What to expect
List of 7 items.
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The full range of Episcopal's curriculum —
all core courses and electives. We plan to offer all of our core curriculum as well as our unique upper-level electives, distinctive arts courses, and independent study opportunities. -
Faculty who are trained and prepared to teach hybrid classes.
We anticipate that some students will not be able to return to campus and will attend classes remotely. As a result, it is likely that most classes will be taught as hybrid courses, both online and in person. Building on experiences from last spring’s distance-learning program, every teaching faculty member has taken professional development this summer focused on designing and teaching hybrid courses that will engage students and maintain academic rigor. -
Classrooms, science labs, and art spaces configured for physical distancing,
with maximum capacities established. Our first priority is the community’s safety, and we aim to match course enrollments with classroom capacity. Depending on numbers, however, students will likely be asked on occasion to take a turn attending remotely from, say, the library or their dorms. -
New technology
(cameras, screens, omnidirectional microphones) in all classrooms and learning spaces to connect off-campus students to the classroom in a more engaging and active way. -
Students learning in multiple modes.
Teachers will employ a variety of methods to engage and challenge students — live instruction, asynchronous discussions and assignments, digital labs, collaborative group work, and project-based learning. -
Support and modified schedules for students in different time zones.
We are planning several ways to support international students or others who are unable to return to campus and who live outside the Eastern Time Zone. In addition to concentrating our academic classes in the morning, we are exploring evening meeting times when students unable to attend class synchronously might connect with teachers. -
Curriculum and programs drawing on the Washington, D.C., region.
Though off-campus learning experiences will be limited early in the year, faculty have found that our Webex video-conferencing technology makes it easy to take full advantage of the School’s relationships and partnerships in the region and bring to their classrooms scientists, authors, and other experts who might never have been able to come to campus to visit. Read about such experiences from last spring. Also, see the McCain-Ravenel Center page.
The Weekly Schedule
The schedule is based on the design principles that emerged from our recently completed two-year schedule review. Using the core takeaways from that study, we created a modified schedule that will allow us to best deliver our mission and ensure the continuity of our program through any unexpected changes in the fall. The schedule prioritizes the academic program for all of our students; the physical and mental health of our students; and the important relationships between all members of our community, particularly students and faculty.
