BY EMILY GAUDETTE
Some professors are allowing students who are sick to Zoom into class, but others returned to pre-pandemic attendance policies. Still, others combine the two options as a third alternative.
Communications professor Nicole Conlon McCombe records her class sessions for those out sick and strongly encourages students to Zoom in if they are sick or contract the virus but feel well enough to participate.
She is one of the few professors who still recordsher lessons for her students. As a public speaking instructor, she also uses those recordings for students to watch their speeches as a reflective practice.
Other professors do something similar.
“I still plan to use Zoom this semester for students who for one reason or another are unable to be in class in person. COVID hasn't entirely gone away, and I'd prefer for students to feel safe amid any surges in local cases,” said Brian Fraga, a professor who teaches a course on journalism and religion reporting.
If a student was sick before the pandemic, they let would their instructor know ahead of time and typically receive an excused absence. Now, Zoom has become a legitimate option for students who contract COVID-19 or get sick but feel well enough to attend class.
“Every single one of my professors has mentioned what they expect if someone gets COVID. Either join Zoom or get notes from a classmate,” said Brendan Kinch, a junior at Stonehill.
As wearing masks and testing remain optional on campus, students are responsible for testing if they feel sick and to isolate themselves if they contract COVID-19.
Stonehill’s relaxed COVID-19 policy allows faculty members to be more flexible with individual attendance policies.
Angela Paradise, a professor in the communication department at Stonehill, no longer offers Zoom to her students as of the fall semester of 2022.
“I offered Zoom last year for COVID-related cases but found that I was getting daily Zoom requests for all sorts of reasons, many which were not related to COVID, and spent a lot of time troubleshooting for students who had issues logging on, etc. Ultimately, this took away from a decent amount of class time and caused stress for everyone, so I decided to no longer offer Zoom as an option,” said Paradise.
Erin Harrigan, a senior, said one of her professors only offers Zoom if a student has contracted COVID-19.
Some courses on campus may not be best for remote learning either. Hands-on courses do not always transfer well into a remote learning environment, especially for art classes, music classes, and labs. Certain equipment may only be available at a physical location on campus.
For example, Intro to Digital Media Production utilizes the studio and production rooms in the Duffy academic building for access to professional technology and equipment, such as tri-pod video cameras, sound booths, and lighting. Over Zoom, most tactile skills learned in class are lost in translation.
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