To prepare for that while offering students the best academic environment possible, the college “front-loaded” its courses (front-loading is the practice of scheduling more challenging assignments earlier in the semester, since students benefit from face-to-face interactions), so that they could be completed before the break with ample support from faculty and staff. The remaining online portion of students’ courses will thus require less labor-intensive work, minimizing the potential for challenges and poor results.
“We want our students to have excellent academic outcomes,” said Dr. Shelly Chandler, Beacon provost. “By preparing for a successful return to the online modality after Thanksgiving, we can ensure they can experience success.”
Friday, November 19, will be the last day face-to-face classes will be held on campus this fall, with students expected to check out of their dorms by Saturday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. Students must follow the usual checkout process with housing. Classes will resume on Monday, Nov. 29 and will be held completely online via Zoom and Canvas, the college’s learning management system. The last day of classes this semester will be Friday, Dec. 10.
As a refresher on what it takes to navigate an online environment, parents should remind students of practices that can make them successful in a virtual setting. Consider these tips and reminders:
- Students should have access to the internet and to Zoom on their home computer;
- Students must have a working microphone and camera in their home computer or laptop in order to communicate effectively with faculty and fellow classmates;
- Online classes require students to observe proper online etiquette and behave professionally as they would in a regular classroom. Please remind students they should ideally be seated and dressed appropriately while taking online courses;
- While the online portion of a student’s course may be considered easier to manage than the face-to-face portion, students may still struggle or have questions. Please remind them to stay in contact with their learning specialist and professors to make sure they are on task or if they have other concerns;
- Encourage students to access available online resources. The writing center will be emailing students with instructions on how to have a Zoom appointment during remote learning time. Students can also connect with the library for support;
- Remind students they should access notes provided by faculty to reinforce knowledge;
- Encourage students to contact their professor for any questions or clarifications related to assignments;
- Students should keep track of grades and course progress within their Canvas course.
Note: All course sessions scheduled for spring 2022 will be held face-to-face and students are expected to return to the campus between Saturday, Jan. 15 and Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. The first day of spring classes is Tuesday, Jan. 18. No COVID-19 testing will be required upon return from the holiday break. Click here to view the full Spring Academic Calendar.