The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: in-person instruction

  • Students contemplate not returning for spring semester

    Students contemplate not returning for spring semester

    HSU exclusively reverts back to online instruction on Nov. 9 and students aren’t happy

    As Humboldt State University transitions back to exclusively utilizing online instruction starting Nov. 9, students return home for the holiday season. Traveling students are faced with the difficult decision to return to campus for the spring semester.

    Diego Celis is a cellular molecular biology major with two semesters left until graduation. Celis has off-campus housing and a kitchen job in Humboldt. He expects to return for next semester after spending the holidays with family.

    “I think my biggest incentive [to come back] is definitely just to have my freedom up here,” Celis said. “I do have family back home, but I can’t move back home because I have a dog and my family is all split up, so there’s not really anywhere that I can move back to.”

    Online instruction had a significant impact on Celis’ education which reflected most prominently in his grades. He felt online learning created a disconnect between lecturers, students and information retention.

    “I hate it. I hate it so much,” Celis said. “It’s not immersive. It’s pretty disconnected. They’re just sending you information and your absorbing it all as best you can, kind of teaching yourself.”

    Judith Escobar, a zoology major, originally decided to come to HSU because of its positive reputation regarding hands-on learning. Escobar has found online learning especially obstructive to her education and lab work.

    “I can’t really learn how to work with the tools and the instruments correctly,” Escobar said. “Right now, for chemistry and biology I’m just looking at my professors doing the lab and it doesn’t really do me any justice.”

    Diego Naranjo, freshman at HSU, lives in the dorms. Naranjo feels the greatest impact from online learning on the lack of social interaction with classmates.

    “Online has been pretty tough,” Naranjo said. “I think socially, I kind of depend on going in class and having a different setting, so that’s been really difficult.”

    Without any in-person classes this semester, Naranjo feels disappointed in the college experience currently offered by HSU.

    “I kind of thought there would still be activities that are encouraged,” Naranjo said. “I just wish there was more stuff going on.”

    Despite the experience falling short of Naranjo’s expectations, the times he spends mingling with like-minded learners, makes him grateful he choose to come to Humboldt.

    “My head space has changed and my mentality towards school has changed a lot,” Naranjo said. “Being up here has definitely changed my perspective on a lot of stuff that I don’t think I would’ve had, had I stayed in my hometown.”

    Naranjo plans to return to Humboldt in the spring, after heading home for the holidays.

    “[Learning online] really taught me how valuable in-person stuff is and human connection is,” Naranjo said. “I don’t think this is gonna end any time soon, so I just hope that the school gets better at moving with it, rather than kind of waiting it out for things to go back to normal, which it seems like is happening right now.”

  • Humboldt State’s Hybrid Instruction Request Approved for Fall Semester

    Humboldt State’s Hybrid Instruction Request Approved for Fall Semester

    On May 21, Humboldt State University sent out an email announcing that it would be submitting a proposal to the CSU system requesting for a hybrid learning environment where there would be a mixture of face-to-face and online instruction. June 6, another email was sent out confirming that HSU would be able to operate virtually and in-person as needed.

    According to the official HSU email, “the University’s academic program has perhaps the highest proportion of courses with a hands-on component in the CSU.”

    About a quarter of all HSU courses involve labs and other activities and experiences that can’t really translate online and half of those course sections are able to be taught in-person this upcoming fall.

    Regarding all other courses that involve less tangible experiences, like lectures and seminars, they will continue to operate online.

    Following the acceptance by the CSU system, HSU can now ramp up its thorough planning process beginning this summer. HSU is also considering a return to a fully online learning environment if things worsen. For now, it will be a hybrid of face-to-face and online instruction.

    As for the details of HSU’s plan for the fall semester:

    Health and Safety

    Steps will be taken to ensure the health and safety of people on campus like limiting capacity and mandating face coverings for all who step foot on HSU turf.

    Social Responsibility

    Students and faculty will be expected to be socially responsible when returning to campus and remain vigilant in keeping themselves safe.

    Schedule

    Courses taught in a face-to-face manner will start and finish with virtual interactions to go over safety measures, and all face-to-face parts of courses will start after the initial virtual interaction and end on Nov 6. just in time for the second virtual interaction.

    Housing

    The combined capacity in HSU’s residence halls will not exceed 1000 students and students will be placed in single-occupancy rooms. Dates and times for moving in will be spread out.

    Dining

    Dining services will not be as frequent on campus. Takeout and food-delivery will be available to students but buffet-style and self-serve food will not be.

    Faculty and Staff

    A majority of employees will continue to telecommute. Workers deemed essential will come back to campus to work more regular hours. Employees over the age of 65 will continue to telecommute as well.

    Athletics and Recreational Activities

    HSU will enact a four-stage plan intended to gradually allow student-athletes and related staff to come back to campus. The availability of recreational activities will increase in conjunction with the availability of recreational activities in the county.