American universities and colleges have decided to postpone classes, end the semester ahead of schedule, or transfer courses online like most people. The classes we know are not available in most cases. This is done to avoid face-to-face teaching and prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (coronavirus pneumonia-19). Although online courses seem easy in theory, in fact, this change will bring many problems. We will explain it in detail below.
? How do universities cope with this situation? Many residential universities have instructed students to return home. Students need to understand that face-to-face learning must be avoided during the epidemic to slow down the spread and protect the community. All postgraduate and undergraduate courses will be taught online. Of course, this is more challenging for clinical courses and hands-on teaching courses. Some universities have decided that these courses should be free from distance learning, while others will be completely online.
Higher education institutions have reduced the number of students on campus, because this is the environment where students live and study, and they are close to each other, which increases the chances of virus transmission. In this way, those who have to stay on campus or university campus will be able to take safety measures more easily, including the necessary social distance. Therefore, the impact on higher education has been quite obvious. Depending on the duration of the epidemic, the impact on the higher education sector may be even greater.
Many universities and colleges canceled their plans for spring break travel and studying in China, Italy or South Korea. This also includes all other countries with a considerable number of coronavirus infections. All non-essential international university trips have also been cancelled. Just like new york University, other institutions have followed suit.
? How do students cope with this situation? Universities and colleges in the United States also realize that some international students cannot return home due to travel restrictions or other reasons, so students who need to stay on campus need to contact the university and discuss the situation. Many people went home after receiving instructions before spring break. For those who stay on campus, universities try to keep as few people as possible to meet the needs of students, such as eating. For example, at Harvard University, students are transferred to other rooms or units to take all necessary security measures. However, even students who live on campus are suitable for distance teaching and learning, and there must be little or no campus interaction.
Students all over the country have expressed their concerns about education, exams and their ability to adapt to online courses. Some students worry that the current situation of American higher education will further widen the gap between privileged students and disadvantaged students. Universities should consider many factors, such as whether students have the necessary conditions to study at home, whether they can surf the Internet or even use laptops. Then, the unexpected expenses of overseas students returning to China have also become a problem. Universities should deal with all these problems to prevent students from missing the semester or having to reread.
On the other hand, not all universities have the necessary resources to meet the needs of epidemic students. Some people may provide free laptops to students in need, or provide financial assistance to people who can prove their needs. Those less wealthy universities and their students still don't have the necessary means to provide online courses for everyone and keep the semester going smoothly, even online. People even claimed that temporarily canceling classes would be the fairest solution in this period of time.
The current situation also affects those who are currently in the last year of study and are about to graduate. It is not clear how to take the exam, and whether these students can graduate on time or even attend the graduation ceremony. Although it is not clear whether the graduation ceremony will be postponed or cancelled completely, universities are doing their best to ensure that students' needs are met. For some senior three students, the campus experience they know may be over.
? How to deal with university faculty? While trying to make the situation as efficient and effective as possible, university staff are also facing challenges. Everyone who can work remotely is doing so now. However, in some universities, some staff members must stay on campus to conduct research and laboratories, and support students who are still on campus. The academic community itself has gone through a transitional process. Not everyone has experienced online teaching before, and many of them have to teach online without any training. Therefore, it has been and will continue to be a challenging process for them and students.
Face-to-face is not recommended in universities. Therefore, those who plan to organize any meeting are advised to switch to remote technology, which also includes teleconference or simple telephone conversation. Those meetings that must be held in person should use correct social distance practices, including keeping at least six feet away from each other and avoiding shaking hands.