For the reader coming here from the far future, this was written in the early stages of the American response to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Today, the University System announced that students are no expected to return to campus, and the planned instantaneous rollout of online coursework at Towson (and all other USM schools) is expected to fill the gaps.

Here is an email I sent to my students, completing their seven-week session course in mid March 2020.

Hey gang!

I’m slowly making my way through your projects and papers.

There are multiple lessons in this session’s experience. Even though the course was DESIGNED to be run online, and it is set up to be asynchronous, External reality also played a huge role in how the course went.

I apologize if my feedback has been slow.

I can tell you candidly that I did not anticipate the University pushing ALL courses onto Blackboard in the last week of this class. Even though all of my courses have substantial components that are online and asynchronous, there are still only 24 hours in a day. Having school aged children, and having to attend unexpectedly to their needs during the 9-3 timeframe took away all of the time I had previously reserved for completing this work.

This is not a complaint, it is an apology with explanations.

My sense is, given the measures that other countries have enacted to try to reign in the spread of the virus, that K-12 schools will also soon close for the rest of the school year. So, the second half of the semester is likely to be no better than the first.

This is not a complaint. It is a comment based on concern.

Furthermore, I have the sense that things in the United States are destined to become much worse, requiring further isolation measures. Italy, for example has had approximately the same rate of infection explosion as the United States, just approximately 10 days ahead of us. Their new infection count continues even now in its exponential rise.

I’m not trying to spread fear, uncertainty, or doubt. Instead, I hope that you all - as my students - do what you can to minimize your risk, minimize your children’s risks, and minimize your parents’ risks. The five day infectious dormancy is what makes this virus so terrible for those folks who are least able or prepared to fight it: the elderly, the immuno-compromised, the expectant mothers.

Please be safe, protect yourselves and your families, and consider your home-place as your 23 hour a day place to be.

It has been an immense pleasure seeing this mixed group of backgrounds and interests (let alone graduate school majors!) gel into a wonderful learning experience! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! After this is all over, fist bumps all around!

Be safe, reader.

Comments?