Pictured above: In an email to USF St. Petersburg journalism students on March 18, department chair Casey Frechette offered support and promised accommodations for students amid the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s how other professors might follow his lead.
Jonah Hinebaugh | The Crow’s Nest
By Emily Wunderlich
“School cannot, and should not, be your priority right now.”
Those were some of the encouraging words we received from Casey Frechette, department chair of journalism and digital communication, shortly after spring graduation was canceled and remote classes were extended through the end of the semester due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I can only imagine how stressful and disappointing these announcements must be… Just a few weeks ago, none of us imagined the need to take such drastic steps,” he wrote. “Yet, along with the rest of the nation, we’re now asked to do our part in the midst of an unfolding global emergency.”
Frechette’s words are just one example of the support I’ve come to expect from the tight-knit community that is USF St. Petersburg.
I wish more faculty would follow suit.
You may have noticed a number of change.org petitions circulating lately regarding the university’s grading policies. One is advocating for a pass/fail system, while another is calling for automatic 4.0 GPAs in what the petitioner has dubbed an “academic stimulus package.”
This one is even asking for reimbursement of unused semester costs, although it falsely claims that the university has evicted its campus residents.
There’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all solution, but many of the concerns are shared across the board.
Some students have lost their income, as businesses statewide — particularly restaurants and bars — are forced to close to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Others have found themselves responsible for children who are no longer in school and relatives who may be elderly or immunocompromised.
There are those who lack access to reliable technology and other resources needed to complete their classes. The closure of USF’s libraries doesn’t help.
On top of that, students who left their residence halls are being strongly advised not to return until at least May 7.
Many graduating seniors are about to enter an unstable workforce, as an economic recession looms nearer on the horizon.
And with graduation — the last beacon of hope for many of us — being canceled, what’s left to look forward to?
If you’re a professor or faculty member who wants to do something substantial for your students’ wellbeing, here are some ideas.
Stop penalizing late work
Set an absolute deadline toward the end of the semester, and let students submit all assignments until then.
Stop requiring doctors notes as excuses. Not everyone can afford health care, and some might be afraid of catching the disease from going to the doctor in the first place.
Not to mention, a USA Today analysis found that U.S. hospitals are not prepared in the event of a COVID-19 spike. To make matters worse, there simply aren’t enough coronavirus tests in the Tampa Bay area to meet demand.
Extend the deadlines for final essays and projects
While the university’s final exam matrix has already been finalized, that doesn’t mean you can’t give your students a little extra time on their other work. One of my instructors gave us a three-week extension on the final project. It helped immensely.
Reevaluate your group work
I know many programs depend on collaboration. Whose doesn’t?
However, it’s important to consider the time and technological costs of each group assignment. Is it going to be more tedious than worthwhile? Are you doing enough to facilitate the assignment, with clear expectations, detailed feedback, and flexible accommodations?
Which of your assignments could be turned into extra credit?
This is one of the most radical suggestions on the list, and I know many people won’t like it. I also acknowledge the importance of learning objectives in shaping university curriculum, and I recognize those come first.
But if I were a professor, and thank goodness I’m not, I would make the rest of my assignments on the syllabus extra credit. That way, the students who are happy with their grades could “check out” for the rest of the semester and focus on more pressing matters. They’ve probably earned it.
Communicate clearly and often
Even if your class was already online pre-pandemic, it’s still a good idea to send out a brief reminder to your students about what you’re doing to support them.
Should they expect any changes, or can they proceed as normal? Reassurance can go a long way for those who might feel alone or helpless right now.
One professor, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, made a list of five “principles” to guide the adjusted syllabus for his class. Among them: Nobody signed up for this, the human option is the best option, and we cannot do the same thing online.
Moreover, you’ll probably get a high volume of questions and concerns during this time. Make sure your answers are clear and timely. Remote learning lends itself to miscommunication, so do your part to prevent it.
Understand that you can’t expect 100 percent effort from your students right now. We’re all struggling to accept that the world as we know it has drastically changed in just a few short weeks.
Some of these suggestions might not work for your class, but they should at least get you thinking about other things you could do to help.
As remote classes continue, The Crow’s Nest wants to know what challenges other students and faculty have faced in adjusting to this change. How are you working together toward everyone’s best interests? In what areas do you need additional support?
Send an email to our news editor, James Bennett, at jamesbennett@mail.usf.edu. We want to make your voices heard in our upcoming stories.
And before you say it: Yes, I do put the same amount of effort into my schoolwork as I do in writing stories like these.
