Academic Affairs Plan For Disaster Preparedness and Recovery |
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Introduction
When the university has evacuated for a hurricane over the past 20 years, classes typically have been cancelled for 2-3 days before they are resumed with a normal schedule. Under these circumstances public announcements made via the media, on the campus Web site, and via campus e-mail are entirely adequate. Faculty have given assignments for the evacuation period and adjusted their schedules and assignments to accommodate this situation.
However, based on the recent experience of Hurricane Katrina, this document has been prepared to address contingencies for longer-term evacuations. Normally, a decision regarding the length of the evacuation will be determined within 72 hours
Assumptions
- The Division will be governed by and its activities will be consistent with the overall university emergency plan
- The university will not close during an evacuation and academic instruction will continue in a distance-learning mode as long as the academic term has begun
- Student enrollment and contact with students will be maintained
- To the extent possible, faculty and staff will be retained
- Faculty and staff have a responsibility to check in with their deans or supervisors and the Human Resources web site within 48 hours of an evacuation that is expected to last more than three days
- All students and employees will have current alternative personal contact information on file
- The university will maintain a robust Blackboard capability
- All faculty and instructional staff will maintain a level of Blackboard presence for each of their courses
- Students will be required to sign on to Blackboard to keep up with course assignments within 48 hours of evacuation
- All academic rules and regulations will remain in force during an evacuation
- The university will have a Web site activated within hours of an evacuation
- Each college will oversee the development of departmental instructional plans
Instructional Responsibilities and Enrollment Policies
- Normal tuition refund policies will remain in effect during an evacuation
- Course instruction will begin within 48 hours of an evacuation through distance education and will be maintained in all courses for a period of up to three weeks
- For evacuations lasting more than three weeks, instruction will continue in all courses except those designated by the dean, director or chair as inappropriate for extended distance education (e.g. lab courses, private music instruction, studio classes) and students will be assigned a grade of IP
Academic Administrative Responsibilities
Provost
Pre-Evacuation
- Provides funding to ensure acquisition of Blackboard with robust capability
- Ensures that each dean has on file with the provost individual college plans for academic instruction continuation
- Ensures that the Academic Affairs Plan for Disaster Preparedness and Recovery is posted and widely communicated
- Develops an evacuation exercise for Academic Affairs
Post-Evacuation
- Communicates timely information on the Loyola University New Orleans Web site
- Establishes immediate communication with the deans
- Establishes arrangements for regular meetings with the Council of Deans for evacuations lasting three weeks or less and permanent relocation for evacuations lasting more than three weeks
- Provides a written summary of the Council of Deans deliberations via the Web site immediately following any meetings
- Develops plans for resumption of instruction on campus
- Communicates necessary changes in academic policy and procedures caused by the evacuation
Information Technology
Pre-Evacuation
- Tests IT disaster recovery plan
- Maintains contract with Blackboard and Presidium for off-site hosting and 24/7 user support
- Establishes a web page for each college on the Emergency web site that is linked to the front page of the university’s emergency site that will enable each dean to communicate with his/her faculty.
Post-Evacuation
- Activates shadow Web site within hours of loss of service to the main campus
- Activates alternative e-mail accounts
- Depending on the length of evacuation, declares state-of-emergency with Sungard
- Activates 1-800 number at alternative location
- Office of Student Records
- Post-Evacuation
- Provides deans, director, and/or chair with currently enrolled students and their courses
- Provides deans with current candidates for graduation
- Provides contact information for students - permanent addresses, phone #'s, cell #'s and e-mail addresses
Library
Pre-Evacuation
- Assists faculty in development of online courses and ensures appropriate use of Blackboard applications by faculty and students
- Works with faculty to develop electronic reserves within Blackboard
- Serves as a campus liaison with Blackboard and Presidium
Post-Evacuation
- Provides instruction and follow-up instruction to faculty and students in use of Blackboard for distance education
- Provides access to electronic resources, including full-text journals and electronic books
- Provides 24/7 reference assistance
- In the event of an extended evacuation, provides interlibrary loan/article delivery services and support for media applications.
Dean
Pre-Evacuation
- Files college emergency plan with the Provost’s Office
- Establishes a college Blackboard site and ensures that faculty and staff receive training in utilizing Blackboard
- Coordinates college-wide evacuation policies for faculty, staff, and students including evacuation training
Post-Evacuation
- Establishes immediate contact with faculty and students
- Communicates with the provost regarding the status of college activities
- Communicates with the chairs and directors regarding duration of closure, instructional activities, etc.
Director/Chair
Pre-Evacuation
- Ensures faculty have plans in place for continuation of course instructions
- Ensures faculty and staff contact information is up-to-date, including all part-time employees
- Ensures all courses are hosted on Blackboard and faculty have an understanding of utilizing Blackboard
Post-Evacuation
- Contacts all faculty and staff in department
- Keeps faculty and staff informed of any new information disseminated by the administration.
Faculty
Pre-Evacuation
- Ensure that each course has a Blackboard presence and participate in scheduled training sessions
- Develop a syllabus that clearly states how teaching and learning in the course will continue during an evacuation along with special requirements
- State clearly on the syllabus how students are to log on to Blackboard
- Become fully familiar with the university’s, Division of Academic Affairs’, and the college’s Emergency Plan
- Faculty in the sciences and in equipment intensive disciplines will ensure that their research laboratories and sensitive equipment are secure and that temperature sensitive supplies (e.g., tissue or cell cultures, certain chemicals, etc.) or materials that require constant care are evacuated/secured as appropriate.
Post-Evacuation
- Communicate with the dean and chair regarding the status of courses within 48 hours of an evacuation.
- Within 48 hours of an evacuation, tells students how each course will be conducted during the evacuation.
- Advisers should contact their advisees and be available to them to answer questions and provide advice.
- Report student and advisee contact information to dean and director or chair
Students
Pre-Evacuation
- File personal evacuation plan with Student Affairs
- Practice signing on for each course through Blackboard
- Provide regular and alternative e-mail address and phone contact information to each instructor
Post-Evacuation
- Log on to university Web site within 48 hours
- Log on to each course through Blackboard or e-mail within 48 hours
- Log on to the university Blackboard site (http://loyno.blackboard.com/ ) within 48 hours of any evacuation to receive further information regarding contacting course instructors for assignments, etc. Students will be required to do assigned course work for any evacuation of more than 48 hours. Students should also monitor the university site (www.loyno.edu) for general information
Additional information can be obtained through the following links:
- University Emergency Plan http://www.loyno.edu/emergency
- Emergency Announcements http://www.loyno.edu/emergencyannouncement.php
- Student Affairs Emergency Plan http://www.loyno.edu/studentaffairs/hurricane.emer.plan.html
- Risk Management Emergency Evacuation Policies and Procedures http://www.loyno.edu/riskmanagement/emergencyevac.html
- Information Technology
http://www.loyno.edu/infotech/intranet/documents/droverview.pdf