Boston University faculty members hold mixed views on the University’s academic calendar changes. LAURYN ALLEN/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Boston University is trying to minimize travel for the 2020–2021 academic year in the hopes of limiting the spread of COVID-19.
As part of this effort, University Provost Jean Morrison had written to students in July encouraging them to either stay home until Spring if they leave campus or to not leave campus at all.
Luluah Mustafa, a senior lecturer in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she understands the difficult decision students must make, but thinks it’s a necessary one.
“I know it’s very hard and very depressing, honestly, to stay away from your family,” Mustafa said. “This year, we sacrificed a lot, and we’re going to keep sacrificing for the health of our loved ones and everyone else. Of course I don’t like it, but I agree with the policy at the same time.”
Seth Hatfield, an adjunct professor in the College of Communication, said he acknowledges the pitfalls of either not returning home for Thanksgiving or not coming back to school after, but that he ultimately supports the University’s request.
“When I was in school, I loved going home for Thanksgiving and just getting that little break near the end,” Hatfield said. “With things as they are now, if they tried to do that, just the logistics would be a nightmare.”
Hatfield said he acknowledges this year’s change will be “no fun,” but that it will be worth it if it prevents a few people from contracting the coronavirus.
The University had discussed early on the possibility of removing Thanksgiving break from the Fall, Hatfield said, so he was “surprised” to see it on the calendar for this semester.
BU has also decided to eliminate Spring Recess from the 2021 calendar, along with a week-long extension of Winter Intersession to allow for an extended move-in period.
Mustafa said she would have preferred the University make smaller tweaks to the academic calendar instead of cancel Spring Recess entirely.
“If we have a long weekend, I don’t think students will travel and go crazy,” Mustafa said. “But to keep teaching or studying from the end of January till the first of May, it’s ridiculous.”
As a result of the altered Spring calendar, Mustafa said she will make changes to her curriculum.
“We cannot keep the same load for the students,” Mustafa said. “We cannot function with the same energy and the same motivation.”
Kabrina Chang, a clinical associate professor in the Questrom School of Business, said these changes are practical for limiting exposure.
“It seems like a necessary step,” Chang said. “We all scatter and travel and then all come back. In a pandemic, who knows what we are bringing back with us?”Chang also said she intentionally avoided planning for the winter and spring breaks because everything would likely be “up in the air.”
Regardless of personal impact, she said, faculty and students alike need to adhere to the University’s policies to mitigate the spread of the virus.
“I don’t really see a downside with the calendar changes, other than a long February and March, in terms of impact on teaching or impact on my job,” Chang said. “Like everyone else, I can’t wait for everything to go back to normal. You just don’t know when that will be.”
After Fall semester, the University may also increase the number of staff members on campus for Spring to better support students and faculty.
To determine how much of an expansion might be necessary, BU is conducting a two-month assessment on how the hybrid Learn from Anywhere program is working so far and how it can be improved, according to an Oct. 13 letter from President Robert Brown.
Alongside this evaluation, the University will start reviewing workplace adjustment requests in November from faculty who wish to teach remotely in the Spring.
Managers will then decide who will be needed on campus and how these staff members can return in a safe manner.
Faculty who are high-risk for COVID-19 because of a medical condition or have high-risk household members can file for a workplace adjustment by this Friday’s deadline, according to a memo from Provost Jean Morrison. Those approved in the Fall are required to submit new form requests for Spring.
Mustafa said she feels it is possible BU will be more selective with accommodations for Spring, especially because she said the University is “encouraging” more professors to return to campus.
Because her husband has diabetes, Mustafa said, she is currently teaching remotely and has applied for an accomodation next semester as well.
“I’m not sure when we’ll hear back from them,” Mustafa said. “If it’s a health issue, I don’t think they can force someone to go back to campus. But I don’t know how flexible it will be.”
Though COVID-19 cases on campus recently spiked, Mustafa said she notices the University’s numbers are lower than those of surrounding areas.
“They are working really hard,” Mustafa said. “They are working so many different strategies to keep students healthy. It is a tough situation.”Chang said low positivity rates for BU are the result of continued group efforts from the BU community.
“The University put a ton of infrastructure in place,” Chang said. “But it’s also been up to the students and the faculty and the staff … to try and follow the rules that were set up to make this successful.”
