The College of Engineering’s weekly update aims to provide transparent and frequent information about how the College is operating, adapting and caring for its community. Updated information can always be found at the College’s COVID website. Questions and feedback can be submitted here.
Thank you for quickly adapting while remaining patient and resilient after last week’s undergraduate stay-in-place order. Faculty were given the option to change the modality of their courses to fully remote. We had 35 classes elect to do so. We also have some reports of students electing to return to their permanent residencies and student organizations pausing activities until next semester.
ONLINE CLASS WORKLOAD
Our undergraduate and graduate students are reporting increased stress and difficulty due to perceived excessive workload in some of their online courses. Information about how to estimate online class workload and other resources were included in an email to instructors this week. MSE Professor Steve Yalisove has also put together this video with some tips on online class workload. If you are able, please consider making adjustments to create better balance and improve well-being for students – and faculty and staff.
LEVERAGING CANVAS VIDEO ANNOUNCEMENTS
Now more than ever, students may be looking for communication and feedback from their faculty — but this doesn’t always have to be live (synchronous). Posting a quick video announcement in Canvas can provide an easy, personable and engaging way to communicate with your class. Read this post from the Nexus Faculty Resources Blog to learn strategies and step-by-step instructions for Canvas video announcements. Please remember that posting videos on YouTube may not be available to some of our international students.
MENTORING IN THE TIME OF COVID-19
Professor Joi-Lynn Mondisa’s research into successful mentorship has been published by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, among others. In this short update on the College’s News Center, she outlines three strategies for supporting students during a pandemic.
UPDATED SECTION OF MAIZE & BLUEPRINT
Please take a look at this collection of resources and education modules related to stopping the spread of COVID-19. Some may be familiar, others you may never have heard of. Leading by example, educating ourselves and sharing resources is key to emerging stronger through this pandemic.
COMING SOON
- Winter semester announcement. In early November, the University plans on releasing an announcement regarding the winter semester. We will work hard to make sure our community understands and is prepared for whatever next semester looks like.
- On-campus operations during the holidays. The upcoming shift to fully remote classes after Nov 20 will have an impact to on-campus operations. Guidance will come following the University’s winter announcement.