Virtual Attendance Policies
Georgetown undergraduate classes are operating primarily in person, but we do still have the technology to allow students to attend and possibly participate remotely. As the instructor, you have the autonomy to decide the extent to which you will allow/facilitate remote attendance.
Below we've provided policy options, as well as rationale for using each of them—or not. Feel free to use the language below in your syllabus, and adapt as necessary.
Requests Accepted
No Requests Accepted, No Virtual Access to Class Sessions
No Requests Accepted, Access to Class Session Recordings
Virtual Observation Allowed
Hybrid Engagement Allowed
Requests Accepted
Students can attend via Zoom if they request in advance.
Sample Syllabus Policy: "Given the importance of contribution and group work in this class, in-person attendance should be a priority. However, if you cannot make it in-person, a zoom link can be made available upon request for you to join virtually."
| Rationale For | Rationale Against |
|---|---|
| The importance of in-class contribution and participation is made clear. Flexibility is provided for student circumstances necessitating joining online. | Requires checking email and monitoring student requests to make a link available. Could potentially reduce in-person attendance, especially at typically challenging class times. |
No Requests Accepted, No Virtual Access to Class Sessions
Students cannot attend via Zoom, and there will not be recordings of class sessions available. Consider offering a justification for this policy, as in the first option above.
Sample Syllabus Policy: "Given the importance of contribution and group work in this class, in-person attendance should be a priority. Virtual attendance is not available for this class. If you must miss class, you have a responsibility to seek class notes and review course content for the missed time. Office hours are available to address any outstanding questions."
| Rationale For | Rationale Against |
|---|---|
| Provides clear boundaries and expectations for the students. Offers office hours as a supporting resource to address any gaps in understanding that may arise from missing the live session. | Puts more responsibility on the student for circumstances that may have been beyond their control. May be considered arbitrary if technology is readily available in the classroom. |
No Requests Accepted, Access to Class Session Recordings
Students cannot attend via Zoom, but can request recordings of class sessions. Consider offering a justification for this policy, as in the first option above.
Sample Syllabus Policy: "Virtual attendance is not permitted for this class. If a session is missed, a recording may be provided upon request."
| Rationale For | Rationale Against |
|---|---|
| Sets a clear boundary for students. Allows students with unique circumstances to get access to missed content. | May increase labor for the faculty member as they will have to remember to record and make sessions available, and respond to individual student requests. |
Virtual Observation Allowed
Students can attend via Zoom, but may not be able to participate in discussion.You can add a statement encouraging in-person participation/explaining its importance/talking about what conditions would make it reasonable (to you) for students to attend virtually, or not.
Sample Syllabus Policy: "Virtual attendance is regularly available for this class, technology permitting. A Zoom link will be provided on Canvas for every class. Students may or may not be able to unmute or ask questions in the moment, depending on class constraints, but always feel free to reach out to me afterwards if you have any questions."
| Rationale For | Rationale Against |
|---|---|
| Allows flexibility for students' circumstances. Sets clear boundaries on what student participation may look like when virtually attending. | Contingent on classroom technology functioning smoothly. Could potentially reduce in-person attendance, especially at typically-challenging class times or topics. |
Hybrid Engagement Allowed
Students can attend and participate in class via Zoom as needed. You can add a statement encouraging in-person participation/explaining its importance/talking about what conditions would make it reasonable (to you) for students to attend virtually, or not.
Sample Syllabus Policy: "Hybrid/ Virtual attendance is regularly available for this class. Every effort will be made to include you in class discussion and activities, technology permitting."
| Rationale For | Rationale Against |
|---|---|
| Designs the class with virtual components in mind. A good practice for adapting to variability in student schedules and circumstances. | An additional time and classroom management task for faculty. Very much contingent on technology functioning smoothly. May make in-person attendance less likely. |
