Dear College of Arts & Sciences Students,
We are looking forward to reconnecting with you next week. As you know, classes will resume next Monday strictly in online/remote/distance learning environments through the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester, which will conclude on May 6. There will be no Finals Week, although some faculty may have projects and assignments due on May 7 or 8.
Arts & Sciences advisors will be available remotely, as well, and remain readily available to provide the support and assistance needed to make this semester a success. We may be reached, as always, via email at sas.as@miami.edu, at our individual emails, and by phone at (305) 284-4333 during normal business hours Monday through Friday. It is imperative that you continue to check your miami.edu email for updates and refer to the University’s dedicated COVID-19 site (coronavirus.miami.edu) for the most current information regarding this rapidly evolving situation, and more changes may still happen.
Before classes resume, we encourage you to become familiar with the remote learning technologies you will have to use. You should receive revised syllabi for your courses via Blackboard or email by Monday, March 23, if you have not received them already. If you experience any difficulties using the remote educational technologies selected by your faculty, please be proactive about communicating with them: faculty will find it useful to know what is working and what is not working, as we all adjust to this new learning environment.
We have a number of resources, both new and existing, to help you succeed in this new and unexpected teaching and learning environment. We recommend that you take the following steps before Monday:
- Identify the computer that you will use to learn remotely. Make sure it is in good working order and connected to the Internet. Enable automatic updates on your computer and web browser to keep your system secure and up-to-date.
- Test access to the University of Miami’s remote tools and services from home. Review those listed on the "Quick Access Links", as well as any other UM services you may need to access, and ensure you can log in from your off-campus location. Test conferencing or video conferencing functionality (e.g., ensure that your computer has a built-in microphone and speaker, etc.). If you need to download any software, please visit miami.edu/software for a list of available programs. Make sure you have power adapters nearby should you need them.
- Set up Duo Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on more than one phone. You can use Duo MFA's "Manage Devices" feature to add, remove, or change the devices that Duo can use to verify who you are.
- Store and access your files remotely. Shared and personal files can be accessed easily through Box or OneDrive.
- Practice safe computing. While remote, please follow all University practices and policies to maintain security on your device(s) (see IT Policies). Follow UMIT's best practices for connecting to the safely to the Internet. If you receive a suspicious email or suspect your device/account has been compromised, report the incident immediately to the UMIT Information Security Office (ISO) at ciso@miami.edu.
Please know that support is available 24/7 via the UMIT Service Desk at (305) 284-6565 or help@miami.edu. Additional updates and resources will be posted at https://advising.as.miami.edu/continuity and on the College’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Finally, we know that those of you who are graduating this semester must be especially disappointed not to be able to finish your studies on our campus, as you had expected to do. Please know that diplomas will still be distributed by mail, as usual, to students who completed their degree requirements this semester, and we hope to see many of you back at the planned December commencement. Please see the March 19, 2020 message here from Pat Whitely, Vice President for Student Affairs:
https://coronavirus.miami.edu/updates-and-messages/index.html
Welcome to the new, virtual “first day of class”!
Good luck,
