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The Center for Communication Practices at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute explains how to write a memo for the purpose of inter- or intradepartmental communication in academia.

Email: Correspond digitally

As your initial form of communication with students, it is important to inform students often about course changes and expectations.
Use the Instructor Systems email tool from the Registrar’s website to send messages to your whole class, or you can use Spartan Mail for individual and small group communications.
access your email login here: https://spartanmail.msu.edu/

It’s essential to plan for course adjustments and communication in order to ensure a smooth transition into the remote learning space.

Adjust your expectations for students: You may need to adjust some of your expectations for students, including participation, engagement, grading, and deadlines. As you think through these changes, keep in mind the effect that a campus disruption may have on students’ ability to meet those expectations. Students may encounter additional barriers, which you should be mindful of. These include illness, lacking power or internet connections, or needing to care for family members. Be ready to handle requests for extensions or accommodations equitably.


Some students rely on MSU’s infrastructure for internet access. Should access to campus be restricted it is possible that some students may have limited internet connectivity or be reliant on cellular networks for their internet access.


Develop a communication plan: It’s important that you develop a robust communication plan. Clarify your modified expectations and course elements and communicate them to students. Tell students how they can contact you (email, online office hours, Microsoft Teams, etc.), and how soon they can expect a reply from you. Consider using the D2L announcements and discussion board tools to push out course-level communications.


Consider realistic goals for continuing instruction: Be realistic about what can and can not be accomplished in a remote environment. Refocus the course goals on realistically attainable objectives. Clarify what your expectations are for students’ efforts with regard to reading and homework. Be clear with students what you expect of them with regard to participation and online discussion.


Adjust your syllabus as needed: Clarify what policies (attendance, participation, grading, schedule) will need to be altered for the duration of the remote delivery. Provide as much detail as possible about changes. Do not expect students to participate in synchronous sessions at a time other than the normal course time.

This week, we are featuring Alexis Black, Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre.  Alexis was recognized via iteach.msu.edu's Thank and Educator Initiative! We encourage MSU community members to nominate high-impact Spartan educators (via our Thank an Educator form) regularly!
Read more about Alexis’ perspectives below. #iteachmsu's questions are bolded below, followed by their responses!

You were recognized via the Thank an Educator Initiative. In one word, what does being an educator mean to you? 
Inspiration!
What does this word/quality look like in your practice? Have your ideas on this changed over time? If so, how?
I love inspiring theatre students and instilling confidence by finding their sense of play, and I love empowering individuals to use their unique voices to share whatever inspires them. I love finding new practices through my research and creative activities, and bringing these practices to the classroom to re-inspire these artists who are the future of our profession. I believe learning and growing are an ongoing process that includes always taking in what is around us—which is literally what it is to “inspire”— to breathe in.  As students, teachers and artists we must be taking in and absorbing as much as we can, and be truly present to how each new inspiration changes us and our art. What each student does with each moment of inspiration is unique, and that individuality and creativity in turn inspires me right back! 
Tell me more about your educational “setting.” This can include, but not limited to departmental affiliations, community connections, co-instructors, and students. (AKA, where do you work?)
I work in the Theatre Department at Michigan State University with our talented and driven cohort of MFA-candidate Artist-Educators, and our amazing undergraduate theatre students. I am extremely proud to work alongside so many collaborative, compassionate and innovative artists, students and educators.  
What is a challenge you experience in your educator role? Any particular “solutions” or “best practices” you’ve found that help you support student success at the university despite/in the face of this?
I have found the understandable rise of anxiety and depression a challenge for students to pair with often emotionally vulnerable work in the theatrical classroom. I have experienced more success in supporting students in this area due to focus on self-care and closure practices I have gained through professional trainings and research, and incorporating more playful, creative ways into the work has been beneficial as well. I discovered that telling the story of an emotion through physical movements (rather than creating a psychological connection) can be incredibly freeing for students in relation to mental and emotional health. Our bodies are truly instruments for storytelling in this profession; Incorporating powerful ways to keep our instruments confidently and safely “tuned,” and finding skills to use our instruments both fully and with care, can help to nurture the resilient and empowered actors of tomorrow.  
What are practices you utilize that help you feel successful as an educator?
I practice mindful communicative practices that encourage presence, active listening and support of individuality, such as conversations about boundaries before physical touch, check-ins, ensemble-building exercises, discussions on the relationship between comfort and growth as an artist, and projects that encourage empathy through collaborative creation. I find continuing to work professionally artist and remaining a student myself through ongoing professional trainings in my area of expertise to lead to many of my successes as an educator—immersing myself in contemporary practices and productions keeps a connection for my students to the theatre of today and tomorrow.  I also find an intentional emphasis on ownership over their work and their process as artists to be a successful way to hand off the reigns on their work—I am an introductory guide, but they must forge their own path.  If they can leave the classroom with a toolkit they can both use and individualize, I feel I have been a successful educator.
What are you looking forward to (or excited to be a part of) next semester?
In Fall 2022 I will be teaching the graduate MFA students about extreme physical storytelling, including staged violence and staged intimacy. It’s vital to foster consent-forward and trauma-informed educators and artists to join the workforce in the theatre industry, and especially at the graduate level in the department of theatre as our MFA students are training both as artists and educators. 


Don't forget to celebrate individuals you see making a difference in teaching, learning, or student success at MSU with #iteachmsu's Thank an Educator initiative. You might just see them appear in the next feature!

Having conversations online can be difficult, let alone teaching, so make sure you're patient with yourself and others. It can be difficult to miss out on non-verbal cues and tone when we're not talking with one another face to face. That said, there are some best practices for keeping your digital conversation productive. Check out this guide for more on online etiquette or "netiquette"!
 
 

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
In How to Build an Online Learning Community (In 2020) https://www.learnworlds.com/build-online-learning-community/ via @learnworlds
"Synchronous communication provides a sense of immediateness and cultivates the feeling of responsiveness among participants. It also results in quick problem-solving. Real-time chat is probably the most exhausting and intensive activity you will ever encounter in online teaching.
Your attention must be attuned to rapid-fire comments and questions from several learners.
It is best to plan a live collaboration chat with your learners early on.
That can be achieved with a live class or webinar."
 
 
Putting it into practice:
These days it easy to hear word synchronous and automatically think about Zoom Meetings. However, there are a variety of tools that are available to students for synchronous class experiences without relying solely on Zoom. Below you will find some resources and ideas with how they can be used in the classroom.

Synchronous versus Asynchronous - Short video on what type of activities lend themselves to synchronous or asynchronous activities.
Google apps: MSU provides access to free google apps suite with unlimited storage. You may be familiar with Google Drive, but if you use the following URL and login with your MSU credentials you can create files and storage that is automatically available to the MSU Community. Most of the Google apps suite allows for real-time collaboration and commenting. Another benefit is that all Google files have their own web address which makes it extremely easy to share in D2L or a website.

Note: Google applications are not always available in other countries. Due to the unpredictable nature of national firewalls, there aren't guarantees regarding what applications will work or which ones won't. Therefore it is good to provide alternative options.


Microsoft Teams - Provides a balance of asynchronous and synchronous activity. You can use the following link to provision a Microsoft Team to supplement your D2L course. Your students will automatically be added to your course.

D2L to Microsoft Teams Integration 

“I want to learn. I want to help.” We regularly hear this from students. How do we design environments that empower positive failures and spark innovation? We created Street Teams, student-run collaborations. We partner with nonprofits to solve challenges in media communication. Students have real-world learning experiences while giving back to the community.To access a PDF of the "Street Teams: Team Resilience on the Street" poster, click here.Description of the Poster 
STREET TEAMS: TEAM  RESILIENCE ON THE STREET 
solution-based learning and resilience 
Street Teams are student-run, creative collaborations. They partner with nonprofits and assist them with media projects. Teams learn while giving back to the community. 

COLLABORATION 

We are stronger together  

Teams consist of students from various majors, backgrounds and skillsets. Their collective diversity amplifies the work of the whole team.  


Strategic focus on group culture and dynamics  

First semester = team building 
Second semester = content creation 
In 2020-21, we did this all through Zoom!  


Holistic approach to solving challenges  

Projects are based on a combination of non-profit requests and student-driven assessment Together, they create sustainable solutions  




MULTI-LAYERED MENTORING 

Faculty mentor students 
Alumni give feedback on student work  
Nonprofit partner-related professional development opportunities 
Student leaders (Producers) mentor teammates 
Street Team Coordinator hosts weekly Producer meetings and trainings  
Teammates mentor each other 


 IMPACT 

Throughout our history: 

131 students involved*  
20 majors represented**  
37 nonprofits served  
550+ products delivered  *At least 1/3 of students return for more than one year **Some are dual majors  




QUOTE FROM A PARTICIPANT

"(Street Teams) make me feel like I belong to a place. Thank you ... for the opportunity you give all of us to connect with the community." - Manuel Pérez Salas 

COMMUNICATE OFTEN
Online students crave information. Geographic and temporal distance make online teaching much more diffused than face-to-face teaching. The only way to manage that is to establish clear communication channels - you-to-students, students-to-you, and students-to-students - and to foster healthy and efficient communication norms.
ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN ROUTINES
Online students crave direction. A clear and modular course structure, a clear course calendar, a clear cadence of course events, and a clear weekly routine will provide that for students. It is essential not just that you establish these routines, but that you also adhere to them strictly and clearly communicate any change to them.
BE PRESENT
Online students crave interaction. Ensure that part of the routine you establish involves you being available to your students. Offer online office hours at times that work for your students, respond to discussion posts, provide weekly updates
BE HUMAN
Online students crave connectivity. To the degree that you are comfortable with it, let your students see you in your natural element. Let them see your face. Empathize with their feelings of disconnection.
NURTURE COLLABORATION AND KINDNESS
Online students crave community. Establish norms that encourage students to interact with each other, comment on each other's work, and respond to each other's questions. Clearly indicate the ethical standards of the course, and hold students to a standard of etiquette.
MAKE USE OF GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS
Online students crave choice. Find ways to let students learn and demonstrate their learning in both group and individual settings.
PROVIDE AND SEEK FEEDBACK
Online students crave clarity. Find a way to provide them with feedback and data on what they are doing well and where there is room for improvement. In smaller classes this may be 1-1, in large classes this may be you highlighting common struggles and successes.
BE FLEXIBLE
Students crave customization. While routine is essential, so is responding to the unique needs and demands of each course. Be prepared for some trial and error, and seek feedback from your students about what is working for them and what is not.
MANAGE YOUR TIME
Online students crave you. Teaching online requires much more writing, and it lends itself to much more email. Both can occupy your time rabidly. Add to that that students engage in online courses at all hours, and teaching online can easily feel like a 24-hour job. Block off time in your calendar to focus on your online class. Establish with your students your hours of availability, your response rate to messages, and a process of self-help and peer-help students can use to solve some problems independently.