NOTICE: As of AY2023-2024 these policies no longer apply to my courses. I am preserving them here purely for archival purposes/reference.
The policies below govern the courses that I (Aaron) offer at Northwestern and extend my general classroom policies.
Please keep in mind that these policies are set by Northwestern University and are subject to changes as the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve. Please stay tuned.
Questions? Please contact me (especially if you're a student in one of my classes!).
Northwestern COVID-19 Information[edit]
The primary location for campus-wide information related to the pandemic is the Northwestern COVID-19 Dashboard that includes links to all university policies, guidelines, recent testing/positivity data, and much more. Please go there first and rely on campus-wide information sources to be updated more frequently and to supercede information provided/linked on this page.
COVID-19 Classroom expectations[edit]
Students, faculty, and staff must comply with University expectations regarding appropriate classroom behavior, including those outlined below and in the COVID-19 Code of Conduct. With respect to classroom procedures, this includes:
- Policies regarding masking and social distancing evolve as the public health situation changes. Students are responsible for understanding and complying with current masking, testing, Symptom Tracking, and social distancing requirements.
- In some classes, masking and/or social distancing may be required as a result of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation for the instructor or a student in the class even when not generally required on campus. In such cases, the instructor will notify the class.
- No food is allowed inside classrooms. Drinks are permitted, but please keep your face covering on and use a straw.
- Faculty may assign seats in some classes to help facilitate contact tracing in the event that a student tests positive for COVID-19. Students must sit in their assigned seats.
If a student fails to comply with the COVID-19 Code of Conduct or other University expectations related to COVID-19, the instructor may ask the student to leave the class. The instructor is asked to report the incident to the Office of Community Standards for additional follow-up.
COVID-19 Testing compliance[edit]
To protect the health of our community, Northwestern University requires unvaccinated students who are in on-campus programs to be tested for COVID-19 twice per week.
Students who fail to comply with current or future COVID-19 testing protocols will be referred to the Office of Community standards to face disciplinary action, including escalation up to restriction from campus and suspension.
Exceptions to class modality[edit]
Class sessions for this course will (hopefully!) occur in person. Individual students will not be granted permission to attend remotely except as the result of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation as determined by AccessibleNU.
Maintaining the health of the community remains our priority. If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID do not attend class and update your Symptom Tracker application right away to connect with Northwestern’s Case Management Team for guidance on next steps. Also contact the instructor as soon as possible to arrange to complete coursework.
Students who experience a personal emergency should contact the instructor as soon as possible to arrange to complete coursework.
Should public health recommendations prevent in person class from being held on a given day, the instructor or the university will notify students.
Teaching and learning in a pandemic[edit]
Even beyond my COVID-19 policies, the ongoing pandemic will impact my courses in various ways, some of them obvious and tangible and others harder to pin down. On the obvious and tangible front, we have things like the fact that we will be wearing masks when we meet on campus (assuming we're able to meet on campus all quarter!) and that some of our guest speakers will likely participate remotely. These will reshape our collective experience in major ways.
On the "harder to pin down" side, even though (or maybe especially because) we've been doing this pandemic thing for a while now, many of us may experience elevated levels of exhaustion, stress, uncertainty and/or distraction. We may need to provide unexpected support to family, friends, or others in our communities. I have some personal experiences with this and I expect that many (all?) of you do too. It can be a difficult time.
I believe it is important to acknowledge these realities of the situation and create the space to discuss and process them in the context of our class throughout the quarter. As your instructor and colleague, I commit to do my best to approach the course in an adaptive, generous, and empathetic way. I will try to be transparent and direct with you throughout—both with respect to the course material as well as the pandemic and the university's ongoing response to it. I ask that you try to extend a similar attitude towards everyone in the course. When you have questions, feedback, or concerns, please try to share them in an appropriate, empathetic way. If you require accommodations of any kind at any time (directly related to the pandemic or not), please contact me.
