If you have experience with online education and would like to try a hybrid of the above approaches, please send a description of what you are thinking to Alissa Rockney and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

This is the language you will have sent to students:

Any live online sessions will take place during our regularly scheduled class time and attendance during that time is normally required. We do realize, however, that Covid-19 has led to the disruption of some student schedules (due to changes in work hours, the need to care for children at home, etc.). If this is true for you, then you have permission to watch the session at your earliest convenience after the class has taken place, but please try to watch the class before the next scheduled class meeting. (A link to the recording of the class will be posted in the announcements section on Canvas after the live session. With livestream sessions, this may take up to one business day.) Once you have watched the class, follow the above instructions for marking your attendance in the online class roster and for writing down 2-3 takeaways/questions in the Discussion Forum.

Alissa Rockney will do this for all classes. There is nothing you have to do except check it to make sure students are not missing class (you may need to click Authorize in order to see the roster). The roster will be found under the Modules tab in Canvas.

You will have sent them the note immediately below. As you can see, this will be a very simple way for students to demonstrate they have attended and/or watched the relevant sessions. There is nothing for you to do except review what they have written, the benefits of which will also be giving you feedback on what students are walking away with from each session. (To see their comments, you will go to the Discussions tab in Canvas, and click on the Discussion for the relevant class date).

After you have viewed the lecture and participated in the Zoom session, mark that you did so in the online attendance roster (to do this, please click on the Attendance Document under Modules on your class’s Canvas site. You may need to click “Authorize” to gain access. Then, record your name under the appropriate class date). Then, in the Discussion Forum on Canvas, write 2-3 key takeaways you had or questions you were left with. It is best to write these immediately after viewing the lecture. They must be submitted within one week of the regularly scheduled class meeting time.

To the best of our knowledge, the following guiding principle seems wisest to have in place: assume that we, or anyone we come into contact with, already has the virus, as a result of which we must take necessary steps to avoid needlessly putting others or ourselves in harm’s way. This principle will explain the measures below, some of which may seem extreme but we hope make sense in light of the principle just named.

In terms of on-campus meetings: office hours must be held via Zoom or over the phone. This should be the norm for every meeting. If a professor feels the need, for extreme extenuating circumstances only, to meet with a student on campus, please meet in an open space outside of the building, such as the park on Conway road, or the portico by the chapel. (If you are not sure whether something counts as an extreme extenuating circumstance, please contact Jay directly.) Please remain at least six feet apart and wash hands before and after any such meeting.

In terms of off-campus meetings: in light of the above principle, we strongly discourage any non-essential contact with people outside of your household. If you do meet with anyone off campus, please follow the guidelines issued by the CDC and the federal government, which includes keeping a distance of at least six feet from others, avoiding any gatherings larger than ten people, frequently washing your hands, and not touching your face.

We are fully aware that the above cuts across the grain of our pastoral instincts. We also want to be wise and not needlessly engage in contact that could spread the virus. Luther’s words are a help in this regard:

“I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence.”

The great mercy is that in our day and age, we have many more ways to be present with students than Luther did. Let us take advantage of those ways as much as we possibly can.

We cannot control what students choose to do outside of the class. The school cannot, however, encourage such gatherings or organize them on behalf of the students.

Part-time professors may arrange office hours through email.

IT Services: 

Phone: 314-392-4111

Email: helpdesk@covenantseminary.edu

Yes, you may work in your office. We would ask, however, that you not meet with people in your office as it will be impossible to keep the suggested six feet apart from people.

Yes! Before you head to campus, please email facilitiesdispatcher@covenantseminary.edu. Please also email that address when you leave campus. Please include what time(s) you will be working in the building, the building name, the floor, the office number, and all of the rooms you have visited. If you need to call security while you’re on campus, from your work phone, call 314-581-7212.