Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/category/news/education/higher-education/)
Many colleges around the country, such as Michigan State, are onto their third straight semester of virtual learning. Being away from in-person learning in lecture halls and classrooms along with the strains of the pandemic have impacted students in many ways, including their mental health.
As COVID-19 grips the state of Michigan worse than any other in the nation, health officials have called for a vaccine surge to reduce the spread. While this request has seemingly been rebuffed by the federal government, residents all around East Lansing are eager to return to normal, as various groups deal with their new normal in different ways.
URBAN GREEN SPACE: An abandoned golf course near the the edge of the MSU campus had been shrouded by tallgrass and sparkling goldenrod, filled with asters and milkweed that lured birds every summer, with sycamores and willows shading the shore of the Red Cedar River. Now that sanctuary is gone amidst development, and its disappearance is a reminder of the importance of urban greenspace. Commentary. By Marshall Lee Weimer. FOR LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
East Lansing Council anticipates return to in-person meetings.
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP: Michigan residents worry a lack of environmental education threatens the state’s defining feature, the Great Lakes, a recent study said. Focus groups identified environmental threats for coastal communities and called for education on how to be better stewards of the lakes. Concerns varied by lake, but the most common themes were rising water levels and lack of environmental education. Other concerns: beach erosion, pollution, public access, invasive species and lake user safety. We talk to an MSU expert and the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative executive director. By Taylor Haelterman. FOR HOLLAND, MANISTEE, OCEANA, BENZIE, TRAVERSE CITY, HARBOR SPRINGS, PETOSKEY, CHEBOYGAN, ALCONA, MARQUETTE, ST. IGNACE, SAULT STE. MARIE, BAY MILLS, MONROE AND ALL POINTS.
Michigan State University allowed housing for an additional 2,500 students on campus during the spring semester.
Photo of MSU freshman Maggie Neumaier in front of Bailey Hall in Brody Neighborhood. Freshman Maggie Neumaier moved into Bailey Hall in Brody Neighborhood. Neumaier said, “The reason I decided to move into the dorms is because I felt like I was missing out staying home. I already had friends up here, so I wanted to get the college experience in the dorms and move out here.”
Neumaier said she enjoys living in the dorms, but the pandemic has made it hard to meet people because there are not a lot of students in the dorms.
She said, “My building is not very lively. It is very quiet here.”
MSU students living on campus have to follow health and safety measures.
@msuunionStudents at Michigan State University social distancing during remote learning. Since March 2020, colleges and universities throughout Michigan have implemented remote learning to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect students, professors and staff.
Some students who used to complete schoolwork early while classes were face-to-face have said they now find themselves waiting until the last minute to watch pre-recorded lectures and complete assignments.
Senior Hannah Amor of Oakland University said trying to make time in her schedule for all her remote classes has often caused her to wait until the last minute to complete coursework.
“I have to allow time for all my classes, and I feel like I don’t have enough time in my week,” said Amor.
During remote learning, some students have found themselves being more distracted, multitasking on other assignments and projects while attending lectures.
Andrew Pascaris, junior at Lawrence Tech University, said he notices himself completing other work while he is in a Zoom lecture.
“That can be a bad thing because you’re not as engaged in the class you’re supposed to be in,” said Pascaris. Some students have asynchronous courses that do not require a scheduled meeting time each week. For Alena Graves, junior at Michigan State University, without the commitment of being in class at a set time allows her to put off coursework until just before the due date.
“I wait until the last possible moment to watch lectures,” said Graves. “I find it so easy to spend hours doing nothing rather than having a schedule that I have to stick to.”
MSU sophomore Julie Gusmano said, “I can get work done before the week even starts if I wanted to, but other times I use that as a disadvantage and save things until their final due dates.”
Gusmano also said asynchronous classes have caused her to forget or misread important deadlines.
“I have missed exam times due to writing down the wrong dates on accident, whereas in person, [professors] would be reminding daily about exam times and places,” said Gusmano.
As COVID-19 shapes what a teacher’s daily life looks like, Michigan State education majors are nervous for what is to come upon graduation.
PRIVATE COLLEGE DIVERSITY: Two traditionally white-majority private Michigan colleges, Albion College and Kalamazoo College, are leaders in efforts to diversify their student bodies. Alma College is recruiting heavily in Detroit to build its minority representation. We talk to the president of Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities, officials of all three schools and an Albion student. By Elaine Mallon. FOR COLDWATER, DETROIT, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
FacebookOlivia Nasiatka, senior at Cousino High School, holding her Michigan State University acceptance letter. As high school seniors across Michigan approach graduation, many have spent most of their school year in front of a computer screen. School districts throughout the state had implemented remote learning to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect students, teachers and staff.
For students continuing their education, some say online learning has created challenges as they prepare for college.
Olivia Nasiatka, senior at Cousino High School, said she feels online learning has not set her up to be successful in college.
“Most teachers have been super lax about everything,” said Nasiatka. “Of course, kids would prefer it to be like this, but we’re missing out on almost half a year of material. It’s going to be a big shock for kids next year when they find out that their college classes won’t be as laid back.”
College application process
Remote learning has led to difficulties in the college application process for some students.
On March 5, Michigan State University President Samuel L. Stanley announced in an email that 75% of undergraduate classes would be offered in-person for the fall of 2021.
Stanley wrote, “Classes will be offered in multiple scenarios — in person, hybrid and some still online, especially those that would traditionally fill large lecture halls. We expect that routine mitigation testing and other public health policies will continue at some level in the fall, and all of us will need to adhere to these policies and engage in the actions and behaviors that have kept us safe and healthy.”
A survey was sent out to the classes of 2024 and 2025 official Facebook pages to get a better understanding of the types of classes and living arrangements incoming and current Spartans will be selecting.
The survey received 39 responses, and most said students will be choosing courses taught in-person.
The survey results in Figure 1 show 43% of students plan to choose in-person classes and 24% will choose majority in-person classes with some online classes.
Figure 1 shows the type of classes incoming and current freshmen students will be scheduling for the Fall 2021 semester. Many will schedule in-person and majority in-person with some online classes. Zoe Pozios, freshman at Michigan State said, she will try to find mostly in-person classes. As a STEM major, it is hard for Pozios to do online labs.