School of Social Work Fall 2020 FAQs

About 20 percent of the courses offered in the School of Social Work will be offered in a Hybrid 2 format, meaning that these classes will have a combination of on-campus and online meetings.  As we learn more about the impact of COVID-19 during the Fall semester, we will be more equipped to make decisions about the percentage of classes offered on-campus in the Spring 2021 semester and beyond.  We hope to have these decisions about class offerings for Spring made by late October.

Hybrid 2 classes that are scheduled as 3 hour courses once per week will alternate weekly between synchronous online and on-campus meetings.  Please contact your instructor for additional information and details about your class meeting times.

Hybrid classes in the School of Social Work are designated as Hybrid 2, which means that classes will alternate between on-campus and online synchronous meetings.  Please contact your instructor for additional information and details about your class meeting times.

Hybrid 2 classes will meet on-campus according to the schedule listed in your course syllabus. As we continue to learn from and adapt to the pandemic, we will remain nimble and adjust class modality as necessary while continuing to follow the recommendations of experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State of Texas, and The University of Texas System.

Our online synchronous and hybrid classes include live virtual classes using Microsoft Teams or Canvas Conferences, both of which allow for real-time interaction among instructors and students.

Class recordings are made at the discretion of the instructor; please contact your instructor about the availability of class recordings.

We understand that learning in a new way can be intimidating!  Our instructors have lots of experience teaching online classes, and are committed to making sure that students are comfortable and engaged in the online classroom.  We use a Classroom Management System called Canvas to deliver our courses.  The Canvas Student page offers students an online training course that takes you step-by-step through critical tasks such as submitting assignments, viewing grades, using discussion boards and taking tests and quizzes. Students are strongly encouraged to complete this Canvas Student Orientation training course before courses begin.   

Canvas offers support 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. UTA students can chat or call a Canvas expert, and the expert can log in and view your screen and walk you through any issues in real time.  Canvas Help is available on your Canvas Dashboard menu as indicated by the ? icon.   

Please see the Training for Students link on this site to learn how to log into Canvas, how to update your profile and start navigating this new system.  Should you have problems logging in (email address and password,  password will not work or receiving an error message), please contact UTA's IT services at https://ithelp.uta.edu. 

Please be sure to download the Canvas app on your phone as it offers a very robust experience and will allow you to access your course work anywhere, and any time.

There will be no on-campus classes meeting after the Thanksgiving break.  If you are in a hybrid class, your class will meet online synchronously after the break.

Many of our Fall courses are offered in a variety of formats, including hybrid, online synchronous, and online asynchronous.  If you are not comfortable attending class on campus, please register for courses that are offered online rather than hybrid. You should consult with your advisor on available online courses and how registering for online classes will affect their paths toward graduation. You can contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to request an accommodation.

Classes are subject to availability and space restrictions, and late registration and class changes may be possible on a case by case basis.  No changes to class schedules may be made after the Fall 2020 census date, September 11.  The last day to drop classes for the Fall 2020 semester is November 6.

All instructors should now appear in MyMav, with the exception of classes that are added to the schedule due to over-enrollment.

Probably!  Many instructors use group work to facilitate student learning in their classes.  Group work can take place in both hybrid and online classes.  Your instructor will provide specific resources and instructions to ensure that you and your peers are equipped with the tools necessary to complete group assignments in your course.

In a typical semester, the SSW offers about half of our classes online in an asynchronous format, and half of our classes on campus. Many of the classes that would typically be offered on-campus are currently offered as synchronous online classes this semester due to the impact of COVID-19.  We will continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 on course offerings and will strive to offer a mix of course modalities as we move beyond the Fall 2020 semester.

Online classes are offered in two formats during the Fall 2020 semester: Synchronous Online and Asynchronous Online.  In Synchronous Online classes, the students and the instructor will meet virtually on predetermined day(s) and time(s) each week for lecture, group discussion, and other online activities.  In Asynchronous Online classes, instructors post materials online and students complete online discussions and review coursework throughout the week without meeting at a set time.  Both types of online classes are conducted using Canvas, UTA’s Classroom Management System. Information about Canvas is available here.

Your instructor’s office hours should be listed on the syllabus for the course.  Some instructors may conduct office hours by appointment to accommodate individual student’s schedules, while others will offer set hours of availability, either online through virtual meetings or on-campus.  Please contact your instructor if you have questions about office hours or need to schedule an individual appointment.

Your course syllabus will list textbooks as required and recommended.  Textbooks listed as required are essential to the course and must be purchased or rented for the semester.  Textbooks listed as recommended are not required to complete the course, but are recommended by the course instructor to supplement your learning in the course.  Consult with your instructor if you have questions about recommended textbooks for your course. The required and recommended textbooks for your courses are listed on your course syllabus and can be viewed and/or purchased from the UTA Bookstore.

Yes, orientation is mandatory for new students!  If you are an incoming MSW student, please email Graduate Programs Assistant Ms. Ginger Jackson at gingerjackson@uta.edu for more information.  If you are a new BSW student, please email Undergraduate Programs Assistant Ms. Velvet Denny at velvet.denny@uta.edu.

To ensure safe social distancing, classrooms used for face-to-face or hybrid classes will only accommodate between 25%-34% of room capacity.  In classrooms with fixed seating, desks and chairs have been marked as off-limits, and in other classrooms, chairs have been removed to accommodate at least six feet of distance between students in the classroom.

No, however, students, faculty, and staff are responsible for daily self-monitoring.  Everyone must measure their temperature daily. Prior to coming to campus or while on campus if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms that are new, worsening or occurring in a way that is not normal for any chronic conditions you may have, please remain or return home.

• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Loss of taste or smell
• Diarrhea
• Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100 degrees Fahrenheit

As we continue to learn from and adapt to the pandemic, we will remain nimble and adjust as necessary. The decision to shut down again may occur if local, state, or federal public health authorities declare a public health emergency; the governor issues a stay-at-home executive order; or the University’s COVID-19 positive cases are at a level that threaten the public health and safety of the UTA community. This decision will be made in collaboration with local public health officials and UT System. UTA has a task force in place that is developing plans to respond to a variety of scenarios, including the possibility of transitioning to a largely online teaching and learning environment if necessary.

Unfortunately, the learning contracts will not be revised to adjust for COVID-19 as this is not a guideline that was given to us from CSWE. However, field instructors and students need to be creative in finding to ensure each objective is completed over the course of the entire placement, i.e. split students may complete objectives 1-10 in one semester and 10-20 in the next. If a student or field instructor has a question regarding appropriate tasks, the student should contact their field liaison for assistance. 

The Spring application is set to open October 1, 2020. The field calendar for the 2020-2021 academic year will be on the field webpage soon.

The guidelines for spring internships will be determined in mid to late September as we continue to track the pandemic and adjust requirements as appropriate.

If a student is in the COVID-19 Initiative, that placement will continue online as of now.

The Field Office will assist you in locating another placement or provide you with options to continue earning your hours.

All students are informed about their field placement via InPlace. Students in the DFW area are assigned to placements and students out of DFW area are responsible for locating their own placement. However, the field office does provide out of area students a list of agencies we are affiliated with in his/her location; this list will be available in InPlace. If a student is not able to locate a placement due to COVID-19, the field office will assign the student to a remote placement.

Unfortunately, we cannot answer this at this time. Agencies place request starting September 21, 2020. We will have more information about spring placements around October 1, 2020.

Yes. Students continue with the same placement for both semesters of a split placement.

There is an InPlace Student Guide as well as a recorded training. The Field Office will get this information on the website soon.

No, our goal is to ensure that instruction continues throughout the Fall semester with the same standards and outcomes expected at UTA. As long as instruction continues, tuition will not be discounted.

Yes. UTA is providing additional options for students to purchase permits, based on the amount of time they expect to be on campus. Students will have the option to purchase parking by the:

• Hour (at pay stations or street meters)
• Day
• Month
• Semester (through Thanksgiving)
• Winter break
• Academic year

Students can always return semester permits before the fall census date and academic year permits before the spring census date for a prorated refund. There are no refunds for short-term permits.

We are striving to have many virtual events this semester; these will be advertised in the BSW and MSW newsletters. If you aren’t receiving those, please email your BSW or MSW program director.

Our student organizations will continue operating and will be scheduling virtual events for you during the semester.

We encourage you to utilize Teams and other platforms to build community within your cohorts and classes.

Many student organizations are holding virtual events and virtual interest sessions. Many are already on the University events calendar.