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Before the pandemic, Laura Kuruvilla had to book a round-trip ticket from Syracuse to her home in San Diego for Thanksgiving break.

But with Syracuse University’s updated academic calendar, which eliminates the usual brief return to campus after Thanksgiving week, Kuruvilla’s family doesn’t have to pay the cost of sending her back to campus after flying her home for only a short time period.

“It would be nice to move out for the semester (before Thanksgiving) regardless of COVID,” said Kuruvilla, a sophomore television, radio and film major. “It makes it easier not having to pay for two flights.”

The coronavirus pandemic has inspired new course policies, teaching methods and scheduling changes — some that SU faculty and students told The Daily Orange they hope will stick around.

For students like Kuruvilla and Sydney Schroeder, a sophomore from Los Angeles studying public relations and English, flying back and forth from the West Coast during the winter can cause travel difficulties. Schroeder and Kuruvilla have both experienced flight delays, and even cancellations, during their travel to and from SU.

“You come to expect it especially because Syracuse is two flights away,” Schroeder said.

For some professors, increased stress among students has changed the way they think about due dates or conducting office hours.

Julie Hasenwinkel, a biomedical and chemical engineering professor, has been using a flipped classroom approach to teaching this semester, posting recorded lectures ahead of class and using in-person class time for projects and problem solving.

Even if she returns to lecturing live in the future, Hasenwinkel said she will continue to record and post lectures.

“Having the lecture material recorded and accessible all the time for students I think is really beneficial,” Hasenwinkel said.

Hasenwinkel said she has received feedback from students that being able to pause and refer back to recorded instruction has been helpful. Recording lectures will also make it easier for students who miss class to get caught up, she said.

“The technology that we have that allows us to make things more available, more accessible, is a positive,” she said.

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MORE COVERAGE:

• Professors have heavier workload to adjust to new learning formats
• SU encourages instructors to teach most spring semester courses in person
• SU will limit class sizes to 30, require face masks on campus

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Laura Heyman, a professor in the department of transmedia and the art photography program coordinator in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, said the pandemic has helped the department rethink how it coordinates events and guest speakers.

Since travel hasn’t been possible for many artists given public health guidelines, professors have organized Zoom speaking events instead. In some cases, the restrictions have made it so the department doesn’t have to worry about coordinating travel or navigating artists’ availability, she said.

“That’s much easier than it would usually be,” Heyman said.

Heyman has also used virtual meetings to bring film producers, photographers and computer visual effects professionals to her classes, she said. Online platforms have also allowed students to submit their questions for guest speakers before class.

“Things like students submitting their questions ahead of time, that I would always do, because for students that are uncomfortable speaking up in class, that creates way more equity in the classroom,” Heyman said.

The prominence of virtual office hours is another pandemic-related development that Heyman said she might continue to utilize. Meetings can be in person for students who prefer that format but can also be held online when there are schedule conflicts or other obstacles that might make it hard to meet, Heyman said.

“It’s much easier for both of us actually,” Heyman said. “It doesn’t have to be when we’re both on campus, and I can make my office hours way more flexible.”

Stephanie Hilliard, a doctoral student in the composition and cultural rhetoric program who teaches writing classes, has eliminated late penalties on assignments for their courses. They might consider continuing the policy in future semesters because it seems to have reduced stress among some students, they said.

Overall, although the shortened semester alleviates some financial burdens, both Kuruvilla and Schroeder said they will miss the extra time on campus. But they still said they were glad the university decided to adopt the new schedule.

“I always love to spend time on campus and I’m going to miss my friends, it is quite a long break,” Schroeder said. “For the good of the whole university, having the option to do the rest (of the semester) remotely is beneficial.”

Published on October 20, 2020 at 11:16 pm

Contact Mira: mlberenb@syr.edu