Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver, the president of Union University, sent out an email to the Union University community on Thursday, March 12, to inform them of the precautions being taken in order to keep students and faculty safe during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
University leaders met at noon on Thursday and came to the conclusion to move all in-person classes to online classes for four weeks. This change went into effect the following Monday, March 16, and will last until Monday, April 13, when they hope to resume in-person classroom interaction.
The Union community is learning to be flexible and stay alert though this unprecedented pandemic.
Professors are navigating uncharted waters. Chris Blair, professor of communication arts and coordinator of DMS, is having to rework classroom styles and find new ways to teach without being hands-on and face-to-face.
“We are all in this together. Patience will be key. Extend patience and grace to your professors, just as you want them to extend patience and grace to you,” said Blair. “I gave my students an extension on their assignments at the beginning of this week because I figured they needed the time, and I knew I needed the time. Everything seems to take more time. Some assignments may feel easier, and some may feel harder. It should all balance out.”
Many professors have started to record lectures and put them on Canvas, an online platform where professors and students communicate about upcoming assignments.
“[Canvas] allows for an organized and easy transition in a time of uncertainty,” said Aleah Petty, sophomore ministry and missions major.
Many professors and students are using Zoom, an online meeting platform used by many corporations, in place of the in-person interaction.
“Zoom allows students who are isolated in their room to stay connected with their professors and fellow classmates, which makes the loneliness easier to handle considering the lack of extra curricular activities,” said Petty.
The precautions being taken are the university’s way of practicing social isolation in hopes of helping to prevent the rapid spread of the virus and to better serve and safely protect the Union community.
“We are truly experiencing an unprecedented public health crisis; however, this is not a surprise to the sovereign God whom we serve,” said Oliver in his email to the Union community. “Because of who Christ is, and who we are in relationship with Him, we should have faith over fear, peace over panic and ultimately, love over all!”
