Dear TFTV Students and Families,
It’s official. Yesterday, the University of Arizona’s President Dr. Robert Robbins and Distinguished Professor Dr. Richard Carmona officially announced that from August 24, the first day of the Fall 2020 semester, campus will re-open.
Safety and Prevention Protocols
Our plan to return to campus comes with an abundance of care for our students, faculty and staff, and a roll-out of new and enhanced safety protocols. For example, the University will conduct a COVID-19 test of all incoming campus housing residents on arrival to campus, before moving into dorms. Visit the COVID-19 Testing page for more information and updates.
In yesterday’s announcement, President Robbins and Dr. Carmona repeatedly highlighted the vital importance of compliance to safety protocols throughout our community of students, faculty and staff. This means that you are required to wear a face covering in all University of Arizona buildings (including hallways, public spaces, restrooms, classrooms and common areas), with the exception of those private offices, workspaces and formal meeting areas where physical distancing of at least 6 feet is possible. You are also required to wear a face covering while in University of Arizona outdoor spaces except where physical distancing of at least six feet is possible. Find out more about the University of Arizona’s safety and prevention protocols at the UA COVID-19 website.
Learning Modalities
With the re-opening of campus, the University of Arizona will continue to adhere to health and safety recommendations, and learning will have a new look.
In the School of Theatre, Film, and Television, faculty have selected from four course modalities the best ways to instruct their individual courses. These modalities are:
- In-person. Students will be in a classroom with their instructor, with masks, physical distancing, and other safety precautions required.
- Flex In-Person. Students will experience a mix of in-person instruction and online learning.
- Live Online. Students will be online with their classmates and instructor simultaneously for a significant portion of the class, though some portions of the class might feature asynchronous work.
- iCourse. Students will complete their course work independently, and are not required to be online at the same time as classmates and instructor.
Watch this video to find out more about the modalities.
To see what modality your instructor has selected for your course, check your registration information in UAccess. Note that many faculty members are currently in the process of finalizing changes to their course modalities, so please note that your class as it is currently listed at UAccess may not be how it is delivered. Students will always be able to participate Live Online option for any Flex In-Person class. Check back for updates in coming weeks.
Please note: if you are enrolled in an In-Person or Flex In-Person, your registration will also show a Live Online component with class dates of Nov 26-Dec 9. This is because all Fall 2020 instruction will move online after Thanksgiving. Visit the Office of the Registrar webpage for further information and updates.
You will soon be receiving specific information from each TFTV division about courses and production work. We have spent the summer developing exciting student opportunities to create and learn throughout the fall semester. You will also receive news about those plans from your program heads.
On a personal note, you all – students, parents and families – have been on my mind since March when this pandemic started. My wife Virginia and I have a son who just graduated from college and did not have a graduation ceremony except for our attempts to bake a cake and give him some gifts. We also have a son who is entering his junior year as a photography major – an intensive studio practice. In short, these questions of how we might best serve your education, your life, and your unfolding career feel vital and personal to me.
While yesterday’s announcement finally clarified that the University of Arizona is opening for on-campus education, TFTV has been planning for many different scenarios since May. We have always understood that student and family choices would be foremost in our planning. I and the whole team of TFTV faculty and staff are here to help guide you as you have questions.
Please feel free to reach out to me and your program heads as you have questions. We are here to help. Most of all – we look forward to returning to our work together with you!
Best –
Andy
Andrew Belser
Director, School of Theatre, Film & Television
University of Arizona