaccination, self-testing, and physical distancing,” and Boise State recommends the use of facial coverings to provide an extra layer of protection from COVID-19, especially during periods of time or in places associated with high transmission. As the University allows students and faculty to choose whether or not to wear a facial covering in classrooms, we will respect one another’s decisions in this regard.
Specific protocols may change during the semester, and additional measures may become necessary as the public health situation evolves. Guidance for such change will come from the Boise State University Office of the President. Additional details regarding guidelines, protocols, etc., may be found on the University’s COVID-19 website.
We are taking these and other health precautions so that this course and others can continue to meet in person. Of course, even implementing these strategies can’t keep us 100% safe from infection. Because we are breathing common air in the classroom and sitting close together for entire class meetings, all of us remain at risk of potential exposure to the virus. To preserve this learning community for the duration of the semester, it is imperative that we all engage in behaviors that protect the overall public health.
This course is specifically designed for the hybrid learning environment. The face-to-face format of this course offers a number of benefits that appeal to many students. While I will accommodate the learning needs of students who need to isolate or quarantine, you should expect that this course will continue to meet in person all semester. Should you prefer a course that meets online or remotely, please talk with me, and we will see if another section of this course or a similar one is available.