After a full calendar year of online instruction at WSU Vancouver, students and staff will be welcomed with open arms to return to campus. While mask mandates have been lifted and vaccines are being distributed, professors share their thoughts and opinions on returning to in-person learning.
There are a few sides of the complicated dice that face difficulty in reopening WSU Vancouver’s classrooms. This includes moderating COVID-19 cases and requiring proof of vaccination for all students, staff and faculty. Nevertheless, Susan Peabody, the university’s history program leader and professor, says she is comfortable and eager to resume face-to-face instruction and believes WSU Vancouver is swiftly prepared to switch back online if necessary.
“I think we can safely do this at the moment. Of course, if public health officials determine that vaccinated people are potential carriers, or a new variant of COVID-19 emerges that can infect people who are vaccinated, we’ll have to shift back to online instruction. The difference will be that, unlike spring 2020, all the professors and students will be relatively prepared for the online environment,” Peabody said.
For History Professor Laurie Mercier, she is also looking forward to returning to WSU Vancouver’s campus this fall. As one of the first professors to volunteer and advocate for the reestablishment of in-person instruction, Mercier is comfortable teaching her students face-to-face once again. However, regarding the lift of mask mandates on campus, Mercier says she might continue to wear a mask when walking through the hallways to avoid cold and flu seasons altogether.
“I feel comfortable coming back in person. Although I will say I think because we’ve all been so isolated for a year and a half, I might continue to wear a mask in the hallway, just because I have a feeling that every kind of flu and cold virus is going around. We’re going to be more susceptible to catching it, so I think masking up during cold season might not be a bad idea,” Mercier said.
After having professors teach remotely, instruction methods are likely to change. Both Mercier and Peabody are looking forward to being with students in the classroom again, and feel the in-person aspect will serve as a huge benefit in developing crucial relationships with their students.
Mercier says there are unique circumstances where teaching online has worked well, but in her experience, students have shown a decreasing rate in turning in assignments. She found that student retention and overall success improve with face-to-face instruction, and in-person contact with professors prompts students to ask questions and engage in discussion.
“It’s one thing for me to send an email, repeatedly reminding someone that they have an incomplete [assignment] to make up from last semester, and another if I see that person in the hallway. I think it really helps, just meeting in my office with students who might be having difficulties, either in their personal lives or academic lives.” Mercier said.
Peabody also explains the on-campus setting will allow her to make eye contact and have in-depth discussions about important topics with students as they connect with fellow VanCougs on campus.
“I want to read students’ faces, to make sure that they are understanding. I look for ways to encourage student interaction. … When I taught my class last fall over Zoom, I struggled to come up with a format that has small group discussions that are central to the class. These discussions are really important to the pedagogy and adult development,” Peabody said. “It’s important to be able to discover your values and opinions about controversial topics, find a way to put them into words, listen respectfully to others and allow your thoughts and opinions to change or find a way to agree to disagree.”
“In my observation of the last couple years, I think students will do much better in the face-to-face classroom,” – Laurie Mercier
As students, staff and faculty look forward to returning to campus, there is likely to be an adjustment period to both student learning and teaching methods. Fortunately, these professors have learned from the difficult year COVID-19 has presented, and they are ultimately prepared to move forward with teaching in the traditional classroom.
Olivia is a senior studying English at WSU Vancouver.