When it was announced that the university would be going on spring break a month early, the wave of shock spread quickly and was felt among all at NVU-Lyndon. Normally scheduled for the middle of April, NVU students were sent on their spring week vacation a month earlier, beginning March 16. The following days and weeks arrived with worrisome news about the future and stability of the Vermont State College System. Yet, while students rallied with their peers, faculty, and community members by writing, speaking, and showing up, they continued their academics as expected – with the newly implemented measure: enforced remote learning.
It’s clear we make that distinction, because remote learning, ie, online education, was always available through Northern Vermont University. Indeed, it’s a subject that merits discussion and a program deserving of strengthening. But this was a different kind of learning curve added to the stress of being a northeast kingdom college student. The beginning of March yielded many conversations during classes about the potential enforced remote learning being enacted, though some retained some sliver of hope the University would remain in-person. “When they announced spring break was happening a month early I thought it would be another boring week on campus, I did not expect it to end up being for the rest of the semester,” one student said.
Students were given full opportunity to leave both during spring break or immediately after, as well as the opportunity to stay on campus if they wanted. Some did, such as Public Safety Student Officer John Drugan. “I chose to remain on campus for three reasons. First I wanted to keep working Public Safety; second, being more isolated up here felt safer than going back home to a more populated area; and lastly, I thrive having space to myself to help me with focusing on my studies,” Drugan said.
The general consensus for those who remained, which were only a few dozen, were mixed emotions. Most felt a sense of loss over their friendships and support structures removed from their immediate reach. There was also uncertainty for many who had applied for summer internships, and by now, most have been informed these positions have been canceled or postponed. There is also the learning curve experienced by other students, from traditional to non-traditional students, online learning isn’t necessarily the model some chose when they enrolled in NVU.
Still, one must strive to overcome learning obstacles and build themselves to be a better student. John Woodbury, 2020 psychology graduate of the Lyndon campus, said that he went ahead and mapped breaks for himself. There can be more distractions found at home many students have reported, but Woodbury said for him it was also about getting into a new groove. “One very helpful tool I found is this speech-to-text function, so I’m writing papers faster than I did before,” he mentioned.
From the faculty perspective, they’ve done all they can to accommodate their students and the new platform of learning. Janel Hanrahan, Atmospheric Sciences department professor, said everyone recognizes the quality is definitely not the same. While most students can and do take advantage of being able to watch video recordings anytime, having internet access to do such things or attend Zoom meetings is still difficult for some, and in some cases, not feasible at all. Hanrahan says her only option is her cellphone plan, so to save data, she’s had to sit in her car outside the college for WiFi access. In fact, many other professors and students have had to do the same or utilize other WiFi hotspots in parking lots of local areas.
Hanrahan was sure to express her sentiments for the scenarios current senior status students are in. “I think a lot about our seniors, who left and never really got to say goodbye. They are also missing all of the celebrations leading up to graduation,” she said. The stress was only added with the newly resigned Chancellor’s proposal to close NVU (and Vermont Tech). “The timing of this announcement was completely inappropriate, and now the proposal has been withdrawn, we are scrambling to keep our students,” said Hanrahan. Indeed, many agreed and fought to keep our institutions open.
Without a doubt, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused an array of difficulties ranging from problematic to chaotic. Thus, flexibility, extending deadlines, and displaying understanding have been key in the dynamics between faculty and students. When asked about key issues students and faculty worry about the future for our University, the same sentiment was shared – the current lack of funding in Vermont for higher education needs to be addressed.
However, silver linings can be found. Many people, not just students, have experienced an abundance of extra time on their hands. Some have reveled in exploring new creative outlets, others have finally tackled long-waited home projects, and many have spent much-needed time with their loved ones. One student in particular has used this time as motivation. Autumn Chamberlain, Music Business and Industry student on the Lyndon campus, said she’s used this to get back into live streaming and build her online presence, since, “it’s the only presence I’ll have for a while.” Chamberlain said, “I will always create music to make others happy, it brings me joy that I can help people through this difficult time.”
What is sure is that our University, our campuses, students, faculty, and staff, will continue to help each other grow and accomplish our dreams. Together, we can work through these ever-changing times. We must remain dedicated to rural education, commit to our own academic and professional goals, and see to it we don’t take the little things for granted as we move forward. One thing is for sure, many, many hugs will be had when we reunite for the Fall 2020 semester.
Feature Photo by Alexandra Huff, Edited by Sabra Anne Snyder || The Library Pond fountain is a highlight of the NVU-Lyndon campus that returning students, faculty, and staff look forward to seeing again.