Camera Policy
Acknowledging that class dynamics are substantially compromised without the ability to see the people in class, faculty can set an expectation that students have their cameras on during synchronous online sessions. However, some students may be facing challenging situations, such as employment policies, internet connectivity, illness, or home environments that make this difficult or impossible. To alleviate these concerns, faculty can encourage students to use virtual backgrounds, which will eliminate most privacy concerns, and earphones or headsets to improve audio quality. While faculty are at liberty to create a “camera-on” policy in their class, they should communicate that accommodations are available to students who contact them directly with reasonable requests.

Class Participation and Attendance in Synchronous Sessions
Remote learning, paired with the fact that USC students are spread across time zones, presents a number of challenges related to attendance and participation in synchronous class sessions.

In general, students should plan to attend every synchronous session for the classes in which they are enrolled, irrespective of when it occurs in their time zone. Faculty should set expectations and accommodations for attendance and interactivity.