While the coronavirus pandemic is taking its
toll around the world, the US has currently surpassed China and it is now the
country with the most coronavirus-infected individuals. Despite the human
consequences that the virus is causing around the world, which must always be
the top priority, the current situation is also causing confusion and
disruptions in businesses and education sectors.
US universities and colleges have decided to
postpone their classes, finish their semesters earlier, or as most have done,
move their classes online. Classes as we know them are, for the most part, not
available. This is done as a means of avoiding face-to-face teaching to prevent
the transmission of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Although moving classes
online might seem easy in theory, there are actually quite a few issues that
come with this transition. We will elaborate on this below.
How Are
Universities Handling the Situation?
Many residential universities have instructed
their students to travel back home. Students are asked to be understanding that
face-to-face learning must be avoided during this pandemic, to slow the rate of
transmission and protect the community. All graduate and undergraduate classes
will be delivered on an online basis. This, of course, is a lot more
challenging for clinical courses and those that are taught on a hands-on basis.
Some universities have decided that these classes should be exempt from remote
learning, while others will be fully online.
Higher education institutions have reduced the
number of people on campus since this is the kind of environment students
reside and study in close proximity to one another, increasing the chances of
possible transmission of the virus. This way, those who must remain on campus
or university premises will be able to apply safety measures more easily,
including social distancing which is essential. So, there are quite a few
impacts on higher education already visible. Depending on how much the pandemic
will last, the impacts might prove to be even greater for the higher education
sector.
Many universities and colleges have cancelled
spring break trips and study abroad programmes in China, Italy, or South Korea.
This also includes all the other countries that have considerable numbers of
people infected with the coronavirus. All non-essential international
university travel has also been annulled, as was the case with the New York
University, with other institutions also following suit.
How Are
Students Handling the Situation?
Universities and colleges in the US are also
aware that there are international students who cannot return home due to
travel restrictions or other circumstances, so those who need to remain on
campus were required to contact the university and discuss the situation. Many
have returned home after being instructed to do so before spring break. For
those who remained on campus, universities have tried to keep a minimal staff
to cater to student needs, like meals. At Harvard University, for example,
students were moved to other rooms or units in order to apply all the necessary
safety measures. However, even for the students who remained on campus, remote
teaching and learning apply, and there must be little or no campus
interactions.
Students nationwide are expressing their
concerns when it comes to their education, exams, and ability to adapt to
online classes. Some students are worried that the current situation in higher
education in the US, will further bring forward the differences between the
privileged students and the less-privileged. Numerous factors should be taken
into consideration by universities, such as whether or not students have the
necessary conditions to study at home, whether they have internet access or
even laptops. Then, the unforeseen expenses of students who have travelled back
home have also become an issue. Universities are expected to deal with all
these issues in order to avoid their students missing their semesters or having
to repeat them.
On the other hand, not all universities have
the essential resources to cater to students needs during this pandemic. Some
may have the possibility to offer free laptops to students in need, or
financial aid to those who can prove they need it. The less wealthy colleges
and their students remain, then, without the needed means of facilitating
online classes for everyone and keeping the semester going smoothly, even if on
an online basis. People have even claimed that cancelling classes, for the time
being, would be the fairest solution during this time.
The current situation also impacts those who
are currently in their last year of studies and about to graduate. It is not
yet clear how exams are to be held, and whether or not these students will be
able to graduate on time or even be part of a graduating ceremony. Although
universities have not been very clear whether graduation ceremonies will be
postponed or cancelled altogether, they are doing everything they can to ensure
that students’ needs are being met. For some in their senior year, their campus
experience as they know it might have come to an end.
How Is the
University Staff Handling the Situation?
The university staff is also facing their
challenges while trying to make the situation as efficient and productive as
they can. All those who are able to work remotely are doing so at the moment.
However, in some universities, some members of the staff must remain on campus
to carry on with research and labs and also support the students who are still
on campus. The academic staff have also gone through a process of transition,
themselves. Not everyone has experienced teaching online previously, and many
of them had to carry on with online lectures without any training. So, it has
been and continues to be a challenging process for them as well as for the
students.
In-person meetings are not advised by
universities. Therefore those who plan on organizing any meeting, are suggested
to use remote technology instead, which also includes conference calls or
simply phone conversations. Those meetings that must be held in-person, should
use the right social distancing practices, which include staying at least six
feet away from one another and avoiding hand-shakes.
Will
International Student Numbers Be Affected?
The US is the greatest international student
destination in the world, counting a total of over 1 million international
students enrolled in higher education institutions, according to the latest
statistics. One-third of the total international student body in the US
comprises of Chinese students. Coincidentally, all international students in
the US, contribute to a staggering $39 billion to the US economy. While the
class delays and drop in enrollments might be temporary at the moment, if the
pandemic lasts longer than expected, these effects might even become quite
pronounced.
Taking into consideration that a large, or the
largest, number of students arrive from China, it is likely that there will be
a drop in international student numbers coming from China to study in the US if
the situation holds for longer periods of time. This also means that the US
economy will be impacted since international students to not only contribute to
the finances of higher education institutions but also accommodation providers,
restaurants, and everything else that caters to international student needs.
Some universities have even been freezing new hires, cutting staff or pay, in
order to fill their financial gaps.
At the moment, travel bans to and from China,
or any place in the world, are crucial to prevent the number of infected people
from growing. However, many students have been left stranded and confused as to
what this whole situation means for their education. Universities and colleges
are doing a lot to provide the necessary support to both domestic and
international students. Support lines and emails, updated websites and FAQs
sections – all these contribute to the mental wellbeing of both students,
parents, and staff during the pandemic.
Although it is hard to see how long the
pandemic will last and whether it will result in long-term disruption to the
higher education system, the only safe solution to keep the higher education
sector moving forward right now, while avoiding transmission of the virus, is
investment in remote learning.
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