Southern Oregon University is making use of the flexibility built into its reopening plan, pivoting to a fall academic schedule in which most \u2013 but not all \u2013 classes will be delivered remotely. The shift is due to the continued spread of COVID-19 in southern Oregon and statewide, and will benefit from the university\u2019s growing familiarity with online and remote classes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI shared some months ago that our reopening strategy would be flexible and allow for these kinds of adjustments,\u201d SOU President Linda Schott said in a message to students. \u201cI remain committed to delivering a customized and flexible \u2018hybrid\u2019 learning experience this fall, balancing academic excellence with our community\u2019s health and safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
The president pointed out that COVID-19 continues to spread in southern Oregon and much of the state, and that SOU recently learned of\u00a0some initial cases involving members of its campus community.<\/p>\n
The university has updated its safety and health protocols \u2013 including strict capacity standards for indoor spaces and a requirement for face coverings both inside and outside where adequate social distancing is not possible \u2013 to exceed CDC guidance. SOU is working with Oregon\u2019s other public universities, community partners and Jackson County Public Health to plan for and respond to positive COVID-19 cases when they occur.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want our students to continue their studies in safety,\u201d President Schott said. \u201cI want SOU employees to continue serving our students without putting their health in jeopardy. And I want our neighbors and community members to recognize that we are moving ahead with appropriate caution.\u201d<\/p>\n
The university\u2019s planning teams have worked to develop educational and student experiences that ensure both academic progression and improved quality of remote delivery courses. Many faculty members are taking advantage of professional development opportunities this summer to enhance learning environments for students in the coming academic year. SOU\u2019s\u00a0Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning\u00a0has helped upgrade the university\u2019s online and remote offerings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Southern Oregon University is making use of the flexibility built into its reopening plan, pivoting to a fall academic schedule in which most \u2013 but not all \u2013 classes will be delivered remotely. The shift is due to the continued spread of COVID-19 in southern Oregon and statewide, and will benefit from the university\u2019s growing familiarity with online and remote classes. \u201cI shared some months ago that our reopening strategy would be flexible and allow for these kinds of adjustments,\u201d SOU President Linda Schott said in a message to students. \u201cI remain committed to delivering a customized and flexible \u2018hybrid\u2019 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n