I got a great question from one of our colleagues about starting the semester. This colleague mentioned how Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs Evelyn Jennings emailed very helpful tips at the start of the semester in previous years and was wondering how–if at all–these types of tips might work as we come out of the pandemic. Below is my response. Please continue to reach out with questions!
I believe Evelyn drew some of her ideas from James Lang’s article in the Chronicle from a few years ago. Though a lot has changed—an understatement to be sure!—many of these principles still hold up. Lang also just recently updated his advice about the first day of the semester, emphasizing the importance of starting this semester with a spirit of profound hospitality. [Note, you may need to be on campus or using VPN to read these articles. It is worth it!]
I want to add two additional things. First, I think students have had very uneven experiences over the pandemic (with SLU and with school in general). It is important to set the tone from day one that they are in a space that is going to be inspiring and demanding. This means giving them a sense of the big picture and engaging them from day one. Get them to talk together, and get them excited about the course content. It will also be important to remind them that we are committing to making our classrooms spaces for serious learning.
This connects to my second point. Students have gotten used to a lot of flexibility. Much of this flexibility was necessary during the pandemic, though some of it will need to be rethought now. On day one we might want to be a bit more explicit than normal about why things like coming to class and doing the reading matter. In my class, I plan to say a bit about how much we missed being face-to-face throughout the pandemic, and I will urge students to remember those feelings of loss when we don’t feel up to coming to class or worry about participating fully. I don’t plan to be heavy-handed or overly moralistic, but I do want students to realize that being present matters. We will still need to be flexible and understanding with each other, but we shouldn’t forget how important–and enjoyable–it can be to have a lively discussion, especially on those days we didn’t think we’d be able to be fully present in class.
And the more we can surprise students with how interesting our classes can be in their lives, the more their academic life can contribute to their wellbeing. Though school will always add some degree of stress and pressure to a student’s life, it can also be something else entirely: a profound gift that can provide hope, meaning, and purpose. Let’s try to give them an intimation of this from day one!