This month's updates from SUNY Online:

• SUNY Online Digest: July 2021 
  

I think the most interesting item is the announcement of a workgroup that will explore how new federal requirements around the need for distance education courses to involve regular and substantive interaction between students and instructors fit within the framework of the OSCQR rubric.  If your campus has increased your offering of distance education classes long-term as a result of responding the pandemic, this is a topic that someone on your campus will probably be interested in.  Showing how distance education courses on your campus meet this requirement for regular and substantive student/instructor interaction will need to be a part of any campus accreditation self-study going forward.
SUNY Online is also looking for exemplar online courses that can be used as models for observation by instructors who are new to online course design and teaching.

Here's the final word on COVID guidance from System to campuses, for this summer and upcoming Fall Semester:

• Final COVID Protocols for the 2021 Summer and Fall Semester

This went out to campus Presidents and CAOs July 8th, and supersedes all prior guidance, which has been archived.
Some highlights:

• This marks the return to pre-pandemic campus activity (mostly)
• Fully vaccinated students, faculty, and staff are no longer required to wear masks or social distance
• Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals are responsible for masking up and maintaining social distance in indoor settings
• Campuses may impose additional mask wearing mandates above and beyond CDC guidelines
• ADA accommodations on mask wearing may be requested
• Mandatory vaccination policy is being finalized, and System is developing mechanisms for campuses to track vaccination status for their students
• Daily health screenings no longer required for fully vaccinated individuals
• Telecommuting  policies are under review

TL/DR: Thank you to Gwen Kay, Phil Glick, James McLean, Bruce Simon, Jennifer Redinger, and all of you for electing me UFS President for the next two years.

(Also, I meant the special election in June, not April.....)

(Transcript follows the "Read More" link)