Guidance and recommendations for classroom management, communication, PPE, teaching, and more.
Course Policies and Syllabus
- COVID-19 Classroom and Syllabus Guidelines for Instructors (PDF) - Guidelines for communicating classroom behavioral requirements and ensuring student compliance.
- Student Communication Templates – Preparing for Remote (DOC) - These templates have been created to help instructors who are currently teaching In-Person and/or Mixed-Mode courses communicate important information about transitioning to remote instruction to their students.
Health and Safety
- Acoustics Testing for Penn State’s “Teaching and PPE Committee” (PDF) - The Graduate Program in Acoustics collaborated with the Department of EHS to perform acoustical and audio testing on how instructors with face masks will be perceived by students.
- Instruction, Universal Masking and PPE Recommendations (DOC) - Guidance on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the classroom to ensure the safety of our faculty, staff and students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inclusion and Student Well-being
- Alternative Wellness Programming for Asynchronous and Synchronous Courses (DOC) - Guidance for incorporating wellness-oriented changes into Penn State World Campus or Web courses, or courses that cannot easily accommodate wellness-related adjustments on the scheduled Wellness Days.
- Virtual Study Groups – Guidance for Instructors (DOC) - Guidance and resources for the use of study groups to foster student connections and student success in learning.
Instruction and Pedagogy
- Creating Additional Sections for CM and CP Courses (DOC) - Guidance for instructors who wish to offer students the option to participate in their course without attending in person.
- Experiential Courses Guideline/Process (DOC) - Guidelines and processes for courses requiring hands-on or experiential, in-person work to accomplish course learning goals and objectives.
- Flexible Instructional Teaching Guide - This self-paced guide provides important resources for a move to the remote teaching environment.
- Helpful Links for Penn State Instructors (DOC) -
- Instructional Materials for Students Studying Outside the U.S. (DOC) - Common issues and recommendations for instructors and students.
- Instructor Guide to Fall 2020 (DOC) - This guide was developed to provide instructors with a compilation of resources to help prepare for the semester and has been updated to include information about transitioning to remote instruction.
- Learning Design and Instructor Development Recommendations (DOC) - Recommendations from the learning design and instructor development teams regarding modes of instruction for fall 2020.
- Office Hours – Guidance for Instructors (DOC) - Guidelines and considerations for instructors to use when engaging with their students in office hours.
- Student Pivot Plan (PDF) - This fillable PDF is a tool for instructors and advisers to send to and walk through with students as they plan for transitioning to remote learning.
- Webcams and other Tools for Student Engagement (DOC) - Guidance for instructors when considering webcam usage and expanding the list of acceptable ways students can participate in class.