Guidance on safe and healthy behaviors; planning for larger classes; summer events and programming.
OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Academic Updates
Monday, April 5, 2021
This weekly newsletter for academic leaders is designed to share information of interest to the university community.
Three key messages to amplify
Happy April and the start of the 13th week of spring semester. We hope the instructional break provided an opportunity to decompress as we head into the final three weeks of spring 2021 classes. Please amplify these messages with your areas of the university community.
Keep doing your part to end COVID-19. The increasing pace of vaccination offers hope as we think about summer and fall, but we all need to stay strong to end the pandemic. Please help emphasize this message to students, faculty and staff. President Johnson's message last week spelled out steps we can all take to double down on safe and healthy behaviors, and we continue to reiterate this message on on social media and elsewhere. Anyone 16 or older can now be vaccinated in Ohio, and we are beginning to offer dedicated vaccination appointments for the university community while maintaining our commitment to the broader central Ohio community.
Planning for AU21 classes: We have adjusted the guidance for classes with 100 or more students to allow certain gateway courses to take place in person if classrooms are held to 50% of their per-COVID capacity.
Organizers can consider in-person programming after commencement. Guidance has been issued about the approval process to hold in-person events and programming on or after May 10. Key among them: All events and gatherings must follow state, local and university protocols to protect all involved.
Graduate and professional programs receive high marks
Congratulations to the many graduate and professional programs who were recognized last week by U.S. News & World Report. Sixteen programs ranked in the top 10 nationally, representing seven colleges. Some programs are not ranked by U.S. News and other highly ranked programs did not receive new marks this year.
Register for the Research and Innovation Showcase
The virtual 2021 Research and Innovation Showcase will take place at noon on Thursday, April 15. Senior leaders will highlight research and innovation achievements as well as plans for the university moving forward. Researchers will share inspiring spotlight talks, with the event culminating in the awarding of Ohio State's Innovators of the Year.
Upcoming events
At 9 a.m. Wednesday (April 7), the "Learning Analytics to Support Inclusive Instruction" session will focus on the use of Institutional Research data to support student success. This session is presented by two partner institutions in the Ohio Professional Development Consortium.
At 11 a.m. Wednesday (April 7), "Teaching Global Writers in U.S. Classroom" will present research and strategies to help instructors address some of the challenges international students face when writing for American colleges and universities.
At 6 p.m. Wednesday (April 7), Jordan Gerton, a University of Utah faculty member and director of the Utah Pathways to STEM Initiative, will present "Leveraging an Interdisciplinary Multi-Institutional Faculty Learning Community to Advance Equity and Inclusion for Science and Mathematics Education." This event is part of the Our Inclusive Path Forward: Addressing Inequities in STEM Education series.
At 3 p.m. next Monday (April 12), "Better Research Through Better Mentoring" will provide resources that faculty can use in their mentoring of graduate students and postdoctoral trainees.