Fall 2020 classes will begin on Aug. 17, 2020. In-person classes will end on Nov. 24, 2020. Final exams start Dec. 2, 2020, and end on Dec. 8, 2020, and will be administered online only.
Yes. To lessen pandemic travel risks, Auburn University has canceled fall break, initially scheduled for Oct. 8 and 9.
The final day students can officially withdraw from a course in Fall semester is Tuesday, Nov. 24.
The modified final exam schedule is posted on the Office of the Registrar website.
Yes. The University is covering the cost of virtual proctoring. Faculty should configure their Canvas courses to administer the remote exams. Support is available through Biggio Testing Services.
To give students appropriate time to prepare for final exams and avoid the possibility of students having multiple final exams during instructional days, faculty should refrain from giving final exams during the last several instructional days of class.
The Policy on Undergraduate Examinations states that in "unusual circumstances, performance tests, term papers, research projects or other forms of evaluation appropriate to the objectives of the course may be substituted for a final examination with the approval of the department head, who will report such action to the dean and provost."
Because the Fall 2020 semester will be conducted under unusual circumstances, faculty can use other forms of evaluation. In addition to this flexibility, the requirement to notify the Provost's Office of the alternate form outlined in the policy is waived for fall 2020. Deans may also waive this notification requirement for the fall semester if desired.
Auburn will utilize HonorLock, ProctorU, and ExamSoft for online examinations. All students are expected to follow the Auburn University Academic Honesty Code. Faculty may also redesign a test or assignment to another form of assessment that discourages cheating or may choose not to administer final exams.
Courses will be offered through a mix of in-person and remote delivery, with the intent to offer as many in-person classes as reasonable. Classes will be offered through one of four modalities: (1) Face-to-Face, (2) Online, (3) Blended, and (4) HyFlex. Faculty will determine which instructional methods best align with the learning outcomes of their courses, and the chosen methods will be published in the University's scheduling systems by Aug. 1.
Yes. We have asked Department Chairs to report to the Office of the Registrar, by Jul. 27, the instructional method for each course section. The instructional method will be input into the University's registration systems, which will allow students to understand the methods they can expect and alter their schedules if desired and seats are available.
The instructional method for each course will be loaded as an attribute in Banner and will be searchable in scheduling interfaces such as Self-Serve Banner and Tiger Scheduler.
Faculty maintain flexibility in delivering their courses and can change the instructional method if needed. As any change can cause disruption, confusion, and possible unintended consequences, we ask faculty to communicate any changes clearly and to accommodate reasonable student concerns to the greatest extent possible, especially when the change occurs.
Students will be able to search for courses by the instructional method and adjust their fall schedules if desired and if seats are available. Course modalities will be identified in Tiger Scheduler by Aug. 1.
If Auburn must revert to remote instruction due to the escalation of COVID-19, all classes will be prepared to do so. Auburn will also provide access to online course delivery for students whose health conditions prevent them from attending class in-person and international students who cannot be on campus due to travel restrictions or other circumstances related to the pandemic.
No. Auburn’s tuition and fee structure have been established regardless of the method of instruction. Tuition and fees will not be altered in the event that the mode of instruction is changed for any course for all or part of the semester. Auburn remains committed to offering the highest quality academic experience and will maintain the high quality of instruction that students expect while earning their degrees, regardless of the mode of course delivery. Auburn’s faculty will continue to teach courses, and the course curricula will continue to prioritize the learning outcomes that faculty have established.
No. Course grading returned to the regular University grading policy for the summer and fall 2020 semester.
Yes. The University has temporarily waived test requirements for admission to most graduate programs that require the Graduate Records Examinations, or GRE, and the Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, for summer 2020, fall 2020, and spring 2021 admissions periods. Not all programs are waiving test requirements, so please check with specific programs for additional details.
The Biggio Center will have several trained students who can assist. If you already have a student you would like to help you, the Biggio Center can train the student. Email biggio1@auburn.edu with the course information to get started.
The Biggio Center can train faculty to optimally record classes. Email biggiotech@auburn.edu for support.
If recording a class does not make sense, the faculty member may use other means to capture the course. Whether recorded or alternatively captured, the goal is to make the course content available to students who cannot attend due to COVID-19 issues. Faculty may consider using the course learning objectives to provide alternative activities for students who cannot attend.
No. Permission is not needed if the faculty member is using the recording for the current class only.
Faculty can decide what to do with their course recordings. Faculty can consult the university’s Policy Governing the Creation of Copyrighted Material and the university’s Policy Governing the Use of Copyrighted Material for additional information.
The Biggio Center is a central resource that offers faculty training, mentoring, information, and various other support materials for instruction. Resources and training for the following are available to all faculty:
Decision Trees – Tools to assist faculty in choosing the best instructional methodology by considering multiple situational and pedagogical factors.
Directed Workshops – Groups of faculty can participate in training on how to utilize the different instructional methodologies best.
Classroom Management Assistance – The University will provide classroom management assistance, if desired, to manage the students participating online. For example, if online students enter the class through Zoom, a student worker can manage questions from online students.
Sample Syllabus Language – Sample language for various scenarios and expectations regarding fall semester instruction.
Exam Support – Support for proctored exams within the Biggio Testing Center and those with third-party platforms, as well as consultations regarding possible alternatives to high-stakes exams.
Technical Support – Support for Canvas, Zoom, Panopto, and other instructional technologies.
All classrooms and laboratories will be limited to 50 percent capacity to allow for appropriate physical distancing.
Yes. Consistent with Auburn University policy and current guidelines regarding COVID-19, Auburn requires all employees, students, vendors, and visitors to wear face coverings in campus buildings. Face coverings must also be worn in informal academic spaces, classrooms, laboratories, and offices.
Face coverings should be worn in combination with other measures to prevent illness, including maintaining appropriate distancing from other people; washing hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth; and staying home if sick.
The University will provide all interested faculty with a face shield to use in teaching classes. The CDC does not recommend using face shields for regular/daily activities or as a substitute for cloth face coverings outside the classroom.
Students refusing to wear face coverings violate Auburn University's Jun. 22, 2020 Policy on Face Masks and the University's Code of Student Conduct. Students refusing to wear masks may be asked to leave the classroom.
Auburn's cleaning and disinfecting protocols have been heightened across the entire campus to make sure surfaces, including critical touchpoints, are cleaned daily.
In addition to enhanced cleaning, faculty and students are encouraged to wipe down commonly used surfaces in conference rooms and common areas. Students who have touched surfaces in classrooms, common areas, or other academic spaces are encouraged to wipe down the surfaces with cleaning products provided in the space.
Faculty who test positive will be expected to isolate at home or elsewhere off-campus and return to the campus community only after all of the proper public health protocols have been followed.
Faculty should identify and communicate to the department chair a back-up instructor in the event the faculty member cannot hold classes due to isolation, quarantine, or other COVID-19 concerns.
Yes. Faculty members can host office hours, either remotely or in-person. If their offices can accommodate visitors and allow for appropriate distancing, then in-person office hours are possible. Faculty and students are required to wear face coverings for in-person meetings.
In partnership with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Healthcheck is a web-based COVID-19 assessment tool for employees and students that assesses the existence of current COVID-19-related symptoms and exposure and testing history. Designed by UAB and implemented at Auburn, the required assessment enables the campus to return safely and help our community beat COVID-19.
Healthcheck is used to manage large groups and reduce the risk of further exposure to COVID-19. Healthcheck informs public health and university officials about emerging symptom hot spots before these areas have catastrophic consequences. It also helps university health officials on prioritizing participants who might need COVID-19 testing.
Students are required to log on daily to share symptoms — even if they feel healthy — to ensure a safe return to campus. The initial survey takes about 20 seconds to complete. Daily surveys take about 10 seconds to complete
Students are required to complete Healthcheck daily. Auburn strongly encourages faculty and staff to also complete it daily and offers an option to get a reminder.
With any self-administered system, the possibility of inaccurate reporting exists. Auburn's goal is broad acceptance and accurate reporting through the positive messaging of the "A Healthier U" campaign.
The individual is directed to the Auburn University Medical Clinic for evaluation and possible testing.
If the survey responses indicate that the user is symptom-free and has no close exposure to someone with COVID-19 illness, the individual is cleared to re-enter campus and receives a green pass.
If Healthcheck responses show the user is currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the preceding weeks, the user will not be permitted to re-enter campus until medically cleared by the AU Medical Clinic and will receive a red pass.
Each pass lasts for 24 hours.
Healthcheck is a HIPAA compliant platform. To access the tool, you will need to use your Auburn ID. The assessment tool does not track individuals. It is a tool for students and employees to report COVID-19 symptoms and any exposure. It does not track an individual's location.
To access Healthcheck, you will need an Auburn ID.
Healthcheck is available on the "My Campus," tab in AU Access. It can be accessed on a mobile app or the AU Access portal. It is mobile-enabled so that it can be easily viewed on a mobile device. The site can be pinned to a smartphone home screen so that it appears as an app.
Faculty may ask students to share their pass during face-to-face instruction.
The pass screens are date stamped; thus, it is only valid for the day of the symptom check.
Reporting information to the State will enable Alabama to understand the potential spread of the virus better. Other educational institutions in the State are reporting to the State as well.
No. While the symptom tracker is required of all students, Auburn University cannot require participation in the Exposure Notification app (i.e., the contact tracer). However, participation is strongly encouraged among students, faculty, and staff.
If a student receives a red screen due to symptoms not attributed to COVID-19 and is cleared by the Medical Clinic, he/she is cleared the same way they would be for any other health condition and will need a note from a doctor or nurse practitioner.
To date, all international programs requiring a current decision have been canceled. Those programs with a later decision date will be made at that time. Students should contact the administrators of the program to determine if a specific program has been canceled.
Yes. For international students, the latest arrival date under the current U.S. Student and Exchange Visitor Program policy is within 30 days of the academic term start date to be eligible for F-1 status. All international students must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to campus and be COVID-19 tested.
The Auburn University Bookstore is available to support students in need of electronic textbooks and digital and print course material. Students can inquire about available resources on the bookstore website.
The Office of Accessibility will continue to administer accommodations to students and maintains resources to assist students with remote learning.
All academic student services will be available to students during the fall semester. Faculty and students should consult a unit's website or other communications to understand how those services may be accessed.
In fall 2020, Auburn faculty will teach courses using one or more of four identified instructional methods. These methods include face-to-face as well as blended or online approaches. The instructional method for each course will be available in Tiger Scheduler by August 1, 2020. At that time, students will know how their fall courses are being delivered. Depending on a student’s current fall schedule, he/she could have all of their courses offered online, all face-to-face, or a mix of all four methods. Students with flexibility in their degree requirements may look for course sections identified for online delivery and adjust their schedules accordingly. Students may also watch recorded lectures from face-to-face or HyFlex courses. While the university cannot guarantee that a student’s current schedule will be delivered entirely in one modality, students may develop an online fall schedule that supports their instructional needs while enabling continued academic progression. Some students, for example, international students, may be required to take one or more face-to-face courses. Students are encouraged to reach out to their academic advisor if they have questions about modifying their fall schedules or transitioning course sections.