Dear <<First Name>>,
As you prepare to return to in-person teaching, there's a lot that you need to do ahead of your first day in the classroom. Please pour yourself a coffee and find a comfy chair – I know this is a lot to get through, but I hope it will help you have a successful and safe start of term.
I ask that you complete three action items:
- As soon as possible, make sure your classroom technology is ready for your first day of in-person teaching (indicated below). It may take longer than you expect to set up your computer, etc.
- Familiarize yourself with Harvard's COVID-19 guidelines for classroom safety and course auditors included below.
- Complete the start of term checklist below.
 Important note: The first day of classes is Wednesday, September 1. We’re following a Monday schedule, so please teach your Monday courses on that day.
Thank you,
Mike Burke
Registrar of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Harvard University
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Action Item 1: As soon as possible, check your classroom technology in person.
HUIT and ESS staff have been busy preparing campus technology for your return, but you should still test your classroom technology to make sure it is working properly. We encourage you to visit campus at least one week before you start teaching to get set up, make sure everything is working as it should, and plan a ‘dry run’ in your classroom.
- Read HUIT's Return to Campus Guide: Consider what equipment you should bring back to campus and how to reconnect your devices to the campus Wi-Fi network.
- Make a 30-minute in-person classroom appointment: Work with ESS staff to reorient yourself to your teaching space to test AV, laptop connections, and address any questions prior to the start of classes.
- Attend virtual office hours for classroom technology support, through August 31: Bring your questions to ESS throughout August.
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Action Item 2: Familiarize yourself with Harvard's COVID-19 Guidelines for classroom safety and course auditors.
Classroom Safety Guidelines
Please remember to follow the Harvard University Guidance for On-Campus activity from Environmental Health and Safety. Review the section titled "Classrooms, Instruction, Lecture and Designated Study Spaces" for the latest guidelines.
On the use of masks in the classroom:
- Educate students on the importance of wearing masks.
- Set clear expectations for the behavior and consequences (we recommend featuring these on your syllabus).
- Encourage shared responsibility for enforcement in the classroom; everyone – faculty and students – should feel empowered to remind those who forget to wear a mask.
- Understand that some exceptions / accommodations have been formally made by the Accessible Education Office (AEO) for students with health conditions that make mask-wearing difficult.
- If you encounter any classroom disruption, please report any concerning behavior to an undergraduate student’s Resident Dean or to a graduate student’s Dean of Student Affairs.
Course Auditors – Safety and Security
Auditors are permitted only at the instructor’s discretion, and may not attend remotely. Faculty have a responsibility to protect student information that Canvas may provide, and they are responsible for informing auditors of University and FAS policies governing access to student and course information.
- It is strongly recommended that faculty limit auditors to HUID holders only so that the individual is already included in the university’s COVID testing protocols. There is no central way for FAS to track auditors for inclusion into the Harvard testing cadence.
- If a faculty member chooses to permit a non-Harvard auditor, the faculty member must work with their home department to establish the auditor as a “Person of Interest” (POI) in the university identity management system, and then facilitate the auditor’s registration into the Color testing system. COVID testing for non-Harvard course auditors will be billed to the instructor’s department.
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Action Item 3: Complete the Start of Term Checklist
 Check fall 2021 grading deadlines for your courses.
Timely submission of grades is important, especially for students who are graduating in November 2021.
Submit Final Assessment Form in my.harvard (FAINFO)
Final assessment information helps the Registrar's Office schedule final exams in a timely manner. We require this information from all courses, not just those requiring final exams, except for 300(0) level courses. There are two ways to access your Final Assessment form:
- Under the Teaching/Advising tab in my.harvard, navigate to the My Courses section and click the Final Assessment button
- Use the Final Assessment link on your course’s Canvas website
Respond to enrollment requests for your course.
Cross-registration into FAS courses will begin on August 27 and students can only enroll with instructor permission. Students will follow the COVID testing and vaccination requirements of their home schools, which is similar to the guidelines we are following here at Harvard.
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 MY.HARVARD HELP CENTER
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 DATES AND DEADLINES
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AUG
26
Course registration deadline
FAS students are required to submit course registration for minimum required course load – typically 16 credits (equivalent to four Harvard 4-credit courses).
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AUG
27
Cross-Registration into FAS Courses Opens
Students outside of FAS wishing to cross register can only do so with instructor permission, so please be mindful that you will need to respond to cross-registration enrollment requests.
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SEP
01
First day of fall classes
September 1 is a Wednesday, but we will follow a Monday schedule.
Important: Please teach your Monday courses and be sure to check the course meeting locations in my.harvard.
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SEP
06
University Holiday: Labor Day
Classes will not be held, and the Registrar's Office will be closed.
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 RESOURCES
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FAS Faculty Handbook
Review policies and resources for teaching and learning as well as your responsibilities as an instructor.
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FAS Faculty Resources for Returning to Campus
View FAS policies related to returning to in-person instruction.
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Faculty/Staff Help Center
See recent questions fellow faculty and staff have asked the Registrar's Office and get your questions answered quickly.
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Virtual Office Hours with the Registrar's Office
Connect with us on Zoom Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10:00am to 12:00pm ET.
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ACTION ITEM