Context 

As a residential campus, in-person courses are fundamental to the student experience in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students expect and benefit from in-person classes, which foster face-to-face interactions with professors and peers, and facilitate interaction with university resources and programs. These connections are vital to building a sense of community and engagement in learning. 

While in-person instruction remains central to our mission, we recognize effective pedagogy is not limited to in-person teaching. Alternative modalities can offer additional flexibility and innovative instructional methods that may enhance student learning. When considering the appropriate modality for undergraduate courses, the guiding considerations should always be effective, rigorous pedagogy and the promotion of student success. Regardless of the mode of delivery, the course should offer substantive and regular interaction between instructors and students. Faculty interested in teaching an online course are encouraged to consult the Teaching Engagement Program and UO Online for guidance and best practices on online instruction.

Definitions (https://provost.uoregon.edu/instructional-modalities) 

• In Person – In person classes take place with instructor and students meeting simultaneously in the same place and time as listed on the class schedule.   

• Hybrid – Hybrid classes are a combination of in–person and online instruction and come in various forms. Hybrid classes may combine in-person and online instruction or may include both in-person and remote student participants. In the former case, often referred to as blended classes, it is expected that 50% or more of the standard meeting hours are in-person. 

• Asynchronous Online – Asynchronous Online classes are offered fully online with no scheduled meeting dates or times with the possible exception of office hours.   

• Synchronous Online – Synchronous Online classes are offered fully online with students expected to participate in online meetings/lectures at regular scheduled dates and times as listed on the class schedule. 

• Independent/Individualized Study – Individual research or independent study allows a student to work under the individual guidance of a faculty member.   

Policy Statement 

Courses in CAS will normally be taught in-person. Fully online courses should be adopted only for programmatic reasons and when online components enhance pedagogy and promote student success. With the exception of online degree programs developed with UO Online, fully online (synchronous or asynchronous) courses must receive approval from the Dean’s Office at least one term prior to being scheduled.

Requests for approval under this policy must be submitted by the department—typically by the Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Department Head—before any scheduling commitments are made (see academic scheduling deadlines). Submit your requests via the following Qualtrics form.

Limitations and exceptions 

Regardless of their teaching modality, faculty are expected to be on campus unless on an approved leave (see the Short-Term Faculty Absences and Sick Leave Policy for more information). Instructors teaching in-person courses retain the flexibility to occasionally shift to online teaching to accommodate short-term travel or illness in accordance with CAS policy.