Reminders: Protocols for sharing COVID info; at-home COVID tests available from government website

Employees are reminded that you should inform your manager if you test positive for COVID-19 or are in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID.

Close contact means you were within 6 feet of someone with COVID for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

The "next step" protocol for managers is to inform Dina Henderson in the College Human Resources Office.

• After talking to HR, managers will then reach out to other employees in their office/department who may need more information about exposure to COVID and directions for the individual employee's next steps.

When a student with a COVID positive test or exposure informs a faculty member, the faculty member should share information with the Dean, who will contact the Office of the Provost regarding next steps that might affect other students or employees.

The College's current protocols for isolation and/or quarantine and for returning to work or in-person classes are described in this flowchart (click to download).

• The COVID Dashboard on the College's COVID-19 web page provides weekly updates on COVID cases reported by students and employees. The Dashboard is updated on Tuesday each week.

For those who may need to obtain COVID tests, the Federal website COVIDtests.gov launched this week.

• Every household in the U.S. can request 4 free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. Orders usually ship in 7 to 12 days via the US Postal Service.
   
• The website also includes information for those who need faster access to a COVID test.
   
• For those who can't use the website, free tests can be requested by calling 1-800-232-0233 or the TTY line 1-888-720-7489.

"Zoom center" available to on-campus students

Cincinnati State's Spring Semester "pivot" to increased remote options means some students might be scheduled for a mix of in-person and remote classes, with little travel time between classes that use different delivery formats.

To assist students on campus who might need to log in for a remote Live Web class session (using Zoom, Blackboard Collaborate, etc.), the Cincinnati State Math Center (Main 228-B) is also serving as a temporary "Zoom Center."

Students can use the Math Center computers to connect to remote classes from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

• The computers in the Math Center don't have cameras-- so students who own a portable camera should bring it with them (or else connect to class with audio only).
   
• Students who own a headset should bring it to the Math Center, but headsets provided by the College Marketing Department will be available also, at no cost.
   
• The temporary Zoom Center is only for connection to remote classes, not for open lab work. Printing services will not be available for Zoom Center students.
   
• Math Center staff will not be able to assist with computer applications, other than those used for Math courses.

Math Center services will continue to be available.

Humanities & Sciences Dean Geoffrey Woolf thanked Tutoring Center Manager Debbie Greenlee and the staff of the Math Center and Tutoring Center for making it possible to offer this temporary service for students.

Dean Woolf said if demand for Zoom Center service is high, additional locations will be announced.

Full-time & adjunct faculty needed for project to improve teaching in "gateway" courses

Cincinnati State faculty members, both full-time and adjunct, are invited to participate in a research project that is focused on improving student experiences and outcomes in "gateway" courses, as a result of providing high-quality professional development support for faculty.

Cincinnati State is one of three Ohio institutions invited to take part in the research study, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Participating faculty will have the opportunity to earn the ACUE (Association of College and University Educators) Certificate in Effective College Instruction.

The ACUE Certificate is the only nationally-recognized collegiate teaching credential endorsed by the American Council on Education.

• If you would like to participate, please get in touch with Stephanie Stafford, Assistant Dean of Online Learning (stephanie.stafford@cincinnatistate.edu), by Wednesday, Feb. 2.
   
  Please reach out to Stephanie before Feb. 2 if you have questions about the project.

Details:

• Project activities will start Feb. 21, 2022, and conclude in early December 2022.
• Participants should expect to spend about 2-3 hours a week on project activities.
• Breaks are built into the Spring and Fall semesters and the project Summer break is from late May to mid-August.
• Participating Cincinnati State faculty members will be enrolled in a professionally-facilitated course that prepares faculty in evidence-based teaching practices proven through independently-validated research to improve student achievement and close equity gaps. The course will be delivered fully online.
   
• "Gateway" courses are typically defined as classes in math, English, business, and natural and social sciences that students must complete in order to progress in their degree. However, other Cincinnati State courses may qualify for the project.
   
• Courses taught in any delivery format (online, hybrid, in-person) are eligible for the project.
   
• Students are not the research subjects, and will not be identified individually anywhere. Data collected for the project will include faculty and student demographics, student achievement data, and surveys that faculty and students will complete.

Faculty Sabbatical applications due Feb. 1; CTL can provide help with proposals

February 1 is the deadline for faculty members to apply for a sabbatical leave to be taken during the 2022-23 academic year.

• Any tenured faculty member who has not taken a sabbatical leave in the past 5 years is eligible to apply for a sabbatical: a one- or two-semester release from typical faculty work.

Two types of sabbaticals may be granted:

• Project: The faculty member undertakes specific activities that could involve planned study, research, travel, program or department development, return to industry, or other approved creative work of benefit to the faculty members and to the College.
   
• Advanced Degree: The faculty member pursues an advanced degree necessary to start or continue the operation of an academic program or department.
• Details of the sabbatical process are described in AAUP Contract Article 15-C.

Get help from the CTL

Faculty members who want help planning or preparing a sabbatical proposal are welcome to set up a consultation with a Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) facilitator. Assistance includes:

• Exploring sabbatical options and ideas
• Troubleshooting how to "make time for a sabbatical"
• Writing a sabbatical proposal

To schedule a one-on-one consultation session, contact one of the CTL facilitators:

• Dr. Valencia Moses (Dr. V) - https://calendly.com/drv4ctl/30min
   
• Shannon McClure - https://calendly.com/skmcclure10/30minsabbatical?month=2022-01

Other considerations

• Before completing a sabbatical application, faculty members should meet with your dean to discuss your proposed project.
   
• Click to download the full guidelines for preparing a sabbatical application.
   
• For more resources, visit the Faculty Senate "course" on Blackboard. Go to the 4^th link on the left, Senate Committees  and then scroll down to Sabbatical Review Board.