This winter's stormy weather has played havoc with the spring semester. Since classes began in mid-January, Temple University has been closed two days (Jan. 22 and Feb. 13), has had two delayed openings (Feb. 4 and Feb. 14) and two early closings (Jan. 21 and Feb. 3)—an unprecedented number of weather-related disruptions of the normal academic schedule.

To ensure that Temple instructors have sufficient time to cover course content, the Office of the Provost has contacted faculty to offer alternatives for replacing missed class time. According to that office, the good news is that it can be accomplished without adjusting the official spring 2014 academic calendar—in other words, without making any changes to spring break, the final exam period or Commencement.

Temple faculty members have been asked to consider two options for replacing missed classes:

• Use technology, including Blackboard, to enable students to make up classwork without adding class meetings. Faculty members needing assistance using Blackboard to provide supplemental materials or to create additional discussions or assignments may contact Computer Services online via TUhelp.
   
• Schedule makeup class meetings on designated weekday evenings starting in mid-March, if possible. For Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes, designated evenings are any Wednesday after 5 p.m. from March 12 to April 30 (or the Wednesday, May 7, study day). For Tuesday-Thursday classes, designated evenings are any Thursday after 5 p.m. from March 13 to May 1 (or the Tuesday, May 6, study day). The final exam period—May 8-14—may not be used to make up missed classes.

“I am grateful for the resilience our faculty and our students have shown in response to the weather-related closures this winter,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Hai-Lung Dai. “Temple's faculty members are committed to student learning. They are the most knowledgeable as to how they can best adapt their course plans and use alternative strategies to achieve their curricular objectives for their students.”

The provost's office stressed that faculty wishing to use evenings or study days for class meetings to replace missed class time must reserve classroom space by contacting their dean's office or, for non-professional-school faculty, emailing Temple's Scheduling Office at classrms@temple.edu (instructors at the Health Sciences Center, Temple Ambler, Temple Fort Washington, Temple University Center City or Temple University Harrisburg should contact their academic departments). The provost's office also urged faculty who elect to schedule makeup class time to give students ample notice to make arrangements for attendance.