Professors encouraged to offer flexible classes
The Faculty Senate, Interim Provost Laura Beauvais and President Marc Parlange recently informed the University community in an email there’s going to be a “Catch-up Day” on Wednesday, Nov. 24. PHOTO CREDIT: Siobhan Richards
Asynchronous work, Zoom classes, office hours or a complete day off to get work done were all options suggested to support a “Catch-up Day” the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Last week, faculty and students at the University of Rhode Island received an email from the Faculty Senate executive committee, Interim Provost Laura Beauvais and President Marc Parlange about Nov. 24.
This day, according to the email, is a special type of workday where professors have the option to spend the day how they see fit. The day allows professors to hold office hours, deliver class synchronously or asynchronously or not hold class at all to allow students productive time.
One important distinction that has been made clear by both Beauvais and Faculty Senate President Audrey Cardany is that all classes are not formally canceled on Wednesday. It is up to each individual professor how they chose to spend this day.
“I have a feeling that a number of faculty and students thought that message said that we canceled classes, but we did not cancel classes,” Beauvais said. “We left it up to the faculty to be able to provide some flexibility in their classes that day.”
Some professors have already discussed how they plan on spending the day. According to Cardany, some of her colleagues are considering doing some asynchronous activities and others are planning on doing lessons over Zoom to accommodate those who may be traveling during that time.
Beauvais said that one of the positive aspects of the pandemic is the ability to provide this kind of flexibility to students and faculty, allowing them to still learn even if they may not be on campus.
“I think that one thing that we’ve learned is that maybe we are able to provide more flexibility in how we do our courses and ensure that there is learning taking place,” Beauvais said. “The academic mission is of paramount importance. We don’t want to tell people to just take the day off, but tell them to use flexibility in doing something with their students that may give them a little bit of breathing room.”
Even though the University has suggested this type of workday, both Cardany and Beauvais mentioned that they have heard in conversations rumors that URI is going to go remote after the holidays. Both said that this was a myth.
Political science lecturer Perri Leviss said that a lot of students in her classes are already bringing up the “Catch-up Day” and asking what is going to occur that day.
“I think it’s innovative and sends a really strong message to the community, and I had several students in my undergrad classes ask about it today,” Leviss said. “It’s really exciting because it’s not only about actions but it’s about the impression that it leaves with students that the administration cares about their well being.”
Cardany and Beauvais both talked about how this day came about to give students and faculty a break after the stress that the COVID-19 pandemic has put on the URI community over the past few semesters.
“We still have a lot of students and faculty who are feeling really stressed and anxious about the situation that we’ve been in over the past year, and I think a number of us have been hearing from both students and faculty about how they are coping, but it’s been difficult for them,” Beauvais said. “Given the different things we’ve been hearing around the community, we got together, President Parlange and myself, to think about ways we could reduce some of the anxiety and burnout that people are feeling.”
Cardany added that students and faculty alike often spend time with loved ones during this time, and the University wants to note the importance of that.
“If you think about Thanksgiving, that’s often a time where students, as well as faculty, get together with family, we connect with friends, and we don’t want to minimize the importance of that,” Cardany said.