Unfortunately, however, the embrace of online learning also has its downside: it has led institutions to assume that if faculty can work from home, they can work from home—even when they are sick. That includes both faculty who regularly teach online as well as those who teach face-to-face but can now do so virtually rather than cancel a course when they are ill. In reading faculty social media commentary, speaking with instructors from around the country and interacting with the faculty at my own university as the director of a school, it’s clear that faculty members face subtle pressure to teach online even when they cannot attend classes in person. In fact, many colleges have issued statements that suggest that if you are mildly ill and can teach, it is best for continuity and student education to move your class online. And the onus is again on the sick faculty member to have that modality change approved.
