Weekly update for faculty and staff: Fall 2020 course updates, academic calendar, Phase II and more

As we plan the return to campus for the university’s faculty, staff and students, our priorities are the health, safety and wellness — both physical and emotional — of every member of the VCU community. Many details have been worked out, and many are still to come. This weekly update, arriving each Friday, will be a resource to help keep you informed as details become available. All updates are available at together.vcu.edu. Receive notifications by downloading VCU Mobile from your iOS or Android app store.

Academics

Update on revised fall 2020 course schedule

As outlined in the university’s ONE VCU: Responsible Together plan, our phased return to campus will include changes to class formats and instructional spaces.

• In order to comply with safety measures, all courses with an enrollment of 50 or more students on the Monroe Park and MCV campuses will be taught in a remote/online format.
• A revised Fall 2020 Schedule of Classes will be available online by July 15 and will include changes in class formats and instructional spaces. VCU faculty will be working with their department chairs to update their class formats to in-person, in-person blended (hybrid) or online.
• The fall 2020 academic calendar has been updated to reflect the changes announced last week.

Read the full announcement sent on June 11 here.

Operations

VCU’s phase 2 to begin Monday, June 15

This week, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced effective Friday, June 12, the city of Richmond is authorized to enter phase 2 for lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Therefore, VCU will move into its phase 2 beginning Monday, June 15, when a limited number of researchers, employees supporting clinical rotations, students who must return for clinical laboratory simulations and clinical placements, and student athletes will return to campus.

Each phase of VCU’s return to campus is listed below and posted at together.vcu.edu. 

Research

Return to research

VCU will move into phase 2B of its Return to Research Plan on Monday, June 15, which will allow for planning and approvals to take place.  

Please work with your HR representatives and return-to-campus coordinators to authorize individuals to return. Phase 2B allows for a maximum of 25% personnel capacity.  

Before returning, employees must complete the mandatory training. They must agree to provide a daily attestation of health via email and agree to abide by all new safety and health protocols mandated by VCU. Return-to-campus coordinators can obtain and provide safety kits for employees.

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation will continue to update its phased return to research webpage with new information. Questions about the phased return to research that are not already addressed in the R2R FAQs document can be forwarded to rescomply@vcu.edu.