Colleagues,
During the pandemic, PSU faculty stepped up in an extraordinary way to enable us to provide continuity of educational opportunities for our students. I continue to think of this response from faculty and staff as one of PSU’s finest moments. For classes that had been meeting in person, the shift was made to largely offering courses via Zoom. I appreciate that the Office of Academic Innovation (OAI) was able to offer workshops for faculty on some best practices for teaching via Zoom. I heard from many faculty that they valued having this support while adapting their courses.
The pandemic challenged us to think differently and creatively about much of our work. We experimented with different modalities of teaching and learning and stretched ourselves to learn different practices and ways of engaging with each other and with our students. We’ve discovered that some things—like meeting via Zoom—will likely continue as ongoing options, while others will phase out.
Coming out of the pandemic, our campus has returned to offering predominantly in-person courses, with 67% of our sections this spring offered in person. And we can see that students are returning to campus for a variety of activities and engagements, from clubs to affinity groups to research. It’s wonderful to walk through classroom buildings and see them full of students.
Attend Anywhere
As a way to support students, some faculty developed a format that came to be called “Attend Anywhere,” a modality in which students could choose to attend a class in person or remotely. In response to questions from faculty, OAI undertook a Remote Synchronous & Attend Anywhere Pilot Program Assessment of this modality in September of 2022. The survey found that, although many students valued the flexibility this modality provided, most faculty found it difficult to navigate the classroom technology constraints while balancing the in-person and online attendees of the course. Faculty asked for improved classroom technology in order to teach effectively in this modality. In response, OAI and the Office of Information Technology (OIT) have been studying various technology features and seeking faculty responses. Based on those responses, we will be able to explore the costs and benefits of retaining this modality. While these examinations proceed, and in response to faculty concerns, we will put this modality on pause pending further study. We will, however, retain the Global Classroom and other hybrid modalities that pre-existed the pandemic.
Online - Scheduled Meetings
There are ongoing discussions at PSU and across the country about the impacts on student learning of continued remote engagement. As the many PSU faculty who have developed robust online courses can attest, effective student learning outcomes can be achieved through instructional design best practices for teaching online. We are lucky at PSU to have accomplished faculty experts and instructional design professionals to ensure that we are prioritizing student learning outcomes. To ensure that our online offerings meet the pedagogical standards that have come to characterize a PSU education, we need to ensure that all online classes can take advantage of these best practices.
During the pandemic, faculty did not have the time to utilize these resources in shifting to remote versions of their in-person courses. As we come out of the pandemic, it is time for us to ensure that these best practices inform our online modalities. As a result, I believe that it is time to phase out the “emergency remote” modality that was developed in response to the pandemic. These courses have come to be listed as “Online - Scheduled Meetings,” sections that were originally offered in-person but now meet synchronously via Zoom. As we phase out this modality, instructors have three options to consider:
Return to an In-person modality
Develop courses as fully online (Online - No Scheduled Meetings)
Where pedagogically appropriate, utilize a hybrid modality
For courses that will be developed as Online—No Scheduled Meetings courses—I am committing support for faculty to undertake that work. OAI will continue to support the development of courses in this modality, from instructional design to technology management. Faculty who are interested in working with OAI can apply to participate in the development of online asynchronous courses. Faculty who wish to participate in this program should secure the support of their chair/associate dean, who will submit a request to OAI.
Going Forward
While the majority of our sections will continue to be in person, online asynchronous and hybrid teaching will remain an important part of our overall course offerings, especially for many of our graduate programs serving working professionals. It is also important for us to consider balancing a mixture of in-person and online classes to support our students in managing their multiple responsibilities and commitments.
Effective Fall term 2023, we will begin to phase out the Online-Scheduled Meetings modality. While changes to the fall schedule may be limited, conversion of sections that currently have lower enrollments may still be possible. Online-Scheduled Meetings will not be an available scheduling option for winter and spring terms.
Again, I want to thank and honor the many PSU instructors who converted courses to these modalities during a time of emergency. Your efforts enabled our students to persist through a difficult and challenging time. As we emerge from the pandemic, we continue to prioritize our students as we affirm the importance of in-person experiences in student engagement and success. With the city of Portland, we affirm our commitments to place and community in our efforts to revive the vibrancy of PSU’s campus.
Best,
Susan Jeffords
Provost and Vice President for Student Affairs
