U of M suspends campus classes, moving instruction online over COVID-19 fears

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This is the moment when we discover how much of the traditional face to face things we do can be done digitally. My guess is that it's smoother than we think.

Also, there doesn't seem to be much athletic impact on the major sports given the timing. I do wonder if the U would decline hosting NIT game(s) on campus or cancel the spring football game.
 

It is a good move. People say it won't happen to us as a whole. Strongly disagree. It is a huge issue that wasn't dealt with right away here in the U.S. and other major countries such as Iran.
 

I do think that if this decision were made in a vacuum, they would've run classes as normal and restricted professors from having mandatory attendance. The early calls by other Midwest schools forced the U's hand significantly. I agree with the decision, it's just going to be interesting to see how various classes handle the change. I have an exam that was scheduled for next week and is very heavy on written calculations/derivations. Not sure how that will get done online.
 


fair said:
I do think that if this decision were made in a vacuum, they would've run classes as normal and restricted professors from having mandatory attendance. The early calls by other Midwest schools forced the U's hand significantly. I agree with the decision, it's just going to be interesting to see how various classes handle the change. I have an exam that was scheduled for next week and is very heavy on written calculations/derivations. Not sure how that will get done online.
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I think a lot of schools just are damned if you do damned if you don't.

Like if everything goes well then man what an "overreaction" but if it doesn't then why not earlier and such.

There's no perfect information as far as outcomes go for this so who knows.
 

One would think that having 80-100 kids in a locker room and in close physical contact on the field would fall under the same restrictions but I doubt any of these institutions are cancelling spring football practice.
 


Catechol said:
One would think that having 80-100 kids in a locker room and in close physical contact on the field would fall under the same restrictions but I doubt any of these institutions are cancelling spring football practice.
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I suspect it is just a matter of time.
 



A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I think a lot of schools just are damned if you do damned if you don't.

Like if everything goes well then man what an "overreaction" but if it doesn't then why not earlier and such.

There's no perfect information as far as outcomes go for this so who knows.
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Or maybe the reaction was just what was needed so things went well...
 

fmlizard said:
This is the moment when we discover how much of the traditional face to face things we do can be done digitally. My guess is that it's smoother than we think.

Also, there doesn't seem to be much athletic impact on the major sports given the timing. I do wonder if the U would decline hosting NIT game(s) on campus or cancel the spring football game.
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Exactly. We are seeing this as an opportunity to transition some of our more traditional powerbrokers to the new age.
 

Catechol said:
One would think that having 80-100 kids in a locker room and in close physical contact on the field would fall under the same restrictions but I doubt any of these institutions are cancelling spring football practice.
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The U is only cancelling classroom attendance in person.

Nothing else.

It’s by far the biggest bang for the buck. And in some respects, the “least” important part of what the U does.
 

MplsGopher said:
The U is only cancelling classroom attendance in person.

Nothing else.

It’s by far the biggest bang for the buck. And in some respects, the “least” important part of what the U does.
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Interesting thought. Not to go too far off topic but simply look at what the U talks about when it talks about itself.

1. Research and discovery
2. Asking for money
3. Athletics
4. Academic ranking
5. Community service

When was the last time you saw the U advertise the "undergraduate experience"? This might be a tipping point nationally where more schools take stock of how education is delivered after the virus is gone.
 



fmlizard said:
Interesting thought. Not to go too far off topic but simply look at what the U talks about when it talks about itself.

1. Research and discovery
2. Asking for money
3. Athletics
4. Academic ranking
5. Community service

When was the last time you saw the U advertise the "undergraduate experience"? This might be a tipping point nationally where more schools take stock of how education is delivered after the virus is gone.
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It might sound bad (or horrible), but delivering undergraduate education is the least important thing the U does.

Research is definitely number one. Both in actual importance to society and business, as well as in terms of how professors are judged/accepted for tenure. A prof who brings in big grants is always going to be more important than a guy who's great in the classroom but doesn't.

On paper, it would be a dream for the U (and pretty much any university) to deliver lectures solely online. The sheer savings in maintaining classroom and building space alone would be tremendous.

But on the other hand, they do make a fair amount of money from their housing & dining operations, and usually to get kids living on campus, there has to be a reasonable excuse for them to need to be on campus.
 

fmlizard said:
Interesting thought. Not to go too far off topic but simply look at what the U talks about when it talks about itself.

1. Research and discovery
2. Asking for money
3. Athletics
4. Academic ranking
5. Community service

When was the last time you saw the U advertise the "undergraduate experience"? This might be a tipping point nationally where more schools take stock of how education is delivered after the virus is gone.
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I doubt it. Many professors prefer in-person classes and office hours since it's easier for them to gauge student understanding and easier to see when there are questions. Plus an in person lecture isn't interrupted by an internet outage or technical glitch like that.
 

Taji34 said:
I doubt it. Many professors prefer in-person classes and office hours since it's easier for them to gauge student understanding and easier to see when there are questions. Plus an in person lecture isn't interrupted by an internet outage or technical glitch like that.
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Profs at the U don't care about lectures, frankly. Unless perhaps they've been tenured for a long time and have switched their focus away from research. Research is job 1,2,3 of a prof at a high research school like the U.
 


Catechol said:
One would think that having 80-100 kids in a locker room and in close physical contact on the field would fall under the same restrictions but I doubt any of these institutions are cancelling spring football practice.
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I would bet teams are leaning heavily on their training staffs. If there is reason to believe a player might have been exposed to the virus I have zero doubt they would quarantine that player away from the rest of the team. Basically the same thing they already do when someone gets the flu or some other infectious disease.

Teams are used to dealing with things like this.
 

Testing for Covid-19 is growing daily in my clinic. So far, all negative. Hope that continues, but I think we will start seeing cases sometime next week that are positive. Don't leave your home if you are sick. And, have a plan how to isolate yourself from those you live with.
 

Dean S said:
Testing for Covid-19 is growing daily in my clinic. So far, all negative. Hope that continues, but I think we will start seeing cases sometime next week that are positive. Don't leave your home if you are sick. And, have a plan how to isolate yourself from those you live with.
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I've already selected the weaker neighbors that I think I could handle if I need to turn to cannibalism.
 

Dean S said:
Testing for Covid-19 is growing daily in my clinic. So far, all negative. Hope that continues, but I think we will start seeing cases sometime next week that are positive. Don't leave your home if you are sick. And, have a plan how to isolate yourself from those you live with.
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God's grace to you and your fellows. Thank you.
 


Nothing worse than a regular case of the flu for students. The profs that should have already retired could be at risk. I am worried about DeanO being exposed.
 

ROCK said:
Nothing worse than a regular case of the flu for students. The profs that should have already retired could be at risk. I am worried about DeanO being exposed.
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Huge student body, plenty of folks with other health issues.

And really this is all about limiting the speed of it spreading to give the health systems a chance to function, not actually stop it.
 

^^^ right on the head.

There is no stopping it now. It’s about slowing it.
 

MplsGopher said:
Profs at the U don't care about lectures, frankly. Unless perhaps they've been tenured for a long time and have switched their focus away from research. Research is job 1,2,3 of a prof at a high research school like the U.
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Right, so they want to put the least amount of effort into a lecture. Having to deal with technical issues is more effort than an in-person lecture.
 

Most of these classes will never need to be returned to the classroom. I took classes via closed circuit 45 years ago.
 

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