IU School of Social WorkGiving Hope and Changing Lives

IUSSW Spring 2021 Return Plan for Students

We are excited to welcome you to Spring 2021 and look forward to providing you with a quality learning experience.

Difficult decisions about how our classes would be offered had to be made.  Our decisions took into consideration your preferences for different methods of course delivery (face-to-face, online, hybrid), your health and safety as well as the health and safety of faculty and staff, demands of the university, and social distancing requirements/classroom size. The format of Spring 2021 courses can be found in the Schedule of Classes.

On this page:

Spring Semester Dates and Breaks

All IUSSW courses will be offered on the standard 16-week semester timeframe – please see the academic calendar on your campus for the official start and end dates as these vary by campus

Academic Calendars

All classes will meet online only for the first three weeks of the semester

In alignment with the university calendar, there is no Spring Break for 2021 except for undergraduate students at IU Fort Wayne

Campus-specific Instructional Plans

Information about each campus’s instructional plans for BSW and MSW courses is below.  No changes have been made to MSW Direct or Labor Studies courses; thus, they are not discussed below.  Please note that no matter what the planned instructional format is at this time, courses may move entirely online at any point during the semester. 

IUPUI

IUPUI BSW

With a few exceptions, BSW courses on the IUPUI campus will primarily utilize Online Asynchronous, Online Interactive, and Hybrid-Distance instructional formats. Online courses (OA) will be delivered entirely online asynchronously. For courses that follow the Online Interactive (OI) format, the majority of course content will be delivered online asynchronously. However, students will be required to come to campus for one face-to-face class session. Up to two additional class sessions can be held face-to-face or by synchronous live video instruction at the instructor’s discretion. Hybrid-Distance courses use a combination of asynchronous and synchronous online instruction. Students will meet synchronously online every other week. No on-campus class sessions are required.

Field seminars will be online and synchronous.

On-campus face-to-face class sessions and any synchronous live video instruction will be well planned and meaningful. All synchronous course instruction will be recorded and made available in Canvas for later viewing. Social distancing and use of face coverings by faculty and students will be required per university guidelines for any on-campus class sessions.

IUPUI MSW

IUPUI MSW classes that are foundation or concentration levels will be asynchronous and online using the MSW Direct modules.  S685 and S686 will also be asynchronous and online, using the Direct modules.  All other focus area courses will be online but will include 4-5 required synchronous online sessions.

Field seminars will be online and synchronous.

Any synchronous live video instruction should be well planned and meaningful.  All synchronous course instruction should be recorded and made available in Canvas for later viewing.

IUPUI PHD

All PhD classes will be online and have synchronous meetings.  All synchronous course instruction should be recorded and made available in Canvas for later viewing.

IU Bloomington

IUB BSW

Our GenEd courses will be online, as required by the university.  Remaining BSW courses will be HD (Hybrid Distance), using asynchronous content and assessment of learning along with interactive synchronous online class sessions.  Classes will meet according to the schedule posted by the Registrar.  All synchronous class sessions will be recorded and uploaded to Canvas, for viewing by students who cannot attend. Synchronous live video instruction should be well-planned and meaningful.

Field seminars will be online and synchronous.

IUB MSW

MSW courses will be HD (Hybrid Distance), using asynchronous content and assessment of learning along with interactive synchronous online class sessions.  Classes will meet according to the schedule posted by the Registrar.  All synchronous class sessions will be recorded and uploaded to Canvas, for viewing by students who cannot attend. Synchronous live video instruction should be well-planned and meaningful. One MSW course (S517) will be all online, with a few synchronous class sessions offered throughout the semester.

Field seminars will be online and synchronous.

IU East

IUE BSW

BSW classes will be taught using a hybrid approach.  Courses will be taught using both on-line and on-campus modalities.

On-campus face-to-face class sessions and any synchronous live video instruction should be well planned and meaningful.  All synchronous course instruction should be recorded and made available in Canvas for later viewing.  Social distancing and use of face coverings by faculty and students will be required per university guidelines for any on-campus class sessions.

Spring semester begins January 19 with all instruction on-line.  On-campus instruction can begin after February 8.  Your course instructor will provide details in the course syllabi and on CANVAS regarding online and on-campus instruction dates.

This plan can change if public health and Indiana University determine it is in the best interest of students, faculty, and staff to halt or modify on-campus instruction.

IUE MSW

MSW classes will be taught using a hybrid approach.  Courses will be taught using both on-line and on-campus modalities.

On-campus face-to-face class sessions and any synchronous live video instruction should be well planned and meaningful.  All synchronous course instruction should be recorded and made available in Canvas for later viewing.  Social distancing and use of face coverings by faculty and students will be required per university guidelines for any on-campus class sessions.

Spring semester begins January 19 with all instruction on-line.  On-campus instruction can begin after February 8.  Your course instructor will provide details in the course syllabi and on CANVAS regarding online and on-campus instruction dates.

This plan can change if public health and Indiana University determine it is in the best interest of students, faculty, and staff to halt or modify on-campus instruction.

IU Fort Wayne

IUFW BSW

The BSW Classes in Fort Wayne will be offered in a variety of formats including Hybrid Distance (with regularly scheduled synchronous zoom sessions and the remainder online), Online, and Hybrid Traditional (with the bulk of instruction online with some on-campus in-person sessions.

All synchronous live video instruction will be well planned and meaningful.  All synchronous course instruction will be recorded and made available in Canvas for later viewing.  Social distancing and use of face coverings by faculty and students will be required per university guidelines for any on-campus class sessions.

IUFW MSW 

We will offer all courses as hybrid distance or online.  Hybrid distance courses will be mostly online with four required synchronous online sessions.

Field seminars will be held on 5 Friday afternoons via synchronous zoom sessions.

All synchronous live video instruction will be well planned and meaningful.  All synchronous course instruction will be recorded and made available in Canvas for later viewing. Social distancing and use of face coverings by faculty and students will be required per university guidelines for any on-campus class sessions or meetings.

IU Northwest

IUN BSW

For Spring 2021 all courses will be held synchronously using zoom. Fully online classes will remain online.

IUN MSW 

For Spring 2021 all courses will be held synchronously using zoom. Fully online classes will remain online.

IU South Bend

IUSB BSW

For spring 2021 we will offer a combination of online (asynchronous) and Web-Based (synchronous) BSW courses at IU South Bend.

Field seminars will be online and synchronous.

IUSB MSW

For spring 2021 we will offer a combination of online (asynchronous) and Web-Based (synchronous) MSW courses at IU South Bend.

Field seminars will be online and synchronous.

Masks and Social Distancing Requirements

Face masks were provided by the university at the beginning of the academic year to all students and faculty.  While on campus and in classrooms, all students must wear a mask and maintain social distancing in accordance with University guidelines.

All IU students are asked to follow all of the CDC’s critical COVID behavioral guidelines for at least 14 days prior to arriving on campus, including wearing a mask, physical distancing, and avoiding large events.

IUSSW Offices, Student Services, and Faculty Availability

All IUSSW offices will open to students and visitors on February 8, 2021.  Prior to this date, faculty, staff, and administration can be reached by email and telephone.  On and after February 8th through the end of the semester, the reception area of the school will be open and Student Services Coordinators will have some availability for in-person advising.  All Student Services Coordinators, other relevant staff, and faculty will be available by email, phone, regularly scheduled Zoom office hours, and by Zoom appointment.   Contact the program director on your campus if you are unable to make contact with staff or faculty.

COVID-19 Mitigation Testing

Mitigation testing is how Indiana University identifies and isolates members of the IU community who have COVID-19 but are not showing symptoms.  Each week, IU students, faculty, and staff are selected to participate in mitigation testing.  Those selected for mitigation resting will receive an email from IU with instructions for scheduling a 30-minute testing appointment on-campus.  Information on mitigation testing sites, including location, hours, and directions, is available.

Students, faculty, and staff may qualify for an exemption from mitigation testing if they are not coming to campus and do not have interaction with any other IU students, faculty, or staff.  However, if you come to campus to go to the library or buy food, for example, or if you meet up with other members of the IU community off-campus, you will need to participate in mitigation testing.  In order to be exempt from testing, you will need to fill out the exemption request form, which is linked in the email you will receive if you are selected for testing.  Exemptions are only valid for one round of mitigation testing; if you are selected again, you will need to fill out another exemption form. More information about mitigation testing.

According to campus requirements, IU Bloomington students living in residential halls, Greek houses, or IU campus apartments are required to be tested. Students living in residential housing at IUPUI, IU Southeast, and IU South Bend are also required to be tested. All other IU students are strongly encouraged but not required to be tested at this time.

All IU students are asked to follow all of the CDC’s critical COVID behavioral guidelines for at least 14 days prior to arriving on campus, including wearing a mask, physical distancing, and avoiding large events.

University Resources

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