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COVID-19 concerns force Southern students off campus. What's next?

Writer's picture: Joel GuerraJoel Guerra

Updated: Apr 16, 2020

More than two weeks after Southern announced that classes would be shifting to distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students are set to begin their online classes on Monday, March 30. Over the past two weeks, the majority of students have left campus, student employment has been

discontinued, faculty have received distance learning training, textbook buybacks have been moved to online and graduation has been postponed.

As mentioned in an earlier article this week, many international students faced uncertainty in regards to where they would live once Southern shifted to online learning. On March 19, international students were notified that if requested, they may be allowed to reside in Southern Village at least for the remainder of the semester.

Most students, however, have packed up completely, evacuated campus and even received housing payment refunds or adjustments to their payment plans. According to Janell Hullquist, editorial manager of Marketing and University Relations, students will receive refunds for their remaining meal plan balances, as well as 50 percent of the associated administrative fee over the next few weeks.  

Additionally, many campus resources will remain available to students remotely. Tutoring, Counseling Services, Disability Support Services, First Year Experience and other services will be accessible via website, phone and email.

Over the extended two-week spring break, professors have also adapted their courses to correlate with an online format to help students navigate through the remainder of the semester. 

Journalism and Communication professor Pablo Fernandez commends the Online Campus  for being a great resource for the campus during the transition and is hopeful for the success of online learning. 

“They have put together several training sessions, training videos and even participated in department meetings to make sure the professors are equipped and ready to teach their classes from a distance,” Fernandez said. 

Physical Education Health and Wellness professor Rodney Bussey is currently adjusting his Preventative Care of Athletic Injuries class, which provides students with the tools and knowledge to handle injuries when a healthcare provider is not available.

It [Preventative Care of Athletic Injuries] is one of my favorites to teach, as it is primarily a ‘hands-on’ course where there is much interaction between the students,” Bussey said. 

One of the main elements of the course is the labs in which students practice various tapings for specific injuries. To adjust to the lack of in-person labs, required materials will be boxed up and sent out to the students, and video demonstrations for each taping will be accessible via e-Class, according to Bussey.

“I appreciate my dean, Dr. Benge, for allowing me to mail out all the materials, as it will be an expensive endeavor, but one we feel is necessary to maintain the integrity of the course,” Bussey said. “I will provide feedback, but essentially the labs are graded by participation.”

Regardless, many students are disappointed that they will not be able to finish their courses in person and have expressed concerns about potential limitations associated with online instruction. 

“Clinicals were one of my favorite parts of nursing school, and I’m a hands-on learner,” said Jaira Luna, junior nursing major. “I’m pretty disappointed that I won’t be able to put into practice what I’ll be learning for the rest of the semester.” 

Some believe that fees for lab or practice-based classes should be partially refunded. 

“Professors will have to be creative in coming up with labs in which students can learn the intended material without the hands-on experience that we’re accustomed to,” said Sonia Joy, junior biology major. “You’re not getting what you paid for technically, but I also understand that the financial implications of the whole situation are very complex.”

According to Hullquist, Southern will continue to monitor the situation, make adjustments as needed and remain committed to keeping students, employees and others in the Southern community informed.

In an email sent to students, President David Smith encourages everyone to remain hopeful and to anticipate resuming normal campus life as soon as possible. 

“Those of us who work in higher education do so because we love young people and learning together,” Smith said. “We will deeply miss the presence of students on our campus over the next few months.”




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