Spring 2022 -- Moving Online?

[downer]

Spring at my CC has the mix of online, F2F, and live virtual lecture (Teams/Zoom) classes similar to this past fall. The LVLs and onlines are nearly all filled at all 4 campuses. The F2Fs are lagging far behind; my campus and another are notoriously late in registering, so latecomers will be forced into the F2F sections.

This, despite Admin's insistence that our students don't want to be online or LVL.

(I've been seeing much better student success in my online and LVL sections over these past 3 pandemic semesters than I usually saw in my F2F classes, and colleagues report similar. I've even come to really enjoy teaching the LVL classes, which surprised me.)

I was looking through spring enrollments in some areas and I saw a similar disparity between online and f2f classes.at the cc I teach at. I'm hoping they don't cancel my f2f class because right now it needs another 5 students to run. Numbers have been going down, not up, and omicron gains ground.

[mleok]

Just a question: Does "Spring term" in the US refer to the term starting in January? In Canada, "Spring" term usually refers to one that starts in May; "Winter" is the term for one starting in January.

I think if you have quarters (10 week terms), then the term starting in January would be referred to as the Winter quarter.

[mleok]

My institution is starting the first two weeks of Winter quarter online, and other sister campuses in the university system seem to be slowly following suit.

[Hegemony]

My place is swearing up, down and sideways that we will stay in-person and that our high vaccination rates will keep us safe. These high rates of vaccination include people who have apparently been approved for "philosophical exemptions" with no backup evidence, so there is widespread skepticism about the real rates of vaccination. To be approved to teach online, faculty have to go through a grueling process which assumes that they are just slackers just trying to get out of performing their jobs — to the point where someone I know with a severe chronic illness was not approved. So not everyone is happy.

We'll see what happens...

[Ruralguy]

My place is similar to Hegemonys with perhaps less hoop jumping to get online. I hate online teaching...so unless disaster ensues, I won't worry about it. By the way, last semester, evidence points to some people just teaching online anyway without approval.

[the_geneticist]

After a strong "all classes will be in person in Winter quarter" message, the powers that be have declared a "remote start".  First two weeks online, then who knows. No word on what the criteria are to choose when/if to return to in person.  My fear is being told that we MUST offer a remote option and in person too.  Nope.  Not going to happen.  If they want a "remote option", then labs are all remote.

[rac]

Effectively, if they insist on in person for the spring (as my university has done), then the first few weeks will be hybrid. Too many people will be out sick. And IMO, hybrid is the worst of all worlds.

[larryc]

I am in a blue state with perhaps the best governor in the nation for dealing with COVID and we are supposedly going back to the classroom in two weeks. This is of course insane, but the costs of going online (loss of $ from dorms and cafeterias) are huge. So the admin is talking about our supposedly high vaccination rates and how everything will be just fine.

[kiana]

Our state is spiking rapidly now -- well over 100 per 100,000 daily cases according to NYT -- and while we have received no guidance from our school, I feel I would be out of my mind to not plan for hybrid at best.

I just hope they can get us back to in-person for finals. Fall was the first time in a long time that I actually felt confident that everyone I passed had actually learned the material they were supposed to.

[Parasaurolophus]

Admin just sent us an email saying they're delaying the start of the term by five days so they can make sure their measures are adequate. Yeah right.

Their measures are "we have a high vaccination rate nevermind waning efficacy".

[the_geneticist]

I am in a blue state with perhaps the best governor in the nation for dealing with COVID and we are supposedly going back to the classroom in two weeks. This is of course insane, but the costs of going online (loss of $ from dorms and cafeterias) are huge. So the admin is talking about our supposedly high vaccination rates and how everything will be just fine.

Pretty sure that's the reason my school is pushing students to come back to campus.  I anticipate a huge problem for our commuter students. Where are they supposed to take their classes?  The weather is too cold and wet to use the outdoor spaces.  They better open up the libraries, student center, gyms, etc so there is somewhere indoors and warm with reliable Wi-Fi. 

[Vkw10]

We've just been informed that students living on campus must present evidence of a negative test to move in for spring semester. Commuters and employees are also expected to test before returning to campus, but there's no requirement to submit results. I expect we'll get the same guidance as fall semester, that faculty may schedule up to 15% of classes for remote learning air appropriate to accomplish course objectives.

[Parasaurolophus]

They just decided that we're online until the 24th, at whoch point further instructions will be  forthcoming.

It's just so stupid. This is exactly how you wind up with stressed and unprepared faculty, even though we all know how to do stuff online now.

[ciao_yall]

They just decided that we're online until the 24th, at whoch point further instructions will be  forthcoming.

It's just so stupid. This is exactly how you wind up with stressed and unprepared faculty, even though we all know how to do stuff online now.

Not only that, but classes are organized differently when you are online or in a classroom! You can't just switch back and forth!!

[Mobius]

You wanna bet? Ever hear of schools pushing HyFlex?

Also not too concerned since hospitalization rates among the vaccinated aren't increasing much. I'm also selfish since I got it in the fall and will be boosted once eligible.