Digital Learning Blog

Continuity of Instruction Plan

June 27, 2025  / Digital Learning  / Tag: continuity of instruction

Keeping Teaching on Track—No Matter What: FGCU’s Continuity of Instruction Plan   At FGCU, we know that sometimes the unexpected happens. Hurricanes, power outages, or other emergencies can interrupt the rhythm of our semester—and when that happens, having a plan makes all the difference.

That’s where FGCU’s Continuity of Instruction Plan (CoIP) comes in. This university-wide resource is designed to help you continue teaching—even if in-person classes are disrupted—by using remote or alternative instructional methods.

Whether it’s a hurricane, a flood, or a campus-wide closure, the plan provides clear guidance so you can keep students learning and supported through it all.

What’s in the Continuity of Instruction Plan?

The Continuity of Instruction Plan outlines how FGCU can pivot to distance learning during disruptions such as:

• • Weather-related events (like hurricanes and floods)
  • Health-related emergencies (e.g., pandemics)
  • Unsafe campus conditions
  • Power or internet outages
  • Other large-scale emergencies

The plan helps us stay aligned with FGCU’s standards for academic quality and with SACSCOC's Emergency Temporary Relocation of Instruction Policy. Most importantly, it helps you keep your class on track with minimal stress.

Don’t worry—you’re not doing this alone!

To make planning even easier, the Digital Learning team has created a self-paced Canvas workshop just for you:  The Continuity of Instruction Workshop in Canvas.  This course walks you through the steps of creating:

• • A Continuity of Instruction Plan (CoIP) – your personalized plan to keep teaching when the unexpected hits.
  • A Student Continuity of Instruction Module (SCoIM) – a ready-to-use Canvas module that helps students know how to stay engaged, access resources, and get support during a disruption.

It includes templates, examples, checklists, and guides for everything from setting up Canvas pages to choosing alternative teaching methods to effective communication strategies. You can go at your own pace, focus on what’s relevant to your course, and revisit topics anytime.

Creating a plan and student-facing module isn’t required—but we highly recommend it. Having a plan ready before a storm or emergency hits can help reduce stress and ensure your students feel supported.

Where to Start

1. 1. Review FGCU’s Continuity of Instruction Plan on the Academic Resources webpage
   2. Self-Enroll in the Continuity of Instruction Canvas Workshop
   3. Contact your Instructional Designer if you’d like help or have questions—we’re here for you!

Let’s be ready, so even if the unexpected happens, your teaching doesn’t have to pause. We’re all in this together, and the resources are here to make continuity not only possible, but manageable.

Thanks for your continued dedication to student learning!