Learn from Anywhere (LfA): Summer Term 2021
BU Summer Term has always offered flexible options for summer study. This year, with the University’s Learn from Anywhere (LfA) hybrid teaching format, you will have even more choice. Depending on the course(s) you register for and the type of instruction that works best for your learning style, you may choose to take classes in person, from our Boston campus; through synchronous remote instruction by Zoom from wherever you happen to be; or, for certain select courses, in an asynchronous online format. No matter where you are this summer, we invite you to learn together with a vibrant community of students and the world-class faculty at BU.
Please read through the information on this page to find out more about your many options for summer study at BU; then visit our course listing to select from more than 700 offerings in 70 different subject areas. While most Summer Term courses are on the LfA format, some may have components that require either wholly remote attendance or wholly in-person attendance. The format of each course is indicated in its listing on our website and the BU Student Link. Refer to the FAQ below about how to identify the format of your chosen course(s), and keep in mind that course formats are subject to change. It’s a good idea to check back often for the latest updates, which we will continue to share on our website throughout the spring and summer.
After registering for courses, be sure to review the technology requirements listed below in “Preparing to attend LfA classes,” so you have everything you need to start your summer course.
Prior to the start of summer classes, you will be asked to update your LfA status on the Student Link. Your LfA status tells the University whether you are attending classes remotely or in person. Students attending in person are required to follow the health and safety protocols established by the University to keep our community safe. Read more about those protocols below, and update your status as often as needed to reflect how you are attending classes or where you are living this summer.
Understanding LfA
What is LfA?
Learn from Anywhere (LfA) is a hybrid teaching format developed at Boston University this past fall in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Designed to accommodate safety requirements imposed by public health authorities to control the spread of the pandemic, LfA allows for the kind of flexibility we all need during these challenging times. LfA courses are offered in a blended modality for remote and in-person learning, giving you the opportunity to choose for yourself how to attend classes: either in the classroom or through synchronous remote participation by Zoom.
As described in a BU Today article, the aim of LfA is to present the same academic content to all students, whether you are on campus in Boston or anywhere in the world.
If I choose to take an LfA course in person, what can I expect?
If you choose to attend classes in person this summer, you are expected the follow the BU Community Health & Safety protocols, which were developed with the goal of decreasing the incidence of the COVID-19 virus in our campus community. 24 hours before arriving on campus for the first time, you must update your LfA status on the Student Link to indicate your intent to attend classes in person. Your LfA status is linked to our COVID-19 testing program. Students who are coming to campus will be put into a testing frequency and asked to complete a daily health screening. Compliance with COVID-19 protocols is required of all students attending classes in person.
Please update your LfA status on the Student Link as your circumstances change throughout the summer, and be sure to do so only 24 hours before the change in your location or status. Updating your status too soon (prior to 24 hours before) may result in your being out of compliance for your testing and screening frequency.
In-person students should plan to bring laptops and headphones to classes, in order to facilitate communication with your peers who have chosen to learn remotely. Be sure your devices are fully charged before each class so that you can participate fully in the entire learning experience.
Because we need to adhere to public health guidelines that require maintaining six feet between students, some classrooms will not be able to hold the entire class at one time. In these instances, classes may be split into rotations of students. For instance, a class that meets Tuesdays and Thursdays might be split into two rotations, with half of the students attending in person on Tuesdays and remotely on Thursdays, and vice versa. For these classes, students may only attend in person on their designated rotation days. Rotations are carefully designed, and students may not trade rotation days or attend on a day they are not scheduled.
If I choose to take an LfA course remotely, what can I expect?
In summer 2021, students who choose to attend LfA classes remotely will meet their instructors and classmates by Zoom for live, real-time, interactive learning. Students are expected to join the Zoom meetings on the course’s posted days and times. You should schedule your remote summer courses the same way you would schedule on-campus courses: courses and their lectures, labs, and discussion sections should not overlap.
Courses will meet according to the schedule currently showing on the Summer Term course pages and the Student Link, at the local Boston time zone (Eastern Daylight Time, or EDT). For example, if your course is scheduled to meet during Summer 1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to 12:30 pm EDT, you should expect to log in to Zoom on those same days and times.
Do I need approval to change how I plan to attend class?
You do not need formal “approval” to switch between attending a class in person and remotely. However, if you are switching from attending all sessions of a course remotely to attending some or all in person, you must update your LfA status on the Student Link 24 hours prior to making the change. Additionally, you must be in touch with that course’s instructor before attending class in person, so that you can be accommodated in a way that adheres to public health guidelines. The syllabi for your courses may also describe the steps to follow to begin attending those courses in person. For most courses, the best way to notify your instructors of your preferred modality of attendance is to use the InClassLfA app. If a particular course is not listed in the app, you will have to communicate with the instructor directly.
As a student attending classes remotely, can I watch recorded lectures later instead of attending live class?
While reasonable accommodations may be made at the discretion of individual instructors for students residing outside of EDT, students should plan to log in to classes at their scheduled meeting times and should only sign up for classes if they can attend during the designated schedule.
Are all Summer Term 2021 courses being offered on the LfA format?
While most Summer Term 2021 courses are being offered on the LfA format, some have sections that require either wholly in-person attendance or wholly remote attendance.
Courses with sections that require in-person attendance are designated as such in the course listing on the Summer Term website and on the Student Link. Students who choose to take classes remotely should not register for courses with sections that require in-person attendance.
Wholly remote courses and courses with wholly remote sections are designated as such in the course listing on the Summer Term website: the words “remote-only section” appear in the listing for any course or section of a course that is wholly remote. Wholly remote courses and courses with wholly remote sections can also be identified by their classroom assignments. Classroom assignments are viewable both on our website and on the Student Link. Wholly remote courses show room NIP 320 (which is not a real classroom) as their location. Remote sections of courses that also have some in-person options or requirements show room NIP 920 (which is not a real classroom) as their location.
In addition, Summer Term also offers a number of online courses that were designed for students who prefer an asynchronous style of learning. Read more about our online courses by opening the answer to the question just below.
Be sure to check the format of your selected courses before finalizing your summer plans.
How are online courses different from LfA or “remote” courses?
Online courses are distinct from LfA courses in that they are primarily asynchronous, which means that students are responsible for progressing through the material independently, by watching videos and completing modules on your own schedule, rather than by attending synchronous classes.
Though the majority of coursework is done independently, Summer Term online courses also hold live classrooms in Zoom for a few hours each week. Enrolled students are expected to attend live classrooms, and in some cases a portion of your grade could be determined by your participation in these sessions.
Online learning is an excellent choice for students seeking a flexible and adaptable learning environment. Check out Summer Term’s full list of online courses, a number of which BU undergraduates can take to fulfill BU Hub requirements.
Watch this short video to learn more about Summer Term’s online courses.
Are there any courses I can't take remotely?
A very small number of Summer Term courses have required in-person sections that are necessary to achieve these courses’ learning outcomes. Courses with required in-person sections are designated as such in the course listing on the Summer Term website and on the Student Link. Students who cannot or choose not to attend classes in person should not enroll in any course with a required in-person component.
Are there any courses I can't attend in person?
Yes. Some courses or sections of courses will be taught wholly remotely in order to achieve the learning outcomes for the course or because the instructor has received a workplace adjustment to teach remotely. Wholly remote classes are taught during their regular meeting times (synchronously), but entirely in a virtual space such as Zoom, TopHat, or other meeting technology.
How will I know which courses are on the LfA format and which courses are wholly remote or wholly in-person?
Most Summer Term 2021 courses are on the LfA format. Unless a course or a course section is explicitly indicated as either requiring in-person attendance or being “remote only,” you can choose how you would like to attend it.
Courses with sections that require in-person attendance are designated as such in the course listing on the Summer Term website and on the Student Link. Students who choose to take classes remotely should not register for courses with sections that require in-person attendance.
Wholly remote courses and courses with wholly remote sections are designated as such in the course listing on the Summer Term website: the words “remote-only section” appear in the listing for any course or section of a course that is wholly remote. Wholly remote courses and courses with wholly remote sections can also be identified by their classroom assignments. Classroom assignments are viewable both on our website and on the Student Link. Wholly remote courses show room NIP 320 (which is not a real classroom) as their location. Remote sections of courses that also have some in-person options or requirements show room NIP 920 (which is not a real classroom) as their location.
Please note that the format of each course is subject to change. Check back before the start of classes to confirm the format of the course(s) for which you register.
Will classes appear differently on my transcript, based on whether I choose to study in person or remotely?
No. Your classes will appear on your transcript the same way, whichever modality you choose.
How will LfA courses be graded? Will grading be different for students who are remote?
BU has resumed its normal grading procedures, and all students will be graded under the same policies–there is no separate grading format for students who are learning remotely. The credit/no credit grading option that was available in Spring 2020 was offered only because of the disruption caused by the outbreak of the pandemic and the sudden shift to remote learning.
What if I start classes and I learn that I may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus, or if I have to return home for health reasons?
LfA is specifically designed to accommodate safety requirements that may be imposed by public health authorities to control the spread of COVID-19 as well as travel constraints and other challenges faced by BU students. If you must self-isolate or leave campus, the LfA approach will allow you to continue to participate in your classes and complete the term.
I am a visiting international student. Is there additional information about LfA that I should be aware of?
We encourage all visiting international students to review our Visa Information page for important information about studying at Boston University this summer.
Preparing to attend LfA classes
Attending LfA classes, turning in assignments, and taking tests and quizzes will all require the use of remote learning software. Students choosing to study remotely – as well as those who plan to attend classes in person – should follow these steps to ensure that you are able to successfully access and attend your LfA courses this summer:
Log in to your Blackboard account. The vast majority of Summer Term courses will be centralized on Blackboard Learn, which you can access at learn.bu.edu. Please take a moment to log in to the site using your BU login name and Kerberos password. (More information about establishing your BU login name and Kerberos password can be found here.)
- If you are not able to log in, please submit a help ticket to ithelp@bu.edu.
- Once instructors publish content for a course, that course will appear in the “My Courses” section of your Blackboard homepage. Instructors publish courses at different times, but all courses should be visible and accessible by the first day of the term. Any additional instructions regarding access to your course material will be provided in Blackboard.
- You can also access Blackboard Learn through your course listings on the Student Link.
- Courses in the Questrom School of Business will be hosted on QuestromTools, not on Blackboard. These courses will not appear in your Blackboard home page. Please click here for more information on accessing Questrom courses via QuestromTools.
Log in to Zoom to automatically create your Boston University Zoom account. Summer Term courses will meet live, at the scheduled course times, using Zoom videoconferencing. Students automatically receive fully licensed accounts.
Remember that Summer Term courses meet synchronously at the posted meeting time. Students who choose remote learning are expected to attend class live (via Zoom) at the scheduled course meeting time. All course times are in local Boston (EDT) time. Please make sure you have arranged your schedule to accommodate the live meeting time requirement.
Look out for emails from your course instructor(s). Instructors may disseminate Zoom meeting links, syllabi, book lists, and other important information via email before the first day of class.
Email ithelp@bu.edu if you experience issues with remote learning software. We want to make sure that you have the support you need to successfully attend class. Ask for help right away if software issues are preventing you from accessing your remote classes or coursework.
LfA updates, news, and announcements
Academic resources for LfA
Health and safety protocols for Summer Term students
The University has put in place comprehensive health and safety protocols for students, faculty, and staff with the goal of decreasing the incidence of the virus in our campus community. For information and updates about the protocols that Summer Term 2021 students must follow, visit BU Community Health & Safety.
Prior to the start of summer classes, you must update your LfA status on the Student Link. Your LfA status tells the University whether you are attending classes remotely or in person. Students attending in person will be put into our COVID-19 testing program, which requires you to be tested regularly (depending on how often you come to campus) and to submit a daily health screening form through our online portal. Compliance with COVID-19 protocols is required of all students attending classes in person.
Please update your LfA status on the Student Link as your circumstances change throughout the summer, and be sure to do so only 24 hours before the change in your location or status. Updating your status too soon (prior to 24 hours before) may result in your being out of compliance for your testing and screening frequency.
Keeping your LfA status updated is an important and necessary compliance item, as it helps to inform the Healthway Student Patient Connect system and determines if you will need COVID-19 testing, and how often. It also informs the InClassLfA app, and ensures access to campus facilities and other systems and services around campus. It is critical that your LfA status remain current/accurate across the span of the entire summer session.
