Emergency Preparedness and Recovery Planfor Academic Affairs |
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Introduction
When the university has evacuated for a hurricane over the past 20 years, classes typically have been cancelled for 2-3 days before they are resumed with a normal schedule. Under these circumstances public announcements made via the media, on the campus Web site, and via campus e-mail are entirely adequate. Faculty have given assignments for the evacuation period and adjusted their schedules and assignments to accommodate this situation.
What follows are general guidelines based on the experiences of Loyola University's faculty, staff, students, and administrators in emergency situations both longer and shorter term. Obviously, no plan can cover every contingency. Each storm or emergency may present a different set of challenges for the city and the university that are unforeseeable. These guidelines are meant to be just that - a set of prescribed actions that are meant to cover the foreseeable scenarios and to help with decision-making in those unforeseen. As decisions and exceptions must be made as new challenges present themselves, persons at each level should make decisions that at least follow the intent of these guidelines, if not the exact directions.
Assumptions
- The Division will be directed by and its activities will be consistent with the overall university emergency plan
- The university will not close during an evacuation and academic instruction will continue in a distance learning mode as long as the academic term has begun
- Student enrollment and contact with students will be maintained
- Faculty and staff have a responsibility to check in with their deans or supervisors and the Human Resources web site within 48 hours of an evacuation that is expected to last more than three days
- All students and employees will have current alternative personal contact information on file
- The university will maintain a robust Blackboard capability
- All faculty and instructional staff will maintain a level of Blackboard presence for each of their courses
- Students will be required to sign on to Blackboard to keep up with course assignments within 48 hours of evacuation
- All academic rules and regulations will remain in force during an evacuation
- The university will have a Web site activated within hours of an evacuation
- Each college will oversee the development of departmental instructional plans
Instructional Responsibilities and Enrollment Policies
- Normal tuition refund policies will remain in effect during an evacuation
- Course instruction will begin within 48 hours of an evacuation through distance education and will be maintained in all courses for a period of up to two weeks. Depending upon the length of time for campus closure in the fall, the university will normally extend the semester for one additional week in December. However, exams will not extend beyond December 22. If the closure takes place in the first part of the fall semester, the university may use the Fall Break and Saturdays for make up days. Ample notice to faculty, staff, students, and parents is required at the beginning of the fall semester so that Fall Break and December travel plans and arrangements are deferred until after November 1.
- For evacuations lasting more than two weeks, instruction will continue in all courses except those designated by the dean, director or chair as inappropriate for extended distance education (e.g. lab courses, private music instruction, studio classes).
- For evacuations lasting more than two weeks, students enrolled in courses designated inappropriate for extended distance education will be assigned a grade of IP in those courses.
Academic Administrative Responsibilities
Provost
Pre-Evacuation
- Provides funding to ensure acquisition of Blackboard with robust capability
- Ensures that each dean has on file with the provost individual college plans for academic instruction continuation
- Ensures that the Academic Affairs Plan for Disaster Preparedness and Recovery is posted and widely communicated
- Develops an evacuation exercise for Academic Affairs
- Investigates technological needs of faculty for implementing on-line instruction (e.g. math and science faculty need hardware and software capable of accommodating mathematical symbols)
- Develops and implements a plan for laptop and software renewal addressing technological needs of faculty
- Encourages and provides incentive for technology usage and development of innovative online pedagogical techniques by faculty
Post-Evacuation
- Communicates timely information on the Loyola University New Orleans Web site
- Establishes immediate communication with the deans
- Establishes arrangements for regular meetings with the Council of Deans for evacuations lasting two weeks or less and permanent relocation for evacuations lasting more than two weeks
- Provides a written summary of the Council of Deans deliberations via the Web site immediately following any meetings
- Develops plans for resumption of instruction on campus
- Ensures that faculty and staff have prompt access to campus as soon as it is feasible so that they can expedite the return to normal operations
- On evacuations lasting more than two weeks, establishes contact and consults with SCAP and the Executive Committee of the Senate through Blackboard
- Communicates necessary changes in academic policy and procedures caused by the evacuation
Information Technology
Pre-Evacuation
- Tests IT disaster recovery plan
- Maintains contract with Blackboard and Presidium for off-site hosting and 24/7 user support
- Establishes a web page for each college on the Emergency web site that is linked to the front page of the university's emergency site that will enable each dean to communicate with his/her faculty
- Addresses issues for providing access to ftp/telnet from off-campus to allow for faculty use of technology and for updating of necessary web pages.
- Addresses the need to keep the EZproxy server running in the event of an on-campus outage
Post-Evacuation
- Activates shadow Web site within hours of loss of service to the main campus
- Activates alternative e-mail accounts
- Depending on the length of evacuation, declares state-of-emergency with Sungard
- Activates 1-800 number at alternative location
Office of Student Records
Pre-Evacuation
- Provides deans, director, and/or chair with currently enrolled students and their courses
- Provides deans with current candidates for graduation
- Provides contact information for students including permanent addresses, phone numbers, cell numbers and email addresses
Library
Pre-Evacuation
- Assists faculty in development of online courses and ensures appropriate use of Blackboard applications by faculty and students
- Works with faculty to develop electronic reserves within Blackboard
- Serves as a campus liaison with Blackboard and Presidium
Post-Evacuation
- Provides instruction and follow-up instruction to faculty and students in use of Blackboard for distance education
- Provides access to electronic resources, including full-text journals and electronic books
- Provides 24/7 reference assistance
- In the event of an extended evacuation, provides interlibrary loan/article delivery services and support for media applications
Deans
Pre-Evacuation
- Develops and shares the college emergency plan with the Provost's Office
- Establishes a college Blackboard site and ensures that faculty and staff receive training in utilizing Blackboard
- Coordinates college-wide evacuation policies for faculty, staff, and students including evacuation training
Post-Evacuation
- Establishes immediate contact with faculty and students
- Communicates with the provost regarding the status of college activities
- Communicates with the chairs and directors regarding duration of closure, instructional activities, etc.
Directors/Chairs
Pre-Evacuation
- Ensures faculty have plans in place for continuation of course instructions
- Ensures faculty and staff contact information is up-to-date, including all part-time employees
- Ensures faculty have an understanding of utilizing Blackboard
Post-Evacuation
- Contacts all faculty and staff in department
- Keeps faculty and staff informed of any new information disseminated by the administration.
Faculty
Pre-Evacuation
- Ensure that each course has a Blackboard presence and participate in scheduled training sessions
- Develop a syllabus that clearly states how teaching and learning in the course will continue during an evacuation along with special requirements
- State clearly on the syllabus how students are to log on to Blackboard
- State clearly on the syllabus expectation for the students during an evacuation
- Consider developing assignments appropriate for evacuation periods and, when appropriate, distribute prior to evacuation
- Become fully familiar with individual emergency plans for the the university, the Offfice of Academic Affairs, and the college/library
- Faculty in the sciences and in equipment intensive disciplines will ensure that their research laboratories and sensitive equipment are secure and that temperature sensitive supplies (e.g., tissue or cell cultures, certain chemicals, etc.) or materials that require constant care are evacuated/secured as appropriate
Post-Evacuation
- Communicate with the dean and chair regarding the status of courses within 48 hours of an evacuation
- Establishes on-line contact and instruction with classes through Blackboard within 48 hours of an evacuation
- Advisers should contact their advisees through LORA and be available to them to answer questions and provide advice within 48 hours of an evacuation
- Report student and advisee contact information to dean and director or chair
- Based on post-evacuation conditions, maintains rigorous and reasonable assignment policies
Students
Pre-Evacuation
- File personal evacuation plan with Student Affairs
- Practice signing on for each course through Blackboard
- Provide regular and alternative e-mail address and phone contact information to each instructor
- Pack textbooks, assignments, syllabi and any other needed materials for each course and bring during an evacuation
Post-Evacuation
- Log on to university Web site within 48 hours of an evacuation
- Log on to each course through Blackboard or e-mail within 48 hours of an evacuation
- Log on to the university Blackboard site (http://loyno.blackboard.com/) within 48 hours of any evacuation to receive further information regarding contacting course instructors for assignments, etc.
- Faculty will continue to expect the same level of responsibility and performance from students during an evacuation
- Students are required to keep up with course work during the evacuation as specified on course syllabi and on-line Blackboard courses
- Students are required to turn in assignments on time during the evacuation period and once the university campus has reopened
- Students are required to contact professors during an evacuation or as soon as classes resume on campus to explain any emergency circumstances that may have prevented them from completing expected work
- Students should also monitor the university site (www.loyno.edu) for general information
Additional information can be obtained through the following links:
- University Emergency Plan http://www.loyno.edu/emergency
- Emergency Announcements http://www.loyno.edu/emergencyannouncement.php
- Student Affairs Emergency Plan http://www.loyno.edu/studentaffairs/hurricane.emer.plan.html
- Risk Management Emergency Evacuation Policies and Procedures http://www.loyno.edu/riskmanagement/emergencyevac.html
