This page will be frequently updated to include answers to questions that are being sent to BSoM staff and administration. In addition to the information on this page, here are some links to College and University-level sources:
- Resources for remote work compiled by COFA (especially helpful for Staff)
- UT Austin updates on COVID-19
- Faculty and TA/AI remote teaching tools
Facility Use during Campus Closure
Students
Students will not have access to MRH or "MBE" for the duration of the semester for any reason, unless accommodations are arranged directly with Page Stephens, Russell Podgorsek or Travis Weller.
Locker Clean-out
UT Housing is using measures to comply with the city order in their process of having students move out, scheduling times for individuals to move and limiting occupation to ten people per floor at a time. We think this is instructive for our situation with lockers:
Pursuant to Housing's plan, our lockers staff will communicate dates and time blocks (potentially, subject to change) for students who left materials to come claim them. We will schedule it such that only ten students will have clean-out times simultaneously (and not any in the same "block" of lockers). If someone cannot come at their assigned time, they will have the opportunity to request a new time, or have us store their materials until Fall 2020. We will end this procedure by April 30 to give our lockers staff time to reset before the (presumably still happening) HVAC renovation.
Faculty
Faculty and staff with high-assurance UT ID cards will have access to the building via BACS as usual, but should follow all precautionary guidelines if/when on campus. Any access issues should be reported to r.podgorsek@austin.utexas.edu or 512 900 0666.
Faculty should not teach from their own offices without written permission from the Associate Director Jeff Hellmer.
Do not have any mail sent to 2406 Robert Dedman Drive. The University has given permission to ship pro-card purchases to personal residences.
Status of Renovations and Maintenance Work
MRH/MBE
Currently, the electric prep work that was scheduled for the week of Spring Break in MRH and MBE has been canceled. As of today, the abatement work that was happening in MRH basement is still happening next week (just not the power shutdown) and the HVAC will be shutdown Tuesday-Thursday “if Zone is available to shut them down”.
We have no information as to the HVAC work in MBE, originally scheduled for 3/19-3/22 at this time.
Jessen
The lighting renovation at Jessen is being completed this week. We will be fully functional with new lights in the hall when return to campus.
Recitals
Students
All Recognition in Music Performance Recitals and Non-Degree Recitals have been canceled for the remainder of Spring 2020 and recital fees have been removed from accounts or refunded. If you are a returning student in Fall 2020 and would like to perform this recital then, you can sign up for a new recital date when Page Stephens reaches out at the end of the semester.
Faculty will work with students who had planned on giving degree recitals critical to graduation in Spring 2020 on an alternate plan to evaluate a grade. All recital fees will be removed from students’ accounts or refunded before the end of the semester.
All recitals that were planned for the remainder of Spring 2020 by students who are not graduating in May will be rescheduled for early Fall (before October 15). Page Stephens will reach out before the end of the semester with instructions for requesting a new date. These rescheduled recitals will have scheduling priority. Your recital fee will remain on your account and be counted towards your rescheduled recital.
Faculty Tracking & Grading Recitals
Mary Ellen Poole and Jeff Hellmer will send instructions for communicating your revised plans for evaluating recitals that are critical to your students graduating in May soon (expect an email after March 30).
For DMA Lecture recitals, only the co-supervisors will be required to grade them. For all other recitals, only the main faculty member will need to grade the student.
Resources & Deadlines for Faculty
Updated Syllabi & Course Plan
Email students in your courses by Friday, March 27 at noon with an updated syllabus along with the protocol and schedule for instruction. Complete the Course Plan for Instructional Continuity by Friday, April 3 at 5 PM.
Teaching assistants and assistant instructors, please coordinate any communications between you and your students with your supervising faculty members. Please approach students with empathy and caring.
If you have already worked out a different way of delivering online instruction that works for you, go for it! If you think your approach solves a common problem, please send it to Mary Ellen Poole and Jeff Hellmer for potential inclusion in a future FAQ email.
- For general guidelines and assistance, please consult the Provost’s Office web site
Here are portions of that video that are particularly useful:
4:15-7:48 Audio settings for Zoom that improve sound dramatically. Most of you do not have or need an interface, so please disregard his statements about his Duet interface. At 5:00, there are excellent instructions about how to select your external microphone (if you have recently obtained one) for use within Zoom.
7:48-8:56 Description of how to use an iPad as a document projector or whiteboard within Zoom. The iPad would need to be dedicated to that task, so Zoom would need to be running on a separate desktop or laptop.
16:08-16:51 Sharing screen with computer sound: a description of how to share video and/or audio from your computer within Zoom.
- Facebook group Higher Ed Music Lessons in the Time of COVID-19
- List of resources that the College Music Society has assembled (no CMS membership is required to access this list)
Last updated on 3/23/20