[Faculty] Considerations regarding students as we transition to Stage 2

Tue Feb 16 18:22:55 MST 2021

Everyone,

All indications are that we will be transitioning instruction to Stage 2 next Monday (February 22).  According to the Registrar's office, that will approximately double the number of students taking in-person classes on campus, to somewhere between 7,000 - 8,000 students.  This is still far below our "normal" campus activity (pre-pandemic) but does mean that several thousand students will be changing their plans abruptly and transitioning back to campus.  It won't be exactly like the first day of class, but we should expect some logistical hiccups as many of these students figure out parking and negotiate physically transitioning from online to in-person classes that may be back-to-back, etc.

In addition, the first of five "Reading Days" that were set up in place of Spring Break this year will occur next Thursday, February 25th. This morning all Spring 2021 instructors should have received an email from Associate Vice Provost Lisa Elfring that provides a link to resources regarding the policies associated with these Reading Days, along with several other helpful links to Stage 2 class delivery and student COVID testing requirements.  In case you missed this very helpful update, you should find it in your inbox.

Last but not least, our CALS Advising and Student Services team has pulled together a number of observations that they've made in working virtually with students these past few weeks.  I've included the list below.  Please give this a thoughtful read as it may help you decipher and understand some confusion and frustration that may escalate as some of our students navigate this transition back to campus.

I wish you all well in this next chapter of the semester.  As always, don't hesitate to reach out to me or member of our terrific CALS Career and Academic Services team if you have questions or need assistance.

You'll find that list just below.

Best regards,

Mike

Considerations for Faculty:

Things to consider for the in-person transition based on student & advisor feedback

1.     Students are taking several classes (some online, some now in-person) in a row and don’t have time to go from campus to home.  As a result, many will have to find a place to (comfortably and safely) attend class virtually once on campus. Many buildings on campus with workspaces are closed at this time.

2.     Students are living in multigenerational homes and their fear of covid and spreading the virus to older or immune compromised relatives is a concern.

3.     Many students do not qualify for the vaccine yet and may not feel as protected as faculty who have had that option.

4.     Many students have returned home to places outside of Tucson. While they were aware of the possibility that their class could return in person they have only been given 2 weeks notice to plan for living/travel accommodations.

5.     Students naturally fear the unknown and there are varying levels of concern on the virus.  They are likely not fully used to being around people yet. If they know exactly what the in-person classes will entail, they may be more comfortable making the transition and gauging how safe they feel in terms of the virus.

6.     Parking- unsure of how the university is doing parking right now but many students have returned their parking passes and will now have to pay hourly each time they come to campus. They also are not yet familiar with where classes are this semester or what traffic will look like so are still navigating the logistics.

7.     Some students have contracted COVID or have family members who have and have to continue to isolate for the time being.

8.     It is evident in the media that some people just refuse to abide by the laws in place regarding face coverings and general COVID practices. While the University has enforcements in place, some students don’t know what that entails and may be nervous to interact with more careless classmates as well as feel pressured to overstep their current boundaries.

9.     Most employers are currently recruiting mainly online via Handshake or LinkedIn.  Please consider allowing your students to attend virtual career fairs that might overlap with class time. Also, encourage your students to participate to gain valuable networking and interviewing skills.

Michael Staten | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Bart Cardon Associate Dean for Career and Academic Services
Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics
The University of Arizona
Forbes Hall, Room 211
The University of Arizona
PO Box 210036
Tucson, AZ 85721-0036
PHONE: 520.621.1932
statenm at email.arizona.edu<mailto:statenm at email.arizona.edu>
www.mikestaten.com<http://www.mikestaten.com>

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