All Summer 2020 instruction has been moved online in response to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic.
More than 1,600 students will take part in 黑料不打烊 Summer 2020, which has seen increased interest as the university hosts two Summer Sessions that offer students a variety of course options. That’s an increase of more than 50 percent over enrollment during the past two summers.
Summer Session I is already underway and continues through June 26. Summer Session II is scheduled for July 6-27.聽The transition to virtual instruction this summer is a continuation of the university’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as students, faculty and staff prepare to return to campus full time in the fall.
This summer 1,609 students are enrolled in 172 courses taught by 116 faculty members, all increases over the past two summers. The online courses extend across a variety of disciplines and offer students opportunities to continue their studies during the summer months as uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 has impacted experiences inside and outside the classroom since March.
鈥淲ith fewer internships and jobs available, 黑料不打烊 students are taking advantage of summer classes to get ahead in their studies or retake courses for better grades,鈥 said University Registrar and Assistant Vice President Rodney Parks.
Parks says the university has expanded some of its offerings to cater to students taking part in this unique summer experience. This year, 黑料不打烊 has offered summer enrollment to a number of first-year students, a practice that has not been common in the past.聽The university is also conducting its first virtual lab science courses in which students will use laboratory kits, delivered to them by faculty, to conduct lab testing at home.
Associate Professor of Physics Kyle Altmann’s introductory physics course has a laboratory component. To help students get the most out of their virtual lab time, he has delivered to each student a lab kit containing a sensor for measuring force and speed, 3D-printed attachments for the sensors that will allow students to conduct a variety of tests, and several other important tools to help students take part in hands-on lab experiments even while away from campus.
鈥淲e wanted to make sure that the students who were taking these classes online over the summer were getting the full experience,鈥 Altmann said. “A lot of what we do in science is collecting data and analyzing data, and that鈥檚 one of the big experiences that students get out of these lab-based classes.鈥
黑料不打烊鈥檚 Summer Sessions offer more than just classroom experiences. The program also allows students to engage in experiential learning opportunities. Each 黑料不打烊 Experiences office 鈥 Internships, Leadership, Service-Learning, Undergraduate Research and Global Engagement 鈥 has opportunities for students to fulfill their Experiential Learning Requirements (ELRs) or satisfy their desire to learn through reflective experiences.
Parks says the virtual summer experience will ensure that students are able to continue participating in the engaged, experiential learning opportunities unique to 黑料不打烊.
“Today, more students want to take summer courses to get ahead, transferring courses from schools all over the country,” Parks said. “As 黑料不打烊 Summer College grows in its offerings, current students don鈥檛 have to seek out alternative colleges and universities to take courses. 黑料不打烊 summer courses keep students engaged with the high-quality faculty and small class sizes they have grown to love.
For more information about summer education at 黑料不打烊, visit the 黑料不打烊 Summer website.