Comments about MOU from UPM President Partick Kelly

Item #4 may seem confusing so I wanted to clarify the language and in turn hopefully answer some questions that have been coming my way.

First, we must realize that closing the campus and cancelling face-to-face classes are two completely different scenarios.  Closing the campus, as was done with the recent power outages and fires, means all campus services and personnel are no longer functioning and no one, with the exception of police and essential Maintenance & Operations staff, is on campus.  This is not the situation we are facing in the immediate future.

Cancelling face-to-face classes means we are reducing in-person contact with multiple people, but much of the staff and facilities available to faculty, including our offices, classrooms, labs, etc. are still open and only students in classrooms and large group meetings are cancelled.  The College (including the administration and all three unions) is constantly evaluating how best to provide services while maintaining a safe environment. If the situation in Marin County becomes so dire that we completely close the campus then no personnel, with the exception of police, will be on campus.  This is what is meant by closure vs. partial closure in item #4.

The phrase “In the event of… the District moving instruction partially or fully online, employees will work remotely or on-campus as allowed” means the following: 

For most face-to-face lecture courses we are being asked to provide our students with content so that their progress in our courses can continue.  As instructors we all know what we plan to teach for the semester.  Our course content is in our course outlines of record as well as our syllabi.  We need to find ways to provide readings, problem sets, virtual/zoom lectures, video lectures, or whatever you can think of that will enable us to continue our courses.

For me (and this is not an exhaustive description of the options by any stretch) I have tried the following with a considerable amount of success.

1. Zoom recordings with whiteboard and Surface Pro/iPad.  For those with the capability to write on their device this works really well.  I start a Zoom meeting, “share” a OneNote white board, then hit record.  I talk through a lesson as I write notes and problems on the white board.  I have done this for about a year as a supplement to my lectures and the students seem to like it.  When I end the meeting, I have the choice to save to the cloud or my device, and regardless of where it is saved, you can then create a link in your Canvas page that the students can access.  This has proved really useful for presenting chemical concepts and especially working through problem sets with students.  Also, if you tell the students ahead of time and send them a zoom link, they can be part of the discussion live.

Initially I found this challenging to figure out.  However, in the coming week and potentially for the weeks after spring break, there will be staff available to help you navigate this option.  Once you learn the system it really is quite easy.  Feel free to contact your dean, VP Eldridge, or Assistant VP Torres and they can put you in touch with our saint/angel/guru Stacey Lince or one of our fine online instructors to set up a training session.

Stacey and others are working to get more training online, and the College will have training available during Spring Break.  For now, please visit http://ol.marin.edu/faculty-support where you can access the COM Instructor Resource and the information page on Zoom signup and Canvas Integration.

2. A second option for those who do not have a tablet is to use the computers in our classrooms or offices.  Most classrooms and offices have computers with integrated cameras.  You should be able to log into Zoom and either provide a live lecture, record a lecture, or both using the camera and microphone in the classroom.  You can stand at the whiteboard or sit at your desk and teach to your students with the only difference being that they are sitting in their living rooms, coffee shop or on any bench on campus using our free wifi.  Or they can watch it at a later time once you post it to your course Canvas Page.
3. Another option is to use Zoom and a document camera that many classrooms have.

If none of these options work, providing work in the form of readings, problems sets, essays, etc. can all be distributed via Canvas.  For those who are not familiar with Canvas please contact your supervisor and they will set you up with or point you to training materials, much of which is online.

Item 4 above also states that the District may choose to move instruction partially or fully online.  The “partially” part came up when we were discussing laboratory courses.  If this COVID-19 situation goes on for a fairly long time, laboratory courses could be drastically affected, to the point where transfer agreements could be in jeopardy.  When my students transfer to Davis, Berkeley, City College or other institutions, those departments expect them to have been exposed to certain agreed-upon laboratory skills. 

To satisfy these requirements I plan on giving safety information, and demos and possibly raw data in online video format so that they can gain some of the conceptual skills.   If possible I will have students come and do some minimum number of experiments to fulfill requirements so that they gain the hands on skills.  I would try to work with students and their schedules to minimize large numbers in the lab at any one time.  Of course, I would get approval from my supervisor before entering the lab with students if I wanted to go this route.

I completely understand that my situation as a chemistry instructor could in many ways, or completely, be different from your subjects and methods of teaching.  I wrote the above piece just to highlight some of the options I am exploring in hopes that it may inspire imaginative ways for you to face this challenge of remote learning.

I know the above MOU as well as my thoughts and suggestions will not be to everyone’s liking.  That comes with the job of being Union President.  But I want to assure you all that no matter what you teach, how you teach, or what your professional or personal situation is, I, along with all your Executive Council members will do whatever we can to help you succeed in your mission and desire to be the very best instructor and mentor you can be to your students.

These are challenging times and we are faced with many unknowns.  I in no way claim to have the answers to what we are facing.  But I do know that we can and will face this together, and with our combined strength, kindness and wisdom we can stand up with determination to do what is right for our families, students and our greater college community. 

If there is anything I can do for you in the coming weeks, please do not hesitate to contact me. 
Be safe out there!

Patrick

Patrick A. Kelly, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry
President United Professors of Marin
AFT/CFT Local 1610
College of Marin

(415) 485-9516