Page 9 - Kentucky State University - Onward & Upward

Each of us has so much time to re ect, but we do so under duress. We have unimaginable time to complete projects long delayed, but we do so with restrictions. We have so much to dread and yet so much to celebrate. I nd myself traipsing through a bundle of emotions daily.
Earlier today, it stormed, and hail fell from the sky and now the sun is shining bright. These are indeed the best and worst of times.
The Age of Wisdom and Foolishness
I am in awe at how swiftly the faculty at Kentucky State University uploaded 100 percent of our courses into online platforms. It was done timely and without complaint. At the same time, our staff complement transitioned to telework – taking Zoom meetings, Free Conference calls, and Microsoft Team sessions daily. It is amazing how productive we have all become at clicking the screen to mute and unmute, make our faces visible on camera, freeze a background, share a document or raise our digital hands. It is amazing what technology can do and how wisely we have employed it.
Yet there is something about all of the Blackboard wizardry and tripod cameras that morbidly lulls us into an unconscionable blindness to the global pandemic resulting in nearly 100,000 deaths in a matter of weeks.
All of a sudden, everyone wants to complete all of their paperwork and schedule dozens of meetings a day. Is this to avoid watching the body bags pile up?
All of a sudden, every professor wants to be imaginative about pedagogy and teaching design. Everyone wants engagement and participation.
Let me be clear, COVID-19 is not an exercise in metacognitive teaching and learning. It is not possible to do online everything that was originally planned for class or lab. Some assignments are no longer possible. It is an unreasonable expectation that mastery of every learning objective is possible in the weeks remaining.
How can our faculty master teaching online while they tend to aging parents or homeschool children of their own? How can our students master learning when their fathers and mothers are literally dying in the other room as they try to watch a lecture on a cell phone? No one planned for COVID-19 and everyone deserves compassion, consideration and empathy.
ONTHEHILL
As the students petition for pass-fail grades and the faculty debate the proper day for withdrawals, everything seems surreal. Where is the heart? Where is the concern? Some things should not be driven by policy, but by passion. Wiley College has instituted a COVID-19 grading scale that I encourage all faculty, students and administrators to review. There are times to do things right. And then there are times to do the right thing.
The Epoch of Belief and Incredulity
I remain aghast at some of the emails coming in daily to the covid19@kysu.edu account. There are individuals requesting access to campus to water plants. There are individuals who want to know whether Spring Fest will be rescheduled or if we can have a combined Greek probate.
Speaking as the son of a nurse, please believe me when I exclaim that the coronavirus is extremely contagious, it is
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