Provost and Faculty Senate chair share critical information to help students keep learning

As Ohio University continues to respond to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and as our University community prepares to transition together to remote teaching and learning, we wanted to help you prepare to keep learning at OHIO during this unprecedented situation.  

First, the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff is always our top priority, and we will continue to monitor this quickly evolving situation and provide updates as appropriate. Please regularly check the www.ohio.edu/coronavirus webpage for updated information and answers to frequently asked questions.  

While this situation certainly presents a significant academic disruption for OHIO’s student body, we are committed to the continuity of your high-quality education and to your ability to complete your academic requirements successfully. The University has been preparing a variety of services and resources to expand our collective ability to adapt to this situation and to support you, including a new Keep Learning webpage that contains resources to help support continuity of your education at OHIO.   

Here’s what you can expect as we begin remote teaching and learning together: 

• Spring break was extended by one week. Note that the end date for the spring semester has not been extended.
• All spring semester classes will resume in a remote format beginning Monday, March 23.
• You will receive communication from the instructor of each of your courses no later than Monday, March 23, explaining the plan for instruction for that particular course for the first week back. Additional information will follow as appropriate.
• You’ll find that your instructors may employ a variety of remote formats to facilitate remote teaching and learning. It will be important for you to understand how to access each course’s content and to stay organized as you transition together to the new remote format(s).
• Your instructors are receiving additional assistance to make this as smooth a transition as possible. They will Keep Teaching while you Keep Learning! 

There are several steps you can take now to prepare for the transition to keep learning at OHIO: 

• Take care of yourself. Your own personal health, wellbeing, and safety should be your top priority.  Follow emerging guidance to protect against COVID-19 and other illness. Ensure that you are tending to your physical, mental, and emotional health. Remember that there are available resources at OHIO and in your community for help, and access them when needed.
• Gather your study materials. Ensure that you have located the materials, supplies, and equipment you will need for your courses, and refresh your personal organizational system as you prepare to resume your coursework. 
• Arrange for altered accommodations, if needed. Due to the change to remote format, the accommodations required to provide access for students with disabilities may have changed also. As you would in a face-to-face class, you may contact your instructor if you have questions about how accommodations will apply in the remote format.  
• Identify a location for your studies. Ideally, the location(s) where you intend to perform your coursework should have consistent internet coverage with enough bandwidth, such as cable, DSL, or 4G LTE. Additionally, the location(s) should allow for appropriate social distancing (for example, not a public location such as a coffee shop). 
• Test your learning systems. Ensure that you have access to all of the collaboration tools you’ll need including resources such as Blackboard, Catmail, and Microsoft Teams. These resources are described in more detail on the Keep Learning website.
• Check your e-mail regularly. Look for updates from OHIO and watch for information from your instructors about upcoming plans for your courses. Note that your syllabi may be amended, with changes to timelines, due dates, assignments, or assessments, to accommodate the revised remote format.
• Communicate about any problems you encounter. As our University community transitions swiftly to remote learning and teaching, it will be important to identify and escalate any challenges you encounter so that we can support you fully. Throughout the University, and faculty and staff stand ready and willing to assist.
  • If you have any concerns about an individual course, connect with the instructor.
  • If you find you need additional accommodations for the remote or online environment or have concerns regarding the accessibility of remote or online materials, contact Student Accessibility Services at
    740-593-2620 or disabilities@ohio.edu.
  • If you have concerns about your schedule or your ability to continue in your coursework, contact the Student Services office in your college or campus.
  • If you are experiencing any technical difficulties, contact our expanded Help Desk at 740-593-1222 or servicedesk@ohio.edu.
  • Within each campus or academic college, a Remote Teaching Coordinator (RTC) has been appointed to act as the primary contact person for any concerns about the transition to remote teaching and learning. If you have not received information from an instructor about that course transitioning to a remote format by the end of the day on Monday, March 23, or if you have other unresolved concerns about the transition for a course, contact the Remote Teaching Coordinator for your academic college.

We also want to reassure you again that at this time no cases of coronavirus have been reported at any Ohio University campus or location, and we continue to believe the risk of transmission on our campuses is low at this time. 

Given the rapidly changing situation, we will continue to reevaluate our approach to remote teaching and learning as we receive new information. We realize that this situation is stressful and will cause disruption and challenges for you, not only academically as you experience adjustments in your coursework, but also personally as we all adjust to this unprecedented situation together. 

While we all hope for a quick return to normal operations, we will continue to hold the wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff paramount, and we remain committed to ensuring that OHIO students can meet their academic requirements.  

Please continue to take care of yourself and each other as we all do our part to prevent transmission of COVID-19.   

Sincerely, 

Elizabeth Sayrs, Executive Vice President and Provost 

Robin Muhammad, Chair, Faculty Senate