Cheryl the Bull, the 850-pound bronze statue, will be at his post along Harbor Walk as always, but he will be standing a lonely vigil until summer — or maybe longer. Jonah Hinebaugh | The Crow’s Nest
By Crow’s Nest Staff
When the spring semester resumes Monday, the campus will be a ghost town.
Classes will go on, but they must be taught remotely.
Faculty and staff will be on the job, but many of them will be working from home.
A small number of students, with nowhere to go, will apparently be allowed to remain in residence halls, but student services, including dining options, will be severely curtailed.
There may be some in-person encounters, but they are officially discouraged. And when people do meet, the government and university recommend they practice “social distancing” and stay 6 feet apart.
Poor Cheryl the Bull. The 850-pound bronze statue will be at his post along Harbor Walk as always, but he will be standing a lonely vigil until summer — or maybe longer.
The USF administration and faculty leaders readily acknowledge that the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic are both formidable and unprecedented.
Questions abound.
How will science students complete their laboratory assignments?
How will graphic arts seniors complete their final projects?
How will graduate students wrap up and then present their research projects?
How will professors who rely on lectures, lively class discussion and field trips duplicate that work using online platforms?
How will students who can’t afford a computer or don’t have access to Wi-Fi be expected to complete their assignments?
How will students who relied on jobs in restaurants and bars pay their bills now that their employers have been ordered to curtail operations or close altogether?
Will students who move out of university residence halls, as strongly suggested by the university, get refunds or credits?
And what about commencement – that proud moment when graduates march across the stage to receive the diplomas that cap their college careers?
The state university system has instructed Florida’s public universities to “develop an alternate schedule or method of delivery” for commencement.
Around the country, some senior classes have already staged what The New York Times calls “fauxmencements.”
At Wellesley College, a private liberal arts school for women in Massachusetts, seniors sent out invitations to an unofficial ceremony where they – not deans – called out their own names.
At the Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts, seniors donned garbage-bag gowns and origami mortar boards, the Times reported.
And at the University of California, Berkeley, seniors added another twist to their impromptu celebration at this extraordinary time: They posed for photos wearing face masks.
We will do everything we possibly can to make things work for our students. Of course things will not go as they have in the past. This is an extraordinary time. But you have our commitment that we will do the best we absolutely can to support our students during this difficult time. Please remember that there are universities in this country that are totally online and have been for a relatively long period of time. Over 35% of our credits were already totally online. Over half of our courses were online or hybrid/blended. We have superb support support staff for our faculty in CITL and 0LITS. We will get through this together and do it extremely well.