"Ready to take on whatever comes our way"
“Ready to take on whatever comes our way”
It was Spring Break 2020, the week of March 9, no classes, a quiet campus – then COVID-19 hit.
The World Health Organization declared a pandemic. Major sports leagues suspended their seasons. The NCAA cancelled March Madness. Large gatherings were banned. Tom Hanks and his wife tested positive.
And students and faculty have yet to return to the YSU campus.
On March 23, in less than two weeks, YSU transitioned all on-campus classes to online remote courses, a task Jim Yukech, associate vice president of Information Technology Services, appropriately called, “Herculean.”
More than a month later, with uncertainty still in the air across the globe, YSU is wrapping up a semester like none other in its 112-year history.
We asked three faculty members to share their thoughts on the transition, the ups and downs, and where YSU and higher education in general could be headed in a post-pandemic age.
Shelley Blundell
Assistant Professor, Journalism and Communication
Tight timeline to transition to remote classes: “I am darn proud of and impressed with all of us! Especially with faculty who don’t teach online. Many were angry, nervous and frustrated, but they were also motivated to do what they needed to do to ensure their students’ learning was not interrupted, so they threw themselves into getting acquainted with the new normal as quickly and as open-mindedly as possible. In many ways, this reminded me why we do what we do – we love learning, and we love teaching, but most of all, we love it when our students succeed, and we will always do what we can to help make that possible.”
Compassion: “The biggest strengths many faculty have brought to this situation are overwhelming senses of compassion and understanding, and doing our best to be flexible while ensuring learning outcomes are still being met in our courses.”
Moving ahead: “I have a feeling remote learning is going to be a reality for a while – potentially into fall semester. But I know that if this comes to pass, we will be ready to take on whatever comes our way and to help our students do the same, working together to help each other succeed.”
Good from bad: “I think many of us have grown a little kinder, a little more flexible and a little stronger as educators during this time, and I do hope we carry these things forward into whatever the future holds. I feel I’ve become a better, more responsive teacher during this time and that our students have become less harsh on themselves and more willing to collaborate and help each other. Despite the circumstances that have led to this, I hope my colleagues and my students see these elements as positive and ones that will serve them well in the future.”
Carol Lamb
Professor and Director, School of Engineering Technology
The transition to remote teaching: “Quite stressing.”
Biggest hurdle: “From an engineering academics perspective, both for faculty and students, (the biggest challenge) was the issue of being able to access the needed software packages. I must say our IT department came through with flying colors.”
Student response: “The students, no doubt, were anxious, scared, and nervous. Many of them also were laid off from their jobs. I do have a few in my course that are still working, and this is trying as well, because they are working in areas that are stretched thin, such as grocery stores."
Moving forward: “When we started the on-line classes I kept reminding my students that I also was struggling with this change, and I also kept reminding them that we will get through this.”
Jessie Wright
Lecturer of Accounting and Finance and a supervisor at Schroedel, Scullin and Bestic CPAs.
Like most every sector around the world, the coronavirus pandemic has greatly altered just about everything we do as faculty and a university.
For us, the pandemic hit home during Spring Break in March. The break was extended another week while the newly-formed YSU Academic Continuity Team led the effort to transition all classes to remote delivery. (Wright was teaching four, face-to-face classes with 161 students that were switched to remote teaching.) It was truly unbelievable the amount of resources and assistance available in such a short time. ACT provided the right tools and support so we all could respond well to this unexpected change. I would have been extremely impressed with what they provided with several months’ worth of work. To think they did it in one week is astonishing!
As for the Williamson College of Business Administration, and I’m sure all other colleges on campus, all hands are on deck. If there’s a problem, my department chair and dean are available to help. We have even done virtual faculty meetings to share ideas, things that are working really well, and even some things that aren’t. It’s also a good reminder that we are all in this together.
I am doing live virtual lectures but record them in case any of my students are unable to attend the live lectures. Technology provides great tools for learning, like the chat feature, the ability for a student to “raise” their hand or break out into smaller group discussions. It really is kind of amazing what technology allows us to do.
Through this process, I’ve learned it is more important than ever to maintain communication with students. Learning how to do that in a remote environment, without overwhelming their inboxes, is something new, but definitely doable. I hold virtual office hours, which are also recorded so students can hear what was discussed. One-on-one conference calls with students not able to attend office hours are a great way to let students know that I am willing to work around their schedules and make sure that they get their questions answered.
One important thing for me is that I am not trying to win any awards for the perfect lecture. I am just being myself, and if I make a mistake, I simply correct it and move on. If my daughter escapes my husband and walks in during my lecture, it’s okay! The feedback I have received is that students prefer a live lecture, and they want time with their professors. I try to embrace the challenges that come with recording myself live, and I try not to stress or overthink every little thing that is said.
We are all learning and growing together. I am taking this as a challenge and opportunity to grow and develop in ways I maybe otherwise would not. Chances like this help us show others, and even ourselves, what we're capable of, and I'm really proud of how the university, our faculty and my students have responded.
(Wright was recently featured in a podcast by the Ohio Society of CPAs, talking about YSU’s transition to remote instruction.)