UC Davis looks to tented classrooms as solution for in-person instruction

Lonnie Wong reports

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC FOXFORTY'S LONNIE WONG HAS THEDETAILS ON THE UNIVERSITY'SNEW PLANS.A FEW MONTHS AGO, U C DAVISWAS PREPARING TO HAVE STUDENTSRETURN TO CAMPUS IN THE FALLAFTER SHUTTING DOWN CLASSROOMSTHAT INCLUDES THINNING OUTSTUDENT HOUSING TO ALLOW FORSOCIAL DISTANCING ANDREWORKING DORMAN CAMPUS,DINING OPTIONS AND PROCEDURESTHAT WOULD FOLLOW HEALTHPROTOCOLS IN A LETTERDISTRIBUTED TO FACULTY 7MEMBERS LAST WEEK, THE PLANHAS BEEN FIGHTING TO EVENMORE.

IT TELLS INSTRUCTORSTHAT PASSES OF MORE THAN 50STUDENTS WILL BE TAUGHTREMOTELY CLASSES WITH FEWERTHAN 50 STUDENTS COULD STILLBE HELD BUT UNDER STRICTCONDITIONS.

INTENSE USED TOEXPAND TREATMENT IN ISOLATIONFOR COVID PATIENTS AT PRESENTSOME HOSPITALS MAY NOT BE USEDAS CLASSROOMS ON CAMPUS, THEVIRUS IS THOUGHT TO SPREADLESSON OUTDOOR SETTINGS OTHERUNIVERSITIES HAVE ADOPTED THESTRATEGY AT U C DAVIS ATTENDEDCLASSROOMS COULD STILL USEAUDIO-VIDEO EQUIPMENT FORINSTRUCTION.

CHANCELLOR GARYMAY HAS SAID THAT STUDENTINTERACTION IS AN IMPORTANTPART OF THE UNIVERSITYEXPERIENCE.

BUT EVEN THE TENTCLASSROOMS WILL REQUIRE SOCIALDISTANCING AND THAT STUDENTSWEAR MASKS, OTHER CLASSES LIKELEVS MAY STILL BE TAUGHTINDOORS.

BUT THE MAJORITY OFCLASSES WILL STILL BE TAUGHTREMOTELY EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOTIDEAL CAMPUS SURVEY CONDUCTEDIN THE SPRING FOUND THAT 60%OF INSTRUCTORS FEEL THESTUDENTS LEARN LESS WITHONLINE CLASSES.

AND 65% OFSTUDENTS WORRY ABOUT BADINTERNET CONNECTIONS JUST HOWEACH CLASS WILL HANDLELEARNING WILL BE DETERMINED BYTHE DEANS OF EACH DEPARTMENTRIGHT NOW NOTHING IS SET INSTONE U C DAVIS HAS THE LUXURYOF TIME FOR CLASSES DON'TSTART UNTIL THE END OFSEPTEMBER FOR LATER THAN OTHERUNIVERSITIES.THE MOST FAR THE PATH OFTHE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS BEENHARD TO PREDICT ALL THE MOREREASON TO KEEP A-CLASS OPTIONSOPEN.

LONNIE WONG FOX 40 NEWS.LONNIE THANK YOU ALL U C