Remote Start to Spring Semester

December 31, 2021

Later today, President Stanley will send a community-wide message announcing that MSU will provide most classes through remote modalities for the first three weeks of the spring semester. This decision was made based on the rising COVID infection rates in Michigan and across the U.S. More specifics on the decision will be provided by the president, and the deans have been alerted to the news. The deans, their offices, and provost’s office staff are ready to engage with you on individual class questions. This message is provided to give you a bit of additional pre-information so you can prepare for our January 10 start date.

Importantly, areas where in-person learning or academic work are necessary (e.g., some academic and research laboratories, some music instruction, some of our health professional education, and internships) are still allowable, with discretion. Please work with your deans, directors, and chairs to make appropriate accommodations and communicate with your students accordingly. Residential housing will be open, so students will be on campus as well as in the East Lansing area. The Main Library will be open during the month of January and recreational options and the performing arts, including at the Wharton Center, will be available to students and the community.

As a reminder, Keep Teaching has teaching and learning success strategies and resources for you to assist with this adjustment. Please also keep in mind MSU’s core teaching tools as you plan for the start of the semester. These tools will help ensure students have access and support from MSU as we create an inclusive and accessible learning experience for students with disabilities and provide access to technology for students who are not on campus.

In addition, the following links provide information on how to navigate software, where to go for further instruction on how to access course material, and where you can find technical and course development assistance:

Access tutorials, post questions, and engage in ongoing conversations with MSU educators at https://iteach.msu.edu/
Learn about technology that supports teaching, learning, and MSU at https://tech.msu.edu/service-catalog/teaching/
For IT support, please visit https://tech.msu.edu/support/help/, call (517) 432-6200 or toll free (844) 678-6200, or email ithelp@msu.edu
As a reminder, the IT Service Desk is closed Friday, December 31 – January 3 in observation of the winter break and will resume regular hours of 7 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, on January 4.
You may still report major service outages by calling (517) 432-6200.
For Desire2Learn (D2L) Learning Management System support, visit https://help.d2l.msu.edu
MSU also offers a self-enroll course for instructors that includes a variety of D2L-related resources, which you can find under the Self Registration area, once logged in: https://d2l.msu.edu/d2l/loginh/
To support your students, we have a student-focused course, “Getting Started with D2L,” which they can self-enroll in under the Self Registration area, once logged in: https://d2l.msu.edu/d2l/loginh/

For instructional technology consultation services leveraging MSU technology resources, go to https://tech.msu.edu/service-catalog/teaching/instructional-design-development/

As always, additional information and FAQs about new requirements can be found on our Together We Will website. Please revisit the website frequently for the most current information.

I know this news will be received with mixed emotions, and I thank you for your dedication to academic excellence and student success during these times. I am happy to address questions you may have later today after reviewing the president’s note.

My best,

Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
MSU Foundation Professor