Las Cruces Campus Instructional Delivery Modalities for Fall 2021 Semester

To: Las Cruces Campus Faculty Deans, Associate Deans, Department Heads, and Registrar 

From: Carol Parker, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs 

cc: University Administrative Council Membership Pandemic Action Team Members 

Re: Las Cruces Campus Instructional Delivery Modalities for Fall 2021 Semester 

To maintain our commitment to in-person campus engagement, no one is authorized at this late date to make any changes to planned course modalities for Fall Semester 2021. This includes any shift from face-to-face to blended, or blended to fully online, whether synchronous or asynchronous, etc. Courses that have been listed in Banner as meeting in person are to continue to be offered in person. 

The fact that NMSU is currently following various COVID-related protocols, including wearing masks indoors, should not be used as a rationale to shift in person courses to online modalities. Instead, please continue to follow NMSU’s protocols as published on the NMSU Now website, which provide for mask-wearing exceptions in socially distanced instructional settings. 

On a case-by-case basis, an exception to this directive may need to be made. Those exceptions need to be consistent with FMLA or ADA needs. As such, the faculty must have submitted medical documentation to either Human Resources Services (FMLA) or the Office of Institutional Equity (ADA). 

Department Heads should consult with their Deans to ensure that departmental processes for reviewing faculty requests for delivery modality exceptions, in collaboration with either HRS or OIA, are appropriately followed. Similarly, student requests for attendance protocol exceptions shall be reviewed by Department Heads in collaboration with Accessibility Services in the Dean of Students Office.