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Dear Hotchkiss Community,
Below, please find information about our schedule, grading practices, academic policies, and a couple of important messages from the teaching & learning center and the library.
The learning we are about to embark upon together is not of the kind any of us might have imagined just a few weeks ago. Like nearly all schools, we are working as best as we can to adapt to the extraordinary circumstances before us. We are fortunate to have some of the most well-prepared and motivated students from around the world, and we have therefore set out a framework that embraces our shared sense of intellectual and creative purpose. We trust you, and we hope together we can rise to the challenge demanded of this world-historic moment.
In meeting this challenge, I hope you know that the full strength of your usual network of support is behind you. Your advisor and class dean are with you, as are your teachers and coaches. The teaching & learning center, the library, counseling, and health services are all here, too. We'll see one another in Chapel and join together in club meetings. You now have a new community resource available to you in the
students.hotchkiss.org
web portal.
I wish you and your family good health, and look forward to learning alongside you in the fourth marking period. As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Cheers,
Dean of Academic Life
Schedule and Calendar
Taking into account the wide geographic diversity of our students in this unusual moment, our distance learning schedule is designed to be as inclusive as maximally possible. All of our classes are considered essential, and are represented below:
Nicholas Lorentzen '20 has designed a scheduler app
to automate the process of converting our schedules to distance learning.
Notes Regarding the Schedule
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Each class meets
twice each week
with at least a day space between each session. If students find their class is listed only once or perhaps three times a week, they should reach out to their instructor when their class will meet.
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Between each class meeting, instructors can assign
up to 1.5 hours of homework (1 hour for Humanities courses)
. This amount represents a reduction in the total number of contact and study hours, which is intentional given the challenges of moving to distance learning.
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Instructors will be available for
"office hours" or "conferences"
with students beyond the anchor of the schedule. We are committed to whatever extent is practical to be responsive to the time zone and needs of our students.
Notes Regarding the Calendar
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The last day of classes will be Thursday, May 28, as originally scheduled. There will, however, be no final exams held this year.
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We will meet on all scheduled class days leading up to Thursday, May 28, with all Mondays following a Monday schedule, all Tuesdays following a Tuesday schedule, etc. The only exception is Memorial Day on Monday, May 25; classes will not meet on Memorial Day.
Assessment and Grades
Fourth Marking Period as Pass/Fail
Along with many peer institutions and colleges, Hotchkiss recognizes the unique challenges posed by the sudden shift to distance learning, and will adopt a pass/fail system for the fourth marking period to reduce pressure on students. During the fourth marking period, students can earn one of two marks:
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Pass:
Students who demonstrate satisfactory engagement with distance learning will be marked as "pass."
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Fail:
Students who demonstrate unsatisfactory engagement with distance learning will be marked as "failing." This mark will not be considered passing, and will be averaged into a student's course grade as if it were an F (59%) for the fourth marking period. Students who earn one or more failing marks will be referred to the Academic Review Committee for further action.
Consistent with departmental practice, instructors will continue to have discretion to calculate course grades, both semester- and year-length courses. Unless a student fails the fourth marking period, their course grade will not be negatively impacted by their work in the coming weeks; however, on the basis of clearly-articulated expectations, a student's continued improvement in each class can result in a positive impact on a student's final course grade. Students should simply focus on doing the best work they can, and not feel additional pressure to request an increased grade.
Enhanced Comments for MP4
To support the college application process, especially for upper mids, instructors will address the following questions in their comments:
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How did the student respond when faced with challenges? Did they persist? Were they able to draw on resources creatively to solve the problems they faced?
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In what ways did the student demonstrate overall maturity while engaging in distance learning?
AP Exams
Students may sit for AP exams if and when they decide is appropriate. Instructors of AP-designated classes are committed to preparing students for AP exams by the second of the two testing dates available this spring. Students who elect not to take an AP exam will not be asked to complete additional work as a result of their decision.
Policies and Expectations
Communication
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Students are strongly encouraged to be proactive in their communications with instructors. They should seek clarification, ask for help, and will be invited to provide feedback to instructors on what is working and what is not.
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Both instructors and students will be asked to reply to all emails within 24 hours, and to make vigilant use of automatic replies when other obligations prevent them from meeting that standard.
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Instructors will pay close attention to student engagement and reach out to students and advisors if they notice that a student is not logging onto Canvas, not attending synchronous class sessions, or not reaching out. At the same time, we will encourage students and parents (in our communication with them) to reach out as soon as possible to advisors or a class dean if their student is having trouble attending to course work.
Accessibility & Inclusion
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Flexibility on the part of instructors will be crucial as we work to meet the needs of students who may have uneven access to online tools. The School will work proactively to identify solutions for both students and instructors.
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Keeping in mind that students may not have books (particularly larger textbooks) with them, students will be provided scanned copies or readable documents of all assigned readings.
Attendance & Participation
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Attendance will not be mandatory given that students may be located in different time zones or there may be other circumstances outside students' control that may limit access to synchronous class sessions.
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At the same time, students will be required to engage actively in class each week, and must meet the standards set out by instructors for regular, ongoing participation.
Coursework & Assessment
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Instructors will present students with explicit expectations related to the goals, format, length, and acceptable forms of collaboration and sourcing.
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Students will be held to the same high standards of academic integrity as outlined in
The Almanac
; violations of the academic integrity policy will continue to be referred to the Discipline Committee.
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Assignments will be posted before 4 p.m. EST of the day class last met (as usual), and be due only when class is in session. Students will be asked to meet all deadlines, and communicate proactively when that is not possible.
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As mentioned above, no final exam period will be held for the 2019-20 academic year.
Navigating Distance Learning (Ms. Herold, Study Skills Coordinator)
A few initial tips from Ms. Herold from the Teaching & Learning Center:
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Set routines in place and rely on them.
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Wake at the same time every day, and schedule time to eat good, healthy food.
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Attend to your classes: do not message with friends or scroll through social media while you are trying to learn a new concept.
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Communicate consistently with your teachers: check and respond to email, ask questions during your classes, and reach out when you are uncertain or confused.
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Set a specific study space that is different (when possible) from the spot where you chat with friends and watch Netflix. Just as when you are at School, limit the distractions/clutter in your study space.
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At first, schedule your time with specific time dedicated to classes, homework, recreation, and rest.
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Create to-do lists and keep them prominently displayed in your work area.
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Anticipate that you will have more productive and less productive days.
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Check in with a trusted person daily to help manage stress.
Training for Students (Ms. Adams, Emerging Technologies Librarian)
Below are training materials for the two key technology tools that students will need to begin classes on Monday:
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Canvas 101
(7 min.): This guide covers signing in, where to find notifications, staying organized, chat and discussion tools, and the help area.
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Zoom 101
(8 min.): This guide covers the two ways to access Zoom, notifications/finding Zoom meetings, and some etiquette.
In addition, the Edsel Ford Memorial Library has launched a new
Library Chat Space
. It's a good place to get help to find what you need from the library from a distance. Keep an eye out for more news coming your way about library services.
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