|
The health and safety of of the DBBS community is our top priority. Please review the information below to learn more about DBBS’ COVID-19 protocols and policies.
Notice: The DBBS has become
aware of cyber bullying directed at essential research personnel who must work
on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s important to understand that each
school has evaluated and approved the critical research that should continue.
We
would like to take this opportunity to remind you that Washington University
does not tolerate abusive conduct irrespective of the medium. Please see the
University’s Abusive Conduct Policy and Social Media Policy for additional information. If
you feel you are a victim or become aware of abusive conduct or cyber
bulling, please visit the Abusive Conduct Policy for the appropriate next steps.
We
are very grateful for the vast majority of university personnel that has come
together to support one another during these unprecedented times.
|
|
|
The Arts & Sciences spring 2021 academic calendar has been revised in response to feedback from students. Please note the inclusion of "welness days" and "study days". There will not be traditional spring break due to concerns about an increased risk of transmission of COVID-19 because of travel-related activities.
The Provost and The Graduate School have indicated that all DBBS courses must follow this calendar:
Spring 2021 Semester:
- Classes Start: (T) January 25, 2021
- Wellness Days - No Classes, Assignments, or Assessments:
- (T) March 2
- (W) March 3
- (W) April 12
- Last Day of Classes: (T) May 4, 2021
- Final Exams: (F-Th) May 7-13, 2021
Additional Study Days: Following A&S guidance, DBBS spring course directors are strongly encouraged to designate 1-2 additional "study days" in which your class will not meet.
Course Delivery Mode:
·
Medical
Campus: Medical campus activities that do not involve direct patient
care or clinical education, including DBBS courses and journal clubs, should be
conducted remotely while significant COVID-19 community transmission persists.
In-person class meetings on the Medical Campus must be approved by the DBBS
Associate Dean for Graduate Education and should have educational objectives
that necessitate in person education. (See section III for more information.)
·
Danforth
Campus: DBBS courses that meet on the Danforth campus will follow
policies and guidelines established for that campus.
High-quality, interactive remote instruction will be available
in all courses for students in quarantine or who cannot come to campus. Instruction may occur in a synchronously,
asynchronously or in a hybrid manner.
Your instructors will be communicating with you about how their courses
will be delivered.
DBBS courses will use the Canvas learning management system or
will be meeting through Zoom video conferencing. Be sure to orient
yourself to these systems. Please check your email and
Canvas Announcements regularly for the latest information. If you haven’t
already, turn on email notifications for Canvas Announcements.
Click here for more information about WashU’s Learning
Remotely Student Resources.
Becker Library has established off–campus proxy login access for
all DBBS students; click here for access. You can also
email AskBecker@wustl.edu to
troubleshoot access to library resources.
Please note that
there will be no risk of losing course credit while your course meets remotely. While we
attempt to slow the spread of Coronavirus, we also want to ensure that
student training remains on track.
Journal Clubs that are curricular requirements must move to an electronic format, such as Zoom. All other informal Journal Clubs and/or similarly planned events are encouraged to move to an electronic format.
All thesis defenses must be conducted electronically using Zoom video conferencing technology.
This is available to all university community members and can be used to convert an event to an online platform with video and audio capabilities. The Zoom technology can also record the event so that it may be shared at a later time. Please contact your Program Coordinator for assistance in arranging your Thesis Defense or if you have questions.
Many of the same habits that served you well
for traditional classroom learning also apply to online learning.
Remote Learning Etiquette infographic PDF of tips and suggestions for learning in an online environment. Display it in your working area for a handy reminder.
YOU ARE STILL IN SCHOOL
This is a reminder for
you and your friends and family. For those that live with others, they
may be tempted to expect more from you since you are not going to campus.
Remind them that you are still in school and have the same academic
commitments.
KEEP A SCHEDULE
The amount of time it
takes do well in graduate school has not changed. You will still attend
just as many class time hours and will still need to devote as many hours to
studying outside of class.
MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS
With online learning,
potential distractions are everywhere – on your computer and even around
you. Some of you have made the choice to not use a laptop during class
time. This new format will require you to use a laptop or some other
device to access class lectures. For internet distractions, consider
installing online tools for better attention and focus. Around your home, set up a space you
will use for “attending” class. Remember, your professors and your
classmates will be able to see what is behind you.
STAY FOCUSED AND ENGAGED DURING CLASS LECTURES
Minimizing
distractions will help (see above), but you will need to prepare yourself to
follow along with the lecture. Use the opportunities presented by your
professor to answer questions. Take class notes just as you would if you
were sitting in a classroom. In other words, treat it as much as possible
as if you were in class with the professor in front and surrounded by your
classmates. Practicing active participation and holding yourself
accountable for your own success during this time will help you stay on track.
Tips for using Zoom
Here are some best practice tips for participating in a Zoom class:
- Use good on-line
etiquette. Do not eat during class lecture and be mindful of your
attire. In addition, everyone will be able to see your facial
expressions, even those who ordinarily would be sitting behind you in
class.
- Mute your mic when you
are not talking. This will lead to a better audio experience for all
participants.
- Pay attention to the
chat feature on the right hand side of the screen. Your professor may pose
questions there for you to answer.
- Everything your camera
captures will be on display for all participants to see. Make sure they
are seeing what you want them to see and not seeing what you don’t.
- Make sure you reach
out to your professors for help if you need it.
Please contact your course instructors or DBBS
staff should you need assistance.
Strategies for Learning Remotely (for Students)
Canvas - Common Issues and Concerns for Students
The Graduate School - links to many WUSTL resources - https://graduateschool.wustl.edu/academics
The Writing
Center and Speaking Studio - https://writingcenter.wustl.edu/
DBBS Becker Education Resources - https://beckerguides.wustl.edu/dbbs
Remote Working Tips
Remote Learning Etiquette:
This is an infographic PDF of tips and suggestions for learning in an
online environment.
Biology Content
iBiology – biology
videos
JoVE - videos
of laboratory methods and science concepts
MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a
web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and
available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity.
CosmoLearning - collects educational videos offered by hundreds of universities, educators,
and professionals.
Research Tools
Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)
Online education research and information library, Education
Resources Information Center, or ERIC.
ERIC database offers access to educational documents, journal articles, and
non-journal literature. With collections that include educational association
publications, conference papers, instructional materials, and research reports,
ERIC is a digital library for research-intensive Ph.D. dissertations and
projects.
Mendeley
Mendeley enables
Ph.D. students to save and access research references and interpret these as
PDF format. Doctorate students may properly organize their papers and work well
in private or public. The website generally creates bibliographies and citations
in any format.
Writing
Purdue OWL
A free online writing site, the Purdue Owl,
was created by Purdue University to provide instructional materials in the
field of writing for Ph.D. students. This online resource enables students to
develop their writing skills through comprehensive lectures regarding the
writing process while keeping in mind the fundamental techniques of proper
writing. The APA and MLA citation guidelines are also featured on this site to
help with proper citation and referencing on Ph.D. formal papers.
Using English for
Academic Purposes (UEfAP)
Using English for Academic
Purposes (UEfAP) is an online resource with searchable activities for
the purpose of strengthening rules and strategies for editing and proofreading
papers. It is a helpful online resource for effective writing, as it features
basic and advanced grammar, sentence construction, and general writing rules and
techniques.
General Resources for Graduate Students
National Association of Graduate-Professional Students
– http://nagps.org/benefits-resources/resources/
Be aware that changing instruction to an online format might affect your needs for accommodations as a learner/student.
Disability Resources (DR) staff are available to set up virtual meetings to discuss your scenario; to request or modify your accommodations, reach out to the team through the respective email address below:
Exam Accommodations: CFU-DR_testing@email.wustl.edu
Peer Note Taking: disabilityresourcesnotes@email.wustl.edu
General: disabilityresources@email.wustl.edu
DR staff is still available for intake for students who do not yet have accommodations. Appointments will be virtual. Click here to get started. Updates for disability accommodations and resources will be posted to the Teaching and Learning site.
If you have not shared your accommodation letters with your instructor, you must do so to ensure instructors can properly accommodate your needs during this transition to online instruction. Please reach out to your instructors regarding exams and class structure, as we do not have details regarding how each professor will transition their class to an online format.
Review the Updated Syllabi. Consider how your disability-related concerns are impacted by new expectations, and make an appointment to speak with a DR staff about any concerns if you believe accommodations need to be adjusted.
Communicate with Your Faculty. Even if you did so at the beginning of the semester, provide your instructors a copy of your accommodation letter, and talk with them about your intent to utilize the accommodations. It is your responsibility to inform faculty of your needs and approved academic accommodations.
Request testing accommodations prior to tests: Online test platforms allow faculty to easily adjust established settings for students, particularly individuals needing extended time. If you receive DR authorized testing accommodations, confirm this need with your instructors. DR staff can assist you (and faculty) with questions.
When messaging faculty, be sure to carbon copy Disability Resources (disabilityresources@wustl.edu). We welcome the opportunity to assist students in conversations with their instructors. Use the subject line: “DR Accommodations” (or similar).
You may contact Student Mental Health Counseling directly at 314-362-2404 to set up an intake appointment. If there is a request for mental health support after hours, please call the Student Assistance Program (SAP) at 1-800-327-2255 and selection “Option #3.” This service is available 24 hours/7 days and everywhere in the United States. For more information on mental health supports, please see an email from Betty Feagans from April 15th entitled “Student Health Access – Your Health and Well-Being."
|
|
DBBS Faculty Information |
|
I. Academic Calendar
Arts
& Sciences courses follow this academic calendar:
Fall
2021 Semester
Classes
Start: (M) August 30, 2021
Labor
Day Holiday – No Class: (M) September 6, 2021
Fall
Break – No Class: (M-Tu) October 11-12, 2021
Thanksgiving
Break – No Class: (W-F) Nov. 24-26, 2021
Last
Day of Classes: (F) December 10, 2021
Final
Exams: (M-W) December 13-22, 2021
Spring
2022 Semester
MLK
Holiday – No Class: (M) January 17, 2022
Classes
Start: (Tu) January 28, 2022
Spring
Break – No Class: (M-F) March 14-18, 2022
Last
Day of Classes: (F) April 29, 2022
Final
Exams: (M-W) May 2-11, 2022
II. Course Delivery Mode
- Medical Campus: In-person class
meetings on the Medical Campus must be approved by the DBBS Associate Dean for
Graduate Education. Medical Campus classroom space is limited due to physical
distancing requirements. (See section III for more information.)
- Danforth Campus: DBBS courses that meet
on the Danforth campus will follow policies and guidelines established for that
campus.
Regardless of the delivery mode, all DBBS courses should
follow these instructional policies:
- Canvas – All DBBS courses should: (i) be published in Canvas
with a syllabus and (ii) ensure course-wide communication is available through
Canvas. It is recommended that (iii) all digital course content is accessible
in Canvas (may be hosted elsewhere, but linked in Canvas).
- Access to Instructor for Academic Support –
All DBBS instructors are encouraged to hold weekly office hours or an
equivalent help session that is open to all students. Office hours may be held
online.
- Accommodations – All DBBS instructors should ensure
that students receive their approved accommodations in accordance with Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title III of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (1990).
- Syllabi – All DBBS instructors should upload their syllabi into Syllabi
Central and submit a syllabus by email to dbbscurriculum@wustl.edu by the first day of the semester.
A syllabus is more than a
course calendar; it provides a comprehensive overview of the course, including:
(i) course information and logistics, (ii) instructors and contact information,
(iii) course description, learning objectives, and prerequisite knowledge, (iv)
required materials, texts, and supplies, (v) grading and assessment metrics,
(vi) assignments and exams, (vii) course policies, (viii) university policies,
and (ix) resources for students.
DBBS instructors are
encouraged to use the WU Center for Teaching and Learning syllabus template.
III. Use of Medical Campus Classroom
Space
DBBS
education activities should generally be conducted remotely while significant
COVID-19 community transmission persists. Faculty are encouraged to conduct
courses, journal clubs, QEs, and Thesis Defenses remotely when possible to ensure
sufficient classroom space for hands-on lab/clinical instruction and to accommodate
others who must work from home due to personal commitments including children
attending school online.
To
hold on-campus class sessions or other educational activities in fall 2021, submit a request through
this Qualtrics link
by April 30, 2021. Approval will
depend on availability of classroom space. Preference will be given to classes
with educational objectives that necessitate in-person instruction and GR1
required courses.
After
receiving approval for on-campus class sessions, a DBBS course may meet on the
Medical campus only if rooms are available and when the following conditions
are met. The teacher or activity organizer bears the responsibility to follow
all guidance listed below:
- Operations Level. Medical campus research operations
level
must be Yellow or Green.
- Masking. Well-fitting facemasks
must be worn during all activities per WUSM or BJC masking requirements, as
applicable.
- Outdoors.
Activities should preferentially be held outdoors rather than indoors
when possible, particularly those activities conducted for purposes of
recruitment or wellness. Events held
outdoors must also adhere to 6-foot spacing requirements, which will dictate
capacity.
- Principles for room usage:
- Configuring
spaces for physical distancing. An
appropriately sized room must be chosen to allow for at least 6 feet of
distance between all occupants continuously.
This can be accomplished by spacing of chairs, tables, computers, and if
necessary, removal of furniture, taping off chairs, or otherwise marking areas
to encourage room users to maintain appropriate distance.
- Maximum
occupancy. All rooms should have a
listed maximum occupancy after configuring for physical distancing. This information should be posted on signage
outside the room and should be taken into account when reserving rooms.
- The
capacity limit for an education-related activity is dictated by the capacity of
the room to continuously house all occupants at least 6 feet from each other.
- List
of available rooms with maximum capacity.
Educational teams should become familiar with all available rooms in
their teaching area and their capacity for hosting different types of events. Lists and maps of facilities with maximum
occupancy as configured for physical distancing should be created and made
available for teaching teams. A list of
shared WUSM education and student support spaces can be found here (https://wustl.app.box.com/s/s40a5cksxgm39o6xs5j609mato4n9y27).
- Hands-on training sessions. For some activities where closer proximity
work is required, such as skills training, learners should be assigned to the
same pod or small group for the entirety of the activity to minimize mixing.
- Visitors. Some
recruitment and wellness activities may allow up to one visitor per learner if
necessary to meet the objectives of the activity. Visitors will count toward maximum capacity
within spaces and must adhere to all screening, masking, distancing, hand
hygiene and other procedures in place for the event. The learner is responsible for ensuring their
visitor is knowledgeable and compliant with the procedures.
- Cleaning and disinfecting protocols. WUSM spaces will be cleaned per the following
protocol: https://wustl.app.box.com/s/286i47hu66l6cx06h73ukkdyi5y4mvi2. Hospital spaces will be cleaned per
respective hospital protocols.
- Signage. Signs
with maximum occupancy and reminders for physical distancing, wearing face masks,
avoiding food and drinks, avoiding unnecessary congregating, and hand hygiene
should be posted at the entry and/or within every room used for educational
purposes.
- Food. Food should not be
offered or consumed during any educational activities. Meals may be provided for consumption after
the completion of the activity. Food
should only be consumed in spaces where physical distancing >6 feet from
others can be maintained at all times, and preferably outdoors or alone when
possible. Congregated meals should be
strictly avoided. Brief sips of drinks
may be allowed with the expectation that masks are immediately brought back up
after each sip. Dining has been the main
source of transmission on campus.
IV.
More Information:
Each instructor is responsible for the delivery of the course, assignments and exams for the remainder of the semester.
Students are still required to seek accommodations from the Disability Resource (DR) Office; be aware that changing instruction to an online format might affect student needs for accommodations. Please be flexible with students at this time.
If students have not shared their accommodation letters with you, they will do so to ensure you can properly accommodate their needs during this transition to online instruction. The Disability Resource office may be carbon-copied on these emails to ensure the student’s request for accommodations has been received and can be met. Contact disabilityresources@wustl.edu with questions or requests for more information.
|
|
Admissions in the times of COVID-19
The pandemic has affected all our lives. We know that many of you are worried that COVID-19-related disruptions to research and lost opportunities may negatively impact your application. We want to tell you that, as in previous years, we are committed to assessing each application holistically. We want to understand what drives you, what challenges you faced (in research and otherwise), how you responded, what you learned, and where you want to go? You can help us by describing this clearly in your essays. If COVID-19 impacted your research, let us know how, what you did in response, etc. We are all in this together. We look forward to reading your applications and meeting you virtually at first and, eventually, in person.
|
|
At this time, visitors are not allowed on campus due to Washington University COVID-19 policies. We are working closely with local, state, and federal officials to slow the spread of the virus in the St. Louis community.
We encourage you to access online resources and information for prospective DBBS students.
|
|
DBBS
Virtual Community Events/Meetings |
|
The first DBBS Town
Hall (April 16th) covered policies and regulations related to
COVID-19. Please find a comprehensive list of the agenda questions and answers
submitted, relevant resources, and a link to a recorded version of the Town
Hall here.
The second DBBS Town
Hall (May 14th) covered mental health and mindfulness supports on
campus. Please find a comprehensive list of the agenda, questions and answers
submitted, relevant resources, and a link to a recorded version of the Town
Hall here.
The third DBBS Town Hall (July 23rd) covered the DBBS Climate Study findings, anti-racist statements and programs, and programming and supports for international students. Additionally, the event covered questions related to COVID-19 policies. Please find a comprehensive list of the agenda, questions and answers submitted, relevant resources, and a link to a recorded version of the Town Hall here.
The DBBS Town Hall for Incoming Students (July 24th) covered climate and current events, COVID-19 policies, and officially joining DBBS. Please find a comprehensive list of the agenda, questions and answers submitted, relevant resources, and a link to a recorded version of the Town Hall here.
We want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to our DBBS 2020 graduates! While we cannot celebrate in our traditional ways, we invite you to explore the College of Arts and Sciences Virtual Recognition Ceremony. For information regarding the Chancellor’s message to all graduates and how to participate in future ceremonies, please see his statement. Importantly, the statement, in part, reads:
"Graduating students who are unable to return for Commencement in May 2021 will have the option to participate in May Commencement or December recognition ceremonies anytime during the next five years, as their schedules allow. Details for how to register will be provided at a later date."
Reorientation 2020 is
for DBBS graduate students transitioning from their first year to their second.
Reorientation 2020 was hosted on Canvas this year. All eligible DBBS students
received a Canvas invitation to join the “course,” which allows students to work
at their own paces.
|
|
Follow us on social media:
|
|