Change is in the Air
People are back on campus! It is funny to say that because at some point it seemed like it would never happen again. We are here to resource and help students and when they are not around or around in full force our job seems empty to some degree. The energy is gone and at times it can be hard to focus on what is important. Things are different, though. They are not the same. How can we tap into this new life as we continue to seek to improve what we can provide to campus? Let’s begin to imagine the possibilities.
As the semester has started, it has been great to hear about the plans for teaching. Excitement abounds as we are mostly back in person and eagerness exists to continue to use these new tools we are now equipped with. Emphases on recording lectures and finding new ways for students to interact with others and engage with the content have emerged. I think mental health and students being able to learn equitably is very much at the center of what we do now more than ever. The tech that will not help with this is just going to gather dust on a shelf or in a rack. Maybe the Hyflex model will not be used again but can we still allow everyone to learn in a variety of ways and places? In-person learning is amazing and life-breathing but how do we dare not settle for just what used to work? People that have to skip classes for a variety of reasons can still hopefully stay ahead. Collaboration is possible and that can lead to outcomes that allow for diverse ideas. Listening is always hard but I feel like that is a huge part of what we need to do this year as stories are shared about what has been learned in the time that we had to be away from each other. There will be plenty of needs for AV, but let’s just not assume we know what they are!
Work from home I think will be another legacy that has come about because of the pandemic. Having people away from campus worked rather well for us when we are at home so figuring out who and what can be done from away is invaluable to higher ed. This allows us to remain competitive and to attract employees that maybe would not consider our jobs because of the lack of flexibility and adequate compensation. As part of the helpdesk, we support this. Our goal is to make their connection to the school as streamlined as possible so that we can rely on them doing work from where they need to be just as well as if they were in the standard office. I think this new era has also given people time to experiment with video conferencing, streaming, and recording of content even when at home so they now have an idea of the tools they need. This is where we can come alongside them to assist with the questions that might come around video, audio, lighting, or even editing. Having this content creation genesis is just great for students so that they have options in terms of how they want to learn or study.
What else will we look back on as a change for the good this time next year? I know at our school we have connected again with our alumni base because of the virtual options. Important events will continue to be streamed and new ways of doing class are being explored. Students and alumni will get a chance to be part of our family in ways they could not before 2020. We are part of these conversations now as well as each program talks about how to reach their students. I think we will need to continue to strive to deliver high quality so that expecting these types of events online is just normal and second nature. I feel like these chances to showcase our campus are a very direct way for us to live out the vision of our school. I know at times it is hard to think about how upgrading a display or replacing batteries in a mic impacts students for the greater good and these things do help but knowing that we have now given others greater access to what our community does feels amazing.
We are still trying to get out of this medical disaster, but this year is starting to have more of a natural pace. Renovations will happen, upgrades will take place, and classrooms will get used enough to need fixing. I hope that while a familiar rhythm is good we strive to push forward beyond what we do daily. Where can we continue to gain strides? What tech can be used to further student needs? How can we continue to instill confidence into faculty so that they continue to try things that they might have never considered before? The reward is seeing the students succeed like you only can imagine they would. It might feel like we are in the trenches but maybe at least we can make those trenches shine to provide strong support to a rich education. Don’t fight the change, but instead try to live alongside the passion so that we can channel the energy that it brings!