Instructor FAQ

Important additional resources

This document lists questions commonly encountered by instructors. Instructors are also strongly encouraged to read through the Instruction FAQ for Students on the Office of the Registrar website, which also provides up-to-date information but focuses on the students’ perspective on instructional issues.

Helpful guides and strategies for remote teaching can be found on the ...

About this FAQ

The following answers reflect the most current planning on our campus for Fall 2021 instruction. Although subsequent developments in public health guidance may necessitate changes, these answers are intended to provide the best and most up-to-date basis for instructional planning.

This document will be supplemented and updated as needed on an ongoing basis. If you would like to propose an additional question, or if you have other additions or corrections, please email aschair@...

What provisions will be in place for remote proctoring?

Only courses approved for remote instruction are permitted to use Zoom for remote proctoring in Fall 2021 for both midterm and final exams. Instructors are not permitted to use third party proctoring products, with the exception of a small pilot program (HonorLock) within the Haas School of Business.

Courses that have not been approved for remote instruction are expected to follow the regular in-person exam scheduling for midterm and final exams. Standing policy allows department chairs...

I would like to do a mix of in-person and remote teaching for my Fall 2021 class, with some sessions in person and some via Zoom. Do I need permission to hold some of my class sessions remotely? Does it depend on how many sessions are remote vs in-person?

No permission from COCI is required for occasional remote sessions that are designed to promote student learning.COCI approval is required only for courses that (a) do not fall under the campus remote instruction guidelines but plan to include exclusively or primarily online components (a component is a lecture, discussion, lab, etc.), and/or (b) plan to include exclusively or primarily online components in future semesters, after emergency remote instruction has ended.

If I record a class lecture or discussion, and it includes student participation (identifying information such as name, image, or voice), can I share the recording with individuals who are not enrolled in the course?

To share recordings of class sessions that include student participation with individuals not enrolled in the course (e.g., future courses, prospective students, audiences outside of Berkeley), instructors must provide notice in the syllabus prior to semester start regarding the recording and sharing of classroom lectures and discussion sections and receive written consent from students via a form/survey sent to all class enrollments asking them to opt in/opt out. In accordance with FERPA requirements, students must be provided with the opportunity to consent or to withhold...

I am a GSI. Where can I find information about remote teaching for GSIs?

The Graduate Division has compiled the following document addressing some of the common concerns particular to GSIs in the changed circumstances of Fall 2020: Addressing GSI Concerns: Fall 2020 Instruction FAQ. The GSI Remote Teaching Hub is a useful centralized source of information relating particularly to...

I am an instructor who works with GSIs. How can I prevent remote instruction from creating increased workload for my GSIs, as per regulations?

As noted by the Graduate Division, “As per the Graduate Council Policy on Appointments and Mentoring of GSIs, faculty members who teach with GSIs are required to meet with GSIs before the semester begins to review the course syllabus, clarify GSI responsibilities in the course, and, in the case of discussion sections and labs, describe the relationship of sections to lecture. If a course is being taught remotely, the...

Are instructors expected to follow “Berkeley Time”?

Instructors are expected to continue to follow “Berkeley time”: by the “Berkeley Time” convention, instruction in class meetings normally begins ten minutes after the official start time. For example, a class whose time is listed in the schedule as 10:00-10:59 begins at 10:10 and ends at 11:00. A 9:30-10:59 class runs from 9:40-11:00. While instructors and students in a remote setting do not need to travel between or “reset” classrooms, that time is...

Do changes made to adapt a course to remote instruction need COCI approval?

No, changes made to adapt a course to remote instruction do not need COCI approval. Remote instruction is a temporary, emergency measure for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis, not a permanent change to the course. COCI, therefore, considers a course offered via remote instruction as part of the campus COVID-19 emergency response to be the same course as initially approved. Accordingly, COCI approval is not required. See ...

Are there particular issues I should bear in mind in relation to DSP accommodations?

The following are some of the most common situations. For further information, you may also consult DSP’s own FAQ for Faculty, which includes useful guidance specific to remote instruction, along with Creating Accessible Content

1. Two of the most common issues relating to online instruction are poor audio and video quality of recorded...