Roadrunners are set to start classes for new fall semester

AUGUST 24, 2020 — Whether you’re a student, faculty or staff member, the start of a new semester and academic year has arrived for ’Runners, even if it looks a little different for everyone. The fall classes start today with 95% of UTSA courses being held online and 5% in-person in order to keep students and their families safe while allowing them to continue making progress in their degree programs.

Learning

To keep the health and well-being of the Roadrunner community a priority, this semester roughly 4,000 will be on offer, based on different modes of instructions. Although most classes will be online, about 200 of those classes will be conducted on campus. On a daily basis, UTSA expects about 754 students to be on campus, which is about 2% of total student enrollment.

Classes taking place on campus will be spread out among 68 classrooms in 16 different buildings with no more 40 students to a class during the scheduled course period and staggered start times. Students and faculty are expected to keep on their masks while maintaining social distancing.

Following Thanksgiving break, all instructional activities will be conducted online for the remainder of the semester including final exams.

Class Modalities

Online synchronous: Classes occur online during the scheduled course period. The use of this mode requires approval by the dean of the college.

Online asynchronous: There is no set course time. Course content and instruction are available at the student’s convenience. There may be synchronous meetings (for example, office hours or tutoring) as long as they are not required for a grade.

Online hybrid: All course material is available asynchronously; however; synchronous class meetings may be held as part of the course pedagogy and the student’s grade. The time for class meetings will be listed on the class schedule and syllabus.

Face-to-face: Classes will have a set classroom capacity. Content for all face-to-face classes must be posted online and available asynchronously for all students. Face-to-face classes must have a parallel online component of the classroom experience (hyflex) for students who will not be able to attend in person. Any student who chooses to take all their coursework online will have the ability to do so, since all in-person instruction will have the same content available and accessible online. All dissertations, thesis, research and independent study courses will be listed as face-to-face.

Campus Life

Although campus life will look different this fall, the Roadrunner spirit will remain stronger than ever while maintaining the best health and safety practices.

About 2,000 students, faculty and staff will be on campus out of the normal 37,000 Roadrunner community (which includes 4,500 employees). This includes students living in campus housing; researchers, instructors and graduate assistants; facilities staff; students taking in-person classes; and other essential personnel.

UTSA will be limiting nonessential visitors, volunteers and activities that involve external groups or organizations coming to campus.

Several student activities will be conducted virtually, while those that are in-person will have extensive safety measures such as attendee limits and social distancing. However, campus events and meetings will be done virtually whenever possible.

Campus transportation services will not be offered this fall; however, all students, faculty and staff have access to free transportation throughout San Antonio using the VIA U-Pass program.

Personal Protection

To ensure a safe semester all Roadrunners must do their part to minimize the risk of COVID-19, which can be done by abiding by The Roadrunner Pact’s Five Principles:

1. Wear Your Mask: Face coverings are required on campus. Wear a face covering and cough or sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue.
2. Keep Your Distance: Avoid crowds. Socialize virtually. Maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance from others and avoid common areas. Eat outside or at your desks, and use technology to limit social interaction.
3. Wash Up: Get soapy regularly.
4. Check Yourself: Know the symptoms. Self-monitor daily. Use the daily self-assessment survey before you leave your home.
5. Stay Home: Feeling sick? Don’t go out! Stay home if you feel sick and let your supervisor or professors know. Students can seek medical care from Student Health Services. Faculty and staff should contact their healthcare provider.

Students, faculty and staff are expected to self-monitor their health through a health self-assessment tool, which can also be accessed through the UTSA mobile app and LiveSafe app.

Any Roadrunner who is feeling ill can receive free COVID-19 testing through San Antonio Metro Health. Students are asked to contact Student Health Services at 210-458-4142, and faculty and staff should contact their health care provider.

Face coverings are required in all public and common spaces on campuses as well as in the campus buildings. When outdoors face coverings are required if social distancing of 6 feet or more cannot be maintained. If someone is seen on campus without a face mask, following the “Ask, Offer, Leave and Report” method. 

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Physical space occupancy is required throughout campus, such as in all rooms and common areas. Signage will be posted throughout the campus to indicate occupancy limits. In areas that are high-traffic and social distancing is difficult, protective plastic barriers have been installed such as circulation and information desks and food service counters. There are also hand sanitizing stations throughout campus.

— Valerie Bustamante

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