I am so happy to share this blog post, written by our Intern, Sarah Iaquinta, M.A. I believe this post will give many the opportunity to begin some interesting conversations among professionals, as it discusses several points to consider as we prepare and begin for a new academic season.
New Beginnings - Sarah Iaquinta, M.A.
As a rising higher education professional, I spend a lot of my time on LinkedIn. Recently, as I was networking and scrolling through my newsfeed, I came across a post (Forgive me, I can’t remember who posted it) that made me stop and think. The post was about how we need to stop comparing Fall 2019 to Fall 2021 in regards to normalcy and daily operations on campus. The reality is, these two semesters could not be more opposite of one another. Not only are we still enduring a global pandemic, but we are also in a racial awakening and seeing a rise in hate crimes, to name a few differences. These issues or “hot topics" play a major role and impact the lives of our students and faculty members returning to our respective institutions over the next few weeks. I began to reflect on the differences and compiled a list of things that will impact not only the upcoming fall semester but possibly higher education moving forward.
Comfort levels
Many institutions will be welcoming students back to campus at full capacity for the fall semester. Although this is an exciting feeling for students, faculty and staff members, it does come with concerns and apprehension. For example, not all schools are requiring vaccinations for students in order to live or attend classes and events on campus. Students at those institutions may express concern regarding their health and safety when it comes to attending in-person classes or events. These concerns are also valid in students who are attending schools where vaccinations are required. Regardless, we do need to mindful that just because our students may be happy to return to their respective institutions, that does not mean they feel 100% safe or comfortable living and attending classes or events on campus.
Flexibility
Sort of going off my last point, being cognizant of the comfort level of all students, forces us to remain flexible. Over the last year and a half, the world flexible was a common adjective that many would use to describe themselves given the various curve balls thrown at them on a daily basis. With that in mind, we need to be flexible when it comes to meeting with students or events. For example, if we host an in-person event on campus, we need to ensure there is a virtual option for those who do not feel comfortable in a large group setting. We also need to make sure this virtual option is available for students who would feel more comfortable meeting with staff or faculty members versus meeting in person. From a higher education professional standpoint, it may become more common for staff and faculty to have a hybrid model schedule. Instead of coming to campus five days a week, we may only be present three days and the other days working from home. We may also see this in course offerings as well for students.
First time to campus (and not as a first-year student)
Not only are we welcoming first-year students to campus for the first time, but we are also welcoming some of our second-year students as well. Some institutions are providing those students with separate orientations since they have never been exposed to a traditional in-person college setting or experience until now (I have also heard through the grapevine some institutions are offering third-year students orientations as well since they only have one semester of “traditional college” under their belts).
Being more inclusive
With the tragic death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, America would find itself in another racial awakening. I knew racism still existed in our country but, naively, I did not know it was to this degree. Also, with the ludicrous rhetoric calling COVID-19 the “Chinese Virus”, we saw a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. Sadly, hate crimes and reports of students saying racial or discriminating slurs towards their peers was not an uncommon story being reported from institutions prior to the pandemic. Many institutions, in their strategic planning, have made it a goal to increase DEI resources and hire more people from diverse backgrounds. I have noticed over the last several years, the number of jobs related to DEI has increased but with the recent events of the last year, the number of jobs that fall under the DEI umbrella have increased greatly. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in regards to DEI, however, many schools are now offering students opportunities to learn more about those who may identify differently and help unlearn biases that may have been instilled in them from an early age. Again, this not an overnight fix but this time, we need to keep the conversation going and make a genuine effort to be inclusive for everyone.
Need for compassion and kindness
This one seems pretty obvious but I think, it is arguably one of the most important points. We have all endured a lot over the past year and will be returning to campus as different people because of it. Some of us are still recovering physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially from the pandemic and events of the past year, so it is appropriate to allow grace and display empathy and compassion toward one another. We need to be uplifting and understanding of others who may feel differently or view things from a different perspective. Be there for your friends, students and colleagues. Remember to check in on them to see how they are doing and where you can be of assistance. This is going to be a challenging academic year ahead as we adjust to our “new normal” and get back into the swing of human interaction and attending in-person classes or work.
Final Thoughts
Again, as a rising higher education professional, I may not have all the answers and I am sure that I am missing a few points. Every institution is different so there is no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to addressing the issues or which ones will arise over the upcoming academic year. All we can do is take it day by day, step by step and hope, in the end, we have done the right thing with the best interest of our students, faculty and staff at the forefront of every decision. As a rising professional in the field, this is an exciting time to start my career, however, I am well aware of the challenges that myself and other colleagues will continue to face as we recover from the pandemic but also move forward with the long-overdue necessary changes to stay relevant to our incoming students.