This will not end well for the University of Idaho. They are already struggling. Why would a student pay that kind of tuition for 2.5 months of “live” classes? It would be cheaper to take online classes with the University of Phoenix and transfer them to the UI after this covid nonsense is over.
School leaders consider increased online access; having students stay home after Thanksgiving break
In an email to University of Idaho faculty last week, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Torrey Lawrence outlined a clearer picture of how classes will be conducted in the fall.
In the email, Lawrence said measures will be taken to help limit the local spread of COVID-19 when students return, including capping classroom occupancy at 50 percent of capacity and requiring all visitors to campus, including students staff and faculty, to wear face coverings. UI Communication Director Jodi Walker said all students, staff and faculty would be supplied with a reusable cloth face mask, and faculty can request a plastic face shield.
Walker said the specifics are still being ironed out, but the UI plans to test students for coronavirus as they arrive in Moscow, with the help of Gritman Medical Center.
In the letter, Lawrence also said nearly 150 classrooms will be upgraded with video and audio equipment to allow instruction to be delivered remotely via Zoom. This will increase the UI’s inventory of Zoom-capable rooms from 73 to 220.
Walker said classes will be delivered one of three ways — either solely in person or online, which is the last resort, or a combination of the two, known as a “hy-flex” model.
“There will be the live in-class portion of it and then it will also be, in real time, provided electronically in some format,” Walker said. “It may be that I go to class on Monday and you are online and then on Wednesday, we swap — it just enables us to teach just as many students but only have half of them in the class at any given time.”
Walker said this model will allow a student to stay home if they’re feeling ill, while still having access to the class.