{"id":770,"date":"2025-09-23T10:19:31","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T14:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/?p=770"},"modified":"2025-10-09T17:14:25","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T21:14:25","slug":"academic-continuity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/academic-continuity\/","title":{"rendered":"Academic Continuity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Academic Continuity refers to the continuation of teaching and learning at Clark University in the event of unexpected or extended campus closures. This guide, provided by ITS and CETAL, will give you some considerations, techniques and tools to plan and implement academic continuity strategies for your courses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Explore Services<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Plan Ahead<\/summary>\n

As with many things, the best time to plan for an emergency is before it happens. Taking some simple steps at the beginning of every semester can help both you and your students, should you need to be off campus for a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Share a Syllabus Statement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crafting and sharing a statement for your syllabus about how you will handle academic continuity will make it clear to all students what your approach will be. A sample statement is included below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Class Cancellations: In the event that class is cancelled due to inclement weather\/illness\/unforeseen circumstances, I will send an email to your Clark University email address with further instructions. In all cases of a cancelled class, an attempt will be made to make up for lost class time using online tools so please expect to log in to our Canvas site for information about alternate arrangements including additional materials and assignments.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use Canvas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the techniques offered here to continue teaching and learning away from the classroom will include Canvas. Publishing your Canvas course, and using it regularly will make your, and your students\u2019 transition after an unexpected closure, much easier. Click here for information on Canvas.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get Ready<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take some time now and use the ideas and techniques below to make a concrete plan for how you will approach an unexpected campus closure. For example, draft and save a sample email for your students that will explain how you will communicate with them and how you will modify your course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, identify an \u2018ever-green\u2019 topic for your course. This is a topic that can be used this year, or in the future, and presented to the students at any point of a semester. \u2018Ever-green\u2019 topics are often supplemental to your usual course schedule and usually stand alone. Once identified, collect some resources and create an activity that can be presented online to have students engage and learn about the topic. Many semesters you won\u2019t need the \u2018ever-green\u2019 topic, but if you need it \u2013 everything is ready!<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

First Steps<\/summary>\n

In the event of an emergency campus closure, the following steps can help you think about how to keep your students engaged in their learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay Informed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monitor your Clark email and other communication streams for official communication about campus closures. Ensure that your ClarkALERTS information is up to date (https:\/\/you.clarku.edu<\/a>). Additionally, talk to your department as they will likely have more details about the situation and expectations for classes. Administrators may want department\u2019s classes handled in similar ways, so check before doing too much planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early Communication<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communicate with your students right away. Even if you don\u2019t have a plan in place yet, inform them that changes are coming and what your expectations for them will be around communication and how you will get them more details soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teaching and Learning Considerations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, consider goals for continuing instruction, including what you think you and your students can realistically accomplish during this time period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Review your course schedule to identify your priorities for the period of the closure. What activities are better rescheduled, and what can be done easily online? What will have to change in your syllabus (due dates, assignments, etc.)? Give yourself a little flexibility, just in case the situation takes longer to resolve than you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify your new expectations for students including participation, communication, and deadlines. Keep in mind the impact this situation may have on students\u2019 ability to meet expectations, including illness, lacking access to technology, or needing to care for family members. Be ready to handle requests for extensions or accommodations equitably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technology will undoubtedly play a part in your ability to continue teaching. As much as possible, try to rely on tools and workflows that are familiar to you, your students, and Clark\u2019s ITS. Roll out new tools only when necessary. Introducing a lot of new tools and approaches can lead to frustration, confusion and detract from the learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue to Communicate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have more details about the changes in the class, communicate them to students. Additionally, set expectations on how soon they can expect responses to their many questions. Finally, communicate regularly with your students to keep the academic momentum of your course.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Strategies<\/summary>\n

The strategies listed here provide multiple options for keeping your class running \u2013 offered in order from those that require the least technical skill to the most involved. In order to help your course run smoothly during this time, focus on the most basic elements you need to put in place to meet your short-term instructional objectives. If the situation continues, you can add more activities and find ways to accomplish them online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication<\/summary>\n

Early and regular communication with your students is a key strategy in helping your students stay active in their learning away from the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An easy way to make announcements to your class is to use the Announcements in your Canvas course. Faculty and TAs can create a post in this forum, and all students will receive the message as an email to their Clark University email address.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Resources<\/summary>\n

You will likely need to provide additional course materials to support your changing plans, from updated schedules to readings that allow you to shift more instruction online. In a pinch, providing some new readings and related assignments or online discussions may be your best bet for keeping the intellectual momentum of the course moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without regular class-time, you may need to think differently  on what resources to provide your students. However, don\u2019t overlook the wonderful resources and offered by the Goddard Library to faculty and students on, and off campus. Click here to learn more about the Library\u2019s Academic Continuity resources. <\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Course Activities<\/summary>\n

Discussions<\/strong>
Fostering communication online allows you to reproduce any discussions or collaboration you build into your course, and maintains a sense of community that can help keep students motivated to participate and learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canvas discussion boards can offer a rich and interesting way of having students engage with content and each other. Some suggestions include<\/p>\n\n\n\n