College of Engineering & Mines

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Engineering students share thoughts about transition to online with Dean Tande

Despite the challenges which COVID-19 has brought, students, faculty, and staff at UND come together – not literally, of course – to be Leaders in Action. At the College of Engineering & Mines, we are proud to see everyone working together to improve and motivate one another over the course of these indisputably unusual months.

Several students, who remain anonymous throughout this article, have voiced their thoughts about how the College of Engineering & Mines has adapted to these challenges. These quotes are reprinted from emails sent to Dean Tande and have been edited to respect the identities of the students and faculty.

Tag us on Facebook (@UNDCEM), Twitter (@undcem), and Instagram (@undengineering) to share your stories! We’d love to see how you’re doing, whether it’s showing what your “at-home-classroom” looks like or even your DIY pandemic haircut. We hope you stay safe and healthy – and we can’t wait to see you on campus again!

 

“I just wanted to say, that I know that everyone at the university is working really hard and I appreciate everything you and all the professors are doing. I also wanted to give a shout out to [my professor]. She has been doing a fantastic job making the transition from in-person lectures, to online as smooth as possible. Deadlines and class times have been consistent and she has helped me so much, and she does with all of her students. I hope the virus eases up, and things return to normal soon, but I wanted to thank you for all of your hard work.”

 

“I think it’s important to recognize that [my professor] still holds Zoom sessions every Tuesday and Thursday at the same meeting time. Our lab TA for the class has also continued to hold labs, and he explains them excellently still. Having those Zoom sessions just to talk with/see your peers and your professors is sometimes the happiest part of my day. I miss my friends and I miss my life, and I know that everything is out of my control and I must follow the quarantine procedure, but socialization is also crucial for me at this point. [My professor] has been doing some reversal teaching, where we read a chapter in the book and create our own PowerPoint and present it to the class. I did my presentation last Tuesday, and I learned a lot and I was able to share what I learned with my peers. [My professor] has found a happy-in-between of not adding stress on top of the stress, but also providing us with the opportunity to learn and socialize.”

 

“Although we meet only once a week, [my professor] has maintained to email us almost twice a week asking us about how we are handling life and what to expect in the class and in life. He also holds Zoom meetings during our class time. His classes are very much like what they were before this, bringing me a feeling of normalcy, which is rare at this point. He’s understanding and calming. He also does not add stress on top of the added stress.”

 

[My professor] has actually provided the most normalcy. She has continued to hold class every MWF at the same time and teaches exactly as she did before. I think she was the most prepared for this, and I really think she’s trying hard throughout all of this. She has stated that her goal is to really just make like feel normal at this point, and it’s very much appreciated by me.”