The Mid Semester College Report: how's it going in this brave new world?

[Warp daddy]

Well as mid semester nears for all you new and not so new college parents HOW are your kids doing with this new reality ?

Happy with the dynamic ?
Adjusted to hybrid learning ?
Satisfied with the quality and quantity of college activities ?
Satisfied with residential life ?

What/'s NOT working ?
What needs to change ?
Any regrets ?

 

[JTG]

It is what it is. Far less than ideal, but for our college/soon to be college aged kids it’s working.

My older son is at Plattsburgh. So far so good on the COVID front. The have a program in place to randomly test like 1,500 weekly, no new cases since two the first week back. His classes are a mix, but all except one meet in person to some extent. Unfortunately that one is his first Supply Chain Management class (we were hoping he’d get hooked, seems like a promising field, especially in a COVID world) and the professor isn’t even phoning it in. Old material, poorly delivered, no contact or interaction. I guess the professor figures he can take the semester off. A shame really. The rest of the professors are doing a good job with it, and my son is satisfied (although, what other choice does he have). Dining halls are open, although choices are more limited than a normal semester. No activities, he was into the hiking club, who knows what ski season will bring. He can do those things on his own since he has a car. However, he hasn’t had much time to do that. The biggest/worst impact I see for him is that right now we should be planning on him spending a semester in Wyoming (National Student Exchange Program) and/or Europe (Study Abroad) but that kind of stuff seems in limbo. I hate to see him miss out on those opportunities.

I do have a senior in high school. We just did hit SUNY Binghamton and SUNY ESF/Syracuse last weekend, but touring campuses is for shit. Hard for him to get excited. He is scheduled for the November SAT (if it even happens), although I guess we won’t have to worry about reporting scores. His GPA, class standing, and current class load should serve him well for admission purposes, hopefully.

 

[Brownski]

Wish I could give a similar report. Buffalo is treating their students like inmates and they still have a steady low level of positives turning up amongst the students- not enough to further disrupt their heavily restricted program but not low enough to ease up either. Junior has to be on campus for one in-person lab each week and another one every two weeks But everything else is remote so he is spending most of his time in his dorm. The cafeteria is basically a takeout operation. He goes out to walk around the campus for exercise which seems to be a bit of a gray area. Of course this is his first semester so all the social aspects are more or less stalled. He gets along well with his roommate so that’s a plus.

 

[Warp daddy]

Thanks to you both for self disclosing . Feedback is the breakfast of champions

Obviously as a retired SUNY Executive I'm very interested in seeing the feedback that both of you guys have provided.

JTG I'm not surprised at all at plattsburgh's experience I sent my one daughter there for undergraduate work and she was very pleased.

"Burghyland " as a medium sized institution is obviously more directly in tune with the needs of the student and offers a very personable environment.

BSKI , UB is definitely a different kind of institution from Plattsburgh Having done my doctoral work there and my son graduating from pharmacy school and five others in our family having gone to both undergrad and /or various professional schools there I'm very familiar with the size and somewhat impersonal environment at a large public research University.

I do have a great deal of empathy especially for the new freshmen students who after working hard for 18 years and looking forward to a quality and well-rounded adventure are seeing disruption.

it is a very difficult adjustment under the circumstances.

You know from your own experience there's just much learning that goes on outside the classroom as young adults have to manage their relationship behavior independent of parental supervision and that is a very important growth experience

As an educator I have an obvious bias for in-person attendance because the quality of that experience greatly enhances the student's learning

My hat is off to both faculty and students who have made this very very difficult adjustment.

I am chagrined to learn that that marketing supply chain professor seems to be cavalier in his presentation of the material. Remember students have the opportunity to provide feedback on the quality of their instructional experience .This would be extremely important for any institution to find out where the process has not worked well.

My hope is this virus can be contained at least at some reasonable level and then at least in the next academic year the kids can begin to experience The Real College ambiance

 

[Brownski]

Most of juniors online lectures have been recordings of previous years. That’s a little disappointing as well.

 

[Warp daddy]

Most of juniors online lectures have been recordings of previous years. That’s a little disappointing as well.

That is not acceptable , there is no reason for the professor to use THAT as a primary strategy . If it were there for " additional reference " fine or an "occasional , use , BUT students especially those in their first year NEED to have as close to an in classroom experience and be able to interact with their mentors and be familiar with expectations and style .

Sounds to me like this guy also a RESEARCHER with a major grant and is cutting corners to focus on the Research .. Not GOOD !!

 

[Warp daddy]

And so it begins ! Ithaca College terminates 130 faculty members because of decreased enrollment has a 30 million dollar shortfall. This following a staff cut of 167 positions in April 2020

 

[Warp daddy]

In further bad news , It was also announced recently that DUKE , University of Memphis , Smith College,Boise State , Pomona College ,University of Utah have all recently undergone massive layoffs .

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that so far since February 350,000 private college jobs were retrenched . Meanwhile State assisted Universities are also experiencing major job cuts albeit not at the same levels SO far .

Covid impacting in conjunction with what has been called " The Birth Dearth" is The Perfect Storm and causing not only systemic disruption but also substantive change in the Higher Education field and its resultant economic ripple effects in small college cities and towns

 

[MarzNC]

Covid impacting in conjunction with what has been called " The Birth Dearth" is The Perfect Storm and causing not only systemic disruption by substantive change in the Higher Education field and its resultant economic ripple effects in small college cities and towns

Are you reading The Chronical of Higher Education? I only get the email with headlines. Not quite curious enough to pay for a subscription. My father was a professor in NYC at one of the City University campuses for most of his career.

 

[Warp daddy]

Not regularly MARZ , but i periodically peruse the CHE. I read a variety of sources on the topic having been a practitioner in that arena for almost 4 decades , its kind of a busman's holiday .

Fortunately i still have a number of friends or former mentees around the country in presidential or senior leadership roles and we email back n forth and informally consult on some issues . As an economist i am keenly interested in the ripple effect impacts .

Your father was with a fine organization , he must be a scholar and a gentleman !

BTW i commend you for your outstanding statistical analysis on these Covid related metrics , well done .