litskispeciality, we're able to pay our student staff their scheduled hours for last week & next week. We have a special tracking code we have to use. We don't know beyond this week in terms of payment. The nature of the work they do is needed to be done on campus. I could have a couple work remote but it feels unfair if I can't let them all do it.
If one more person suggests universities should be giving tuition refunds right now, I'm going to lose it. We.Are.All. Still.Working. Frantically. Long hours. Like, Karen, I know that you think that since Buffy's class is online you should get some "compensation" but higher ed isn't exactly awash in spare cash right now and your kid is still learning. This is FAR better coordinated in higher ed than random elementary and high schools, I can assure you. We're providing all the resources they normally get remotely. And you already GOT refunded for part of housing/parking/food from most colleges.
If one more person suggests universities should be giving tuition refunds right now, I'm going to lose it. We.Are.All. Still.Working. Frantically. Long hours. Like, Karen, I know that you think that since Buffy's class is online you should get some "compensation" but higher ed isn't exactly awash in spare cash right now and your kid is still learning. This is FAR better coordinated in higher ed than random elementary and high schools, I can assure you. We're providing all the resources they normally get remotely. And you already GOT refunded for part of housing/parking/food from most colleges.
“With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent,”
If one more person suggests universities should be giving tuition refunds right now, I'm going to lose it. We.Are.All. Still.Working. Frantically. Long hours. Like, Karen, I know that you think that since Buffy's class is online you should get some "compensation" but higher ed isn't exactly awash in spare cash right now and your kid is still learning. This is FAR better coordinated in higher ed than random elementary and high schools, I can assure you. We're providing all the resources they normally get remotely. And you already GOT refunded for part of housing/parking/food from most colleges.
When I did online classes in grad school there were significant "technology fees." I bet no one is charging those right now.
But yeah, we're still providing as many core services as possible.
Post by litskispeciality on Mar 31, 2020 15:07:46 GMT -5
I'm trying to see their point since they think that we're not running the lights or paying maintenance to clean the rooms etc, but college's with dorms are losing their shirts. Well everyone is losing their shirts, but residential campuses counted on that money. Like others have said just about every office is working full time, if not more than full time to provide services. Think about the poor people who've lost their jobs because of this too, because they work in the cafeteria or some other place where there is no work from home. They lost their jobs because the students aren't on campus!
I wish students weren't so rude either. "Well no one called me back because you're closed". Nope, we just can't get to your call, or you called 4 offices trying to get the answer you want. Our President has asked us not to use out of office responses because while it says email or call people just take it as we're not there.
Well, and the buildings still have to be run. We are still paying our maintenance staff if they can work or not. These are large facilities that aren't shut down easily or advisably. It's not like a 1800 square foot house you can just close for a season. Facilities staff is essential along with public safety - you can't let the buildings and grounds just go to seed and if anything, cleaning is happening more than ever in certain areas. Even if most people are working from home, a lot of schools still have residential students to some extent, hospitals to run and whatnot. I don't know of any campus that is just lights off, shuttered at this point in the U.S.
Post by thatgirl2478 on Mar 31, 2020 22:02:51 GMT -5
Not an employer, but a student.
I feel a little lucky that I'm in my final semester of nursing school. We didn't have a lot of anything 'hands on' to be done in lab, so moving it all online isn't a big deal. Moving lecture online isn't a huge deal either. We have a LOT more homework, which is frustrating, but I 'get' it, there has to be some level of accountability on the students to demonstrate that some teaching/learning has happened.
I am frustrated that our clinicals were cancelled. I understand the reasoning, but it's so much easier to go to a 12 hour clinical and do what we need to do for our patients and instructors than to do the 'online clinical' that they've arranged for us. We're lucky that the state is going to accept these online clinicals as 'clinical hours' for licensing though. It could be so much worse.
I am also frustrated that we're only taking one version of each HESI, even though our fees were paid for multiple versions... (not a school administered test, I don't begrudge our instructors any of their salary at this point since they are still working and have been bending over backwards to make something work for us so we can still graduate on time).
That said, I'm sad that we won't get to have a real graduation (it's been decided that it'll be virtual) and that our pinning ceremony has been cancelled as well. :/
If one more person suggests universities should be giving tuition refunds right now, I'm going to lose it. We.Are.All. Still.Working. Frantically. Long hours. Like, Karen, I know that you think that since Buffy's class is online you should get some "compensation" but higher ed isn't exactly awash in spare cash right now and your kid is still learning. This is FAR better coordinated in higher ed than random elementary and high schools, I can assure you. We're providing all the resources they normally get remotely. And you already GOT refunded for part of housing/parking/food from most colleges.
When I did online classes in grad school there were significant "technology fees." I bet no one is charging those right now.
But yeah, we're still providing as many core services as possible.
Yep. I'm also a student where I work and my next two classes were online regardless. With a $150 "online technology" fee each (so $50 a credit hour.) We aren't charging students that for classes that have changed from in-person to online.
I'm sorry, thatgirl2478. This is an especially poignant spring to graduate nursing, medical and other students from our health professions. I don't know that there is an adequate way to thank you all for what you do. I know no university is taking the canceling of commencement lightly. We love it as much as you do. It's so hard to even think about people being allowed to gather in those large groups this summer though. There is no good choice.
Post by litskispeciality on Apr 1, 2020 11:25:57 GMT -5
I was wondering what happens to nurses. I saw in my state that some med students are graduating a month early to help add to the practice, in theory could final semester nurses do the same thing? I feel bad for you doing N-CLEX review, and if they can offer it in July(?) Adding my support for all nurses, we really appreciate all that you do and risking spreading it to your family to keep others safe.
I'm still really sad about graduation. No matter where you are in your life you've earned that moment.
If one more person suggests universities should be giving tuition refunds right now, I'm going to lose it. We.Are.All. Still.Working. Frantically. Long hours. Like, Karen, I know that you think that since Buffy's class is online you should get some "compensation" but higher ed isn't exactly awash in spare cash right now and your kid is still learning. This is FAR better coordinated in higher ed than random elementary and high schools, I can assure you. We're providing all the resources they normally get remotely. And you already GOT refunded for part of housing/parking/food from most colleges.
Yeah I don't get this either. Unless they don't want to have a campus and a faculty/staff to come back to, I'm not sure where people think the money is supposed to come from. I guess I could kind of see a tuition refund if a student has to drop out or is enrolled in courses that absolutely cannot be completed online (or arrangements can't be made to complete them later) but for everyone else, they are still getting the credits they are paying for.
My campus is refunding a prorated amount of room and board, auxiliary services fees, athletics fees, and parking. I honestly think that is very generous. The services and buildings, and the staff to support them, still exist whether they are being used or not. As a grad student I do get a partial refund of fees, which is nice, but as an employee I would have also been fine if they didn't refund me. What I want more than anything is for all of our employees to stay employed and keep getting paid.
They are also refunding employees for parking, which again is nice but I feel like is unnecessary. I'm sure people would have revolted though if we gave students a refund on parking but didn't do the same for staff.
Our Provost's Office announced we will allow Credit / No Credit for all courses, unless specific licensure programs won't accept Credit. Well, I'm not exactly sure what's going on with my Dean's Office, but they are hemming and hawing over whether to allow our students to take major classes CR/NC. The thing is that none of our programs are licensure programs - so it's clear that the Provost expects us to allow CR/NC. There have been who even knows how many meetings, emails, and phone calls over the last 2 days about this (non-)issue. Meanwhile, the Provost's Office has sent their message out to all students, posted it on the COVID-update website, etc. Our office is getting SLAMMED with questions from students, wondering if this new policy applies to them - or in some cases, sending us the Provost's email with a big circle around the part that says "all major classes are included in this change." And we're just supposed to say, "The Dean's Office is still evaluating what this means for our students and will be in touch soon." So frustrating.
I was wondering what happens to nurses. I saw in my state that some med students are graduating a month early to help add to the practice, in theory could final semester nurses do the same thing? I feel bad for you doing N-CLEX review, and if they can offer it in July(?) Adding my support for all nurses, we really appreciate all that you do and risking spreading it to your family to keep others safe.
I'm still really sad about graduation. No matter where you are in your life you've earned that moment.
At least in my state, no.
We'll have to see what happens with the NCLEX - we'll still have a review, but it will be all on us, all online. Who knows how many spots will even be available to TAKE the NCLEX since they'll probably still have limited seating due to the 6' distancing.
I am working remotely but am funded by a federal grant that was supposed to be fully spent and end in May. And my University is now on a hiring freeze. We are lucky the the Navy said they would likely be able to give us additional funds to employ everyone until we are able to finish our project. But at this point we don't know how long our delays we will be and we are at a standstill until some other sub-vendor businesses resume travel. I am worried for a lot of people’s jobs right now because there are no actual funding guarantees.
Post by litskispeciality on Apr 2, 2020 13:27:00 GMT -5
Today was supposed to be our open house. One of the many issues of COVID-19 is the effect on the environment. Like I've said we're still really paper based, so the amount of fliers that were thrown out after we got word we couldn't host April events is terrible. Such a bummer, it's a really nice event, that we need to boost enrollment like every other school.
I feel bad for grant funded people. You hope the grants will offer an extension to spend the money since you can't right now, but you never know. We have a lot of grant funded employees at my school. We also have a grant we're supposed to use by the end of the year that we were trying to revamp, now we can't spend it.
Someone mentioned our summer camps on campus were slowly being canceled and I just lost it on a Zoom this afternoon. Like, does that mean I'm working from home all summer? Because what the actual F am I going to do with my kid if I have to go back but summer camps are all canceled. I mean, I get it, kind of, because Missouri isn't even supposed to hit the peak until May 20 but...but...
Someone mentioned our summer camps on campus were slowly being canceled and I just lost it on a Zoom this afternoon. Like, does that mean I'm working from home all summer? Because what the actual F am I going to do with my kid if I have to go back but summer camps are all canceled. I mean, I get it, kind of, because Missouri isn't even supposed to hit the peak until May 20 but...but...
Some days I'm fine. Today I was...not fine.
I’m squaring up on a cynical view that eventually the US is going to do what the US is going to do. Sometime soon, we’ll collectively decide that the risk of getting ill and dying is going to outweigh the cancellation of society as we know it. My only hope is that hospitals can expand capacity and more supplies can be cranked out to save us from ourselves before we go full red, white, and blue.
I saw Washington canceled all their Girl Scout summer camps and felt nauseous, so I totally get what you’re feeling. I’m still teary when I think about my graduation being canceled and never being able to wear my cap, gown, and hood. I’m incensed that a “virtual celebration” is enough and they won’t just let me walk next year or whatever band aid they could possibly put on this gaping wound that isn’t just, “We mispronounced your name in a video on the internet that your 82 year old dad can’t even watch because the smartest device he has is a rotary telephone!”
Anywaaaay, here’s wonderwall and my nervous breakdown.
Post by turnipthebeet on Apr 2, 2020 23:38:36 GMT -5
The schools in my region have all mentioned inviting graduates back for the next graduation ceremony, which in our case would be December. We are also exploring virtual graduation as an option as well.
The schools in my region have all mentioned inviting graduates back for the next graduation ceremony, which in our case would be December. We are also exploring virtual graduation as an option as well.
Virtual graduation makes me blazin’ mad, tbh. I’d rather have nothing at all than some lame video to watch by myself because I can’t even get my family together to celebrate. Like, wow, yay, thanks for nothing and making me spend my last semester paying to teach myself! (I’m being dramatic, obviously)
I work in the provost office at my institution (as well as being a student), and the day they canceled everything and sent us all home, I was basically like, “lalalalalala I can’t hear you nononono,” full-blown toddler tantrum. Please just let me space my family out in a big room and let me wear my cap, gown, and hood, PLEASE.
I’m in a particularly shitty mood tonight, don’t know if you could tell, lol.
Post by litskispeciality on Apr 3, 2020 7:47:06 GMT -5
I don't like virtual graduation. I worked at a school where they had to move May UG graduation indoors twice at the last minute due to rain. The venue only allowed for 2 tickets per grad. People went nuts. Even if you were on campus you had to watch a video stream from another place on campus. That wasn't the same, even though I think you actually had a better view than the outdoor set up would have given you. Virtual graduation is even worse. I don't know what else they should do, but it's just not as personal.
While I don't have kids I worry about the summer camp thing. My current school hosts a few. We haven't heard they're cancelled yet, but what if they are? We have a lady who enrolls her kids in every camp we offer because we have a no August vacation policy (which that sucks for different reasons). If we're back to work on campus does she get to take time off but I have to work? Can she bring her kids to work? I assume no. Never mind will camps give you the money back you put down months ago to hold a spot?
I had a call yesterday where my boss confirmed that they've canceled our first summer session of in-person classes (runs Mid-May thru July 1) and will likely cancel the second session as well (July 1 thru mid-August). At the very least that means I'm working from home until July 1. My boss also told me that we need to plan for moving August orientation online "just in case."
Post by litskispeciality on Apr 3, 2020 9:47:28 GMT -5
We got an email from our President this morning that people who haven't been approved to work are going in anyway because "it's just easier" or "they need a break from home". I'm so sick of people breaking the rules. I assure you the ones mandated to go in to do literal paperwork would trade to stay home all the time just for safety.
We host mandatory information sessions for certain programs. We're supposed to have some in April. So far we've been doing 1:1 phone calls, which is ok because it eats up time on slower days, but overall we can't do that in large volume. My boss is overwhelmed with a lot, but she's supposed to spearhead moving these sessions online. I don't want to bug her, but we need to know what we're doing for a month or two as I assume at the last we won't be open to the public in May.
We got an email from our President this morning that people who haven't been approved to work are going in anyway because "it's just easier" or "they need a break from home". I'm so sick of people breaking the rules. I assure you the ones mandated to go in to do literal paperwork would trade to stay home all the time just for safety.
We host mandatory information sessions for certain programs. We're supposed to have some in April. So far we've been doing 1:1 phone calls, which is ok because it eats up time on slower days, but overall we can't do that in large volume. My boss is overwhelmed with a lot, but she's supposed to spearhead moving these sessions online. I don't want to bug her, but we need to know what we're doing for a month or two as I assume at the last we won't be open to the public in May.
I’m having that issue with one of my direct reports. She’s the receptionist for our office, and I know she feels like she can’t do her job at home. But, our university has instructed us that we are to do what we can from home and that’s that. No stressing about not being able to do x, y, z, we will still be paid in-full. They’re even still paying student workers right now, which I think is amazing.
But the damn receptionist (who is old) will not. follow. directions. and still goes in several times a week. I’ve instructed her to stay home. She will not listen. I took it to my boss, and my boss doesn’t really care. 🙄 I know in the scheme of things, one person in an empty office is not likely to get infected/infect others, but she can’t be the only one there. There must be more people who are clinging to working in the office for no reason. It just makes me mad. The university is being so good to us to keep the campus community safe, and they’re basically spitting in the administration’s face.
Post by litskispeciality on Apr 3, 2020 10:33:01 GMT -5
pony, never mind the university could get in trouble. I work for a state school school so technically we have to follow the gov's stay at home orders. I'm sure they don't even want our essential people in there two days a week for 5 or 6 hours. I guess it's better to have people itching to do work than slacking because there isn't enough to do, but again just follow the rules. At my school we should have an "easier" time because we don't have a lot of buildings, so they can lock all but one entrance, perhaps the poor security guards should have a list of who's approved to work, and try turning away those who aren't?
They announced today that our summer classes will be online - large flagship state university. I don't know that necessarily means the library will be closed all summer though.
We have very limited access to the building - like we can go in and grab a file. But I think people are abusing it because we got a warning email from the dean today.
Our university had been holding off cancelling commencement. They made the call yesterday, and said that they plan to only postpone, with the intent to hold a ceremony in late summer or fall. I really hope we can make it happen!