So I’ve been wondering: What lessons have colleges learned from the experience? And will this fall be any different? You can read my full follow-up story here, but I’ll highlight a few takeaways. And I’d like to get your thoughts on what you want to happen this year.
For one, many college leaders said they had assumed that students’ enthusiasm for returning to campus, and all the things that came with it — parties, events, social clubs, sports, and dorm life — would result in a smooth transition back to the classroom. Instead, they found that students had been affected by two years of remote and distanced learning.
As Beth Ingram, executive vice president and provost of Northern Illinois University, put it: “We anticipated that there was going to be some learning loss in terms of academics just because of the way that students had been learning. I don’t think we anticipated the social-engagement learning loss from being remote for a couple of years.”
College leaders say they don’t want to make that same mistake twice. So this time around, you may be seeing more first-year programming that focuses on helping students learn how to do college. That could mean discussions on study skills and time management, or broader conversations about the expectations of college life.
But there’s another layer here. And that has to do with helping restore students’ confidence in their ability to connect with others.
As Dawn Meza Soufleris, vice president for student development and campus life at Montclair State University, described it: “We had students telling us, ‘I don’t even know how to approach somebody to be a friend. I don’t know how to date’ …. Probably the No. 1 thing we heard from our students this past year was, ‘I’m not sure I know how to belong.’ And that’s so devastating.”
To that end, you may see on your campus more tailored and small-group events, more peer mentoring and more discussion generally about helping students make connections with one another. (For more on why belonging matters to persistence and well-being, read Beckie’s 2018 story.)
The other mistake colleges made was to assume students would seek help when they needed it, or accept it when it was offered to them. Instead, some of those in greatest need seemed hardest to reach.
This time around, many colleges are trying to bake those supports into daily life. That may mean ramping up wellness programming and affinity groups so that students can find support from their peers without having to schedule an appointment at the counseling center. In the classroom that could mean adding peer tutoring to some of the more challenging introductory classes. In some cases colleges are also helping faculty members create a more welcoming experience for all students, through changes in the syllabus and how they approach students who are struggling.
Advisers and others are also planning to reach out as soon as students show signs of struggle. “We learned we cannot wait until Week 3,” said Elin Waring, a sociology professor at Lehman College of the City University of New York.
And as for supporting faculty members? Teaching experts had some advice for campus leaders: Make sure you help those who help others. “We need to take care of the people who are on the front lines with students in great need in order to be able to continue this important work,” said Sue Doe, chair of the Faculty Council at Colorado State University, about faculty and staff needs.
What do you think? Are those the right strategies to prevent a repeat of last year? What else would you add to the list? And are you trying new or different approaches in your classroom this fall? Write to me, at beth.mcmurtrie@chronicle.com, and your story may appear in a future newsletter.
Better Class Discussion
For the past few weeks Beckie and I have been highlighting some of The Chronicle’s advice guides, written by teaching experts, to help you get your semester off to a good start. This week I want to point you to “How to Hold a Better Class Discussion,” by Jay Howard. He writes about why discussion matters, offers several strategies, and discusses common challenges.
ICYMI
- As the pandemic waned, so did faculty members’ use of digital course materials. The Chronicle’s Audrey Williams June reports those and other findings from a survey by the National Association of College Stores.
- Public perception of online education has improved markedly in the last couple of years, although confidence in higher education over all dropped, according to a recent survey by New America, The Chronicle’s Karin Fischer reports.
- As I note above, belonging has become a buzzword when thinking about this fall. So perhaps it’s no surprise that a new study has found that it can also protect against depression, Psychology Today reports.
Thanks for reading Teaching. If you have suggestions or ideas, please feel free to email us, at beckie.supiano@chronicle.com or beth.mcmurtrie@chronicle.com.
— Beth
Learn more about our Teaching newsletter, including how to contact us, at the Teaching newsletter archive page.
