The following message with information regarding the return to in-person instruction for winter term was sent to Drexel students.
Dear Students,
As the Return Oversight Committee shared in Wednesday’s announcement, Drexel will be returning to in-person instruction for the week of Jan. 17.
As our public health leaders have shared, the COVID-19 cases we have seen in our community are coming from social settings outside of the classroom. Many infections understandably occurred during the winter holiday season, and cases among the Drexel community have recently been decreasing. All cases are fully investigated, and to date, there has been no evidence of COVID-19 transmission in Drexel’s academic, research or administrative spaces since returning to in-person instruction in the fall. This is thanks to the commitment of the full Drexel community to vaccinate, get booster shots when eligible, mask and prioritize the health and safety of all.
The Return to In-Person Instruction
We have taken every step recommended by our medical and public health experts to facilitate the return to in-person instruction and the on-campus experience. Although courses have been taught remotely for the past two weeks, the University has remained open, including the Rec Center, Libraries, residence halls and dining facilities. While many students have expressed the desire to return, I know others are anxious about returning to in-person instruction and have requested for Drexel to offer all courses in remote and face-to-face modalities.
Whether or not a course can be offered in a HyFlex (mixed modality) format depends on several factors, including course content, pedagogical needs and technology. Pedagogically, the strategies for teaching remotely and for teaching in person can vary greatly by course, making it challenging or impossible for faculty to deliver content in both modalities simultaneously. In some cases, offering both modalities would require offering additional course sections, which we do not have the capacity to do. For these reasons, we cannot universally accommodate student requests to remain remote.
Accommodating Student Illness or Quarantine
Instructors have strategies for supporting students who are required by Drexel to undergo a quarantine or isolation period and will make every effort to keep the student connected to the course material. Students will not be required to withdraw from a course due to isolation or quarantine.
If you feel sick or must isolate or quarantine during the term, please follow these steps:
- If you feel sick, follow the recently revised instructions on the following page: “What to Do If You Feel Sick.”
- Contact your instructor and advisor as soon as possible and let them know that you will need to be absent from class.
- Follow your instructor’s guidance on how to proceed with coursework. Depending on the course, this may involve viewing a recording of a missed class, working on an alternative assignment, joining the course via remote synchronous access, etc.
- For more information about quarantine and isolation, please visit the Response to Coronavirus website.
As a reminder, the University will be closed in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 17. Students, faculty and staff are invited to register for various activities with campus partners through the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement in honor of Dr. King’s legacy.
I look forward to seeing you on campus in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Paul E. Jensen
Executive Vice President
Nina Henderson Provost