How and when do I communicate with my students? 

This might be the most important thing to do early on – and it’s something you likely already do well.  Student situations are evolving and uncertain right now too. Simply hearing from you in a way that lets your personality and voice come through might bring some comfort – even if it’s a communication just to say that you are here, you care, and more information will be coming soon.  This article might give you some ideas (https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2020/03/17/10-strategies-support-students-and-help-them-learn-during-coronavirus-crisis). You’ll want to let students know about changes in schedules, assignments, procedures, and broader course expectations. Early and frequent communication can ease student anxiety and save you time from having to address repeated individual questions. 

Keep these principles in mind: 

• Use communication tools that are already familiar: You can use email or Canvas/Blackboard to reach out to your students to communicate what they can expect from you and the course moving forward. Setting clear expectations can ease student concerns about their ability to succeed in the course. (The Advice Guide on pages 11 – 26 in this document might trigger some ideas for thinking this through https://instructionalcontinuity.ecu.edu/wp-content/pv-uploads/sites/609/2020/03/CoronaVirus_ArticlesCollection_Chronicle.pdf) 
• Communicate early and often: Let students know about changes or disruptions as early as possible, even if all the details aren’t in place yet, and let them know when they can expect more specific information. Don’t swamp them with email, but consider matching the frequency of your messages with that of changes in class activities and/or updates to the broader crisis at hand (for example, the campus closure is extended for two more days; what will students need to know related to your course?). 
• Set expectations: Let students know how you plan to communicate with them, and how often. Tell students both how often you expect them to check their email, and how quickly they can expect your response. Let them know, too, if you are using the Canvas Inbox tool, BlackBoard, or Outlook email, since they may need to update their notification preferences (details here). 
• Manage your communications load: You will likely receive some individual requests for information that could be useful to all your students, so consider keeping track of frequently asked questions and sending those replies out to everyone. This way, students know they might get a group reply in a day versus a personal reply within an hour. Also, consider creating an information page in Canvas, and then encourage students to check their first for answers before emailing you.