social distancing lab fall 2020

[Chisos]

We've been looking at a variety of option for labs.  For non-majors type labs, where it's more about illustrating concept and less about learning a skill, we'll probably to fully online.  For other classes, we'll probably have most content online, but students would come in to lab, in small groups from time to time, to learn and "pass off" certain key skills we want to be taught in that lab.

[Aster]

Our state's coroanovirus cases are spiking quickly right now, and our hospitals are taking on more and more sick patients.

My impression is that our institution might make elaborate plans for getting students onto campus, and all of that will totally fall apart come September and we'll end up remote anyway. The Department of Education will continue in providing emergency waivers for remote classes, the American Chemical Society will continue granting temporary clemency to fake virtual laboratories, and the regional accreditor will continue hitting the snooze button.

With those predictions made, I'm mostly planning on going full remote in the Fall, with clear expectation for *Spring labs* remediation. There will be somewhere between all - many students receiving inadequate training in the Fall, and we'll just fix what we can in follow-up laboratory courses over the next few semesters. We'd have to do this anyways for many students no matter what, as there are going to be lots of students falling through the cracks in the Fall even under the best scenarios. For some students (e.g. graduating seniors, non-majors courses), there is just going to be a skills write-off, and there really isn't much that we can do about it. For students taking follow-up laboratory courses, we'll just adapt those courses to accommodate remedial training that will slowly phase out over a few semesters.

[marshwiggle]

Our state's coroanovirus cases are spiking quickly right now, and our hospitals are taking on more and more sick patients.

My impression is that our institution might make elaborate plans for getting students onto campus, and all of that will totally fall apart come September and we'll end up remote anyway.

Anybody want to have a pool to guess how long it will take for outbreaks to happen in places that go in-person in the Fall? And (unfortunately) how long until the first student dies of covid contracted from an on-campus outbreak?

(My guesses are probably about a month into classes for both of those.)

[no1capybara]

Our state's coroanovirus cases are spiking quickly right now, and our hospitals are taking on more and more sick patients.

My impression is that our institution might make elaborate plans for getting students onto campus, and all of that will totally fall apart come September and we'll end up remote anyway.

Anybody want to have a pool to guess how long it will take for outbreaks to happen in places that go in-person in the Fall? And (unfortunately) how long until the first student dies of covid contracted from an on-campus outbreak?

(My guesses are probably about a month into classes for both of those.)

Can you even imagine writing this a year ago this time?  I realize the show must go on and everything but I'm more than a little annoyed that our institutions aren't so flexible that we can't just take a break for a year until things settle down again.

[apl68]

Our state's coroanovirus cases are spiking quickly right now, and our hospitals are taking on more and more sick patients.

My impression is that our institution might make elaborate plans for getting students onto campus, and all of that will totally fall apart come September and we'll end up remote anyway.

Anybody want to have a pool to guess how long it will take for outbreaks to happen in places that go in-person in the Fall? And (unfortunately) how long until the first student dies of covid contracted from an on-campus outbreak?

(My guesses are probably about a month into classes for both of those.)

Can you even imagine writing this a year ago this time?  I realize the show must go on and everything but I'm more than a little annoyed that our institutions aren't so flexible that we can't just take a break for a year until things settle down again.

Is there any institution, of any kind, anywhere, that CAN just shut down (or totally eliminate face-to-face business) for a whole year to wait the pandemic out?  I'm not aware of any such institution.  I don't know that that level of flexibility is really possible.  Maybe back in the days of Boccaccio and The Decameron, when the fortunate few could retreat to a country estate and live off of local produce until the Plague blew over.

[Chisos]

Our state's coroanovirus cases are spiking quickly right now, and our hospitals are taking on more and more sick patients.

My impression is that our institution might make elaborate plans for getting students onto campus, and all of that will totally fall apart come September and we'll end up remote anyway. The Department of Education will continue in providing emergency waivers for remote classes, the American Chemical Society will continue granting temporary clemency to fake virtual laboratories, and the regional accreditor will continue hitting the snooze button.

With those predictions made, I'm mostly planning on going full remote in the Fall, with clear expectation for *Spring labs* remediation. There will be somewhere between all - many students receiving inadequate training in the Fall, and we'll just fix what we can in follow-up laboratory courses over the next few semesters. We'd have to do this anyways for many students no matter what, as there are going to be lots of students falling through the cracks in the Fall even under the best scenarios. For some students (e.g. graduating seniors, non-majors courses), there is just going to be a skills write-off, and there really isn't much that we can do about it. For students taking follow-up laboratory courses, we'll just adapt those courses to accommodate remedial training that will slowly phase out over a few semesters.

This is more or less our take as well.  We'll plan for the best, be prepared for the worst, and deal with what we get.  (What's the saying..."battle plans fall apart when the first shot is fired") ?

We'll also be adjusting subsequent labs (or, at least our expectation of skills students will have) for the next few terms after this is over.  So, instead of the first week of Gen Chem II lab being a "skill review" it'll probably be the first 3-4 weeks, and it'll be "skill review and the things you missed due to coronavirus".  We're going to try to have at least some scattered, socially distant hands-on lab activity this term, but are prepared to drop even that if conditions require it.