Fall semester at schools like Eastern Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky has begun. But, fall classes in 2020 will go down in the history books with some added attention.
EKU Assistant Professor in the Department of Government, Austin Doctor admits he didn’t know exactly what to expect in instruction as the coronavirus pandemic continues. He taught two in-person classes both in the Center for the Arts where the curtain is pulled on shows, but open for teaching. “I was really just pleased to see that every student was wearing a mask, seemed to adhere to social distancing guidelines and generally students were excited to learn, to be back in the classroom,” said Doctor.
Doctor said adherence to COVID-19 safety guidelines as experienced in day one sends a strong signal about where instruction is headed in the fall. He’ll be teaching two online courses later this semester. “Just speaking for myself, I feel better prepared stepping into this fall. This spring, kind of being caught in the whiplash of the sudden rush to move into remote instruction I think caught many of us on our heels where this fall we’ve had time, for the fall semester we’ve had time to prepare,” said Doctor
At UK, some 365 classrooms are in use, with 350 ready for live streaming instruction. Just like EKU, separating students includes using non-traditional class space like the UK ballroom and theater for in-person instruction.
If you appreciate access to this important content during this global health emergency, please help us continue to provide public service journalism and information to Central and Eastern Kentucky communities. Please make your contribution to WEKU today.
