Chatting with Lakehead Students: Returning to In-Person Learning?
By Taylor O’Brien
As the 2020/21 academic year comes to a close, Lakehead University students are looking to take some well-deserved time to relax after the unprecedented year we have had. However, many are also looking towards the future and pondering the idea of heading back to campus in the fall.
On March 12, students were informed that Lakehead University plans to return to in-person learning at the beginning of September 2021. While this is an exciting move that demonstrates we are making our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students have mixed emotions surrounding the action. I had the opportunity to talk with different Lakehead University students about the transition from online to in-person and hear their thoughts and concerns surrounding the move.
The overall consensus I heard from the majority of LU students is that they are excited to return to campus in the fall. Many are eager to socialize with friends again, return to a bit of normalcy, and have the “traditional” university learning experience. One third-year student is eager to head back to the classroom, and said they felt they missed out on practice in labs due to online learning. “One of the big draws of doing science in university is that you get to practice procedures that are useful in future careers, but obviously, we can’t do that from home,” the student shared. “My education this year felt like it was missing important elements by being online.”
Despite the excitement, the students are still hesitant. Many are concerned about what health and safety protocols the university will put in place. When talking to another third-year student, they mentioned how they had gone to study on campus throughout the year and were impressed by the social distancing measures the university enforced. “I felt very safe studying on campus since interaction with other students was limited.” Nevertheless, students are apprehensive about how LU plans to implement said protocols in classrooms and throughout campus.
Students are also concerned wondering if all students will care to follow these guidelines. One Master’s student explained: “I also know that I am responsible for myself and my safety. However, if other people are not following the guidelines, it makes it seem as if all my efforts are not worth it. I think this could be something that may be worrisome if we were to go back to in-person learning.”
The list of concerns that students have in regards to returning in the fall is extensive. This list includes, but is not limited to: the accommodation of large class sizes and if students will be able sit six feet apart from one another, the increased risk of transmission of COVID-19 between students, how often staff will clean and sanitize classrooms, and whether the university will enforce a policy requiring everyone to wear face masks at all times.
Additionally, the students I talked to all mentioned the same concern: the vaccination of students and faculty. Many students are uncomfortable with the idea of not everyone being vaccinated. With a spokesperson for LU recently stating the school will not require students and staff to be vaccinated before returning to campus, one student says this “is a huge concern for our safety as students.” Another student commented: “I also think it is important to push individuals that will be attending campus to get vaccinated. I think that building herd immunity on our campus is the safest way to move forward with in-person learning.”
Most students I spoke to said they would not want to return to in-person in the fall if not all students are vaccinated and if Thunder Bay’s COVID-19 cases remain high. Furthermore, one student is worried about the lack of information Lakehead has shared about the move to in-person learning. “I am immensely concerned at the prospect of risking my safety to obtain an education,” this student says. “The lack of certainty, transparency and communication of plans for returning to in-person learning makes me anxious that the transition will be rushed, which may prevent me from wanting to return to in-person learning.”
When asked what learning method students would choose if Lakehead offered both in-person and online classes, the answers were mixed. Some said they would select in-person, others online, while others would choose a mix of both. For many, as long as social distancing and health and safety protocols are enforced and followed by all students, they would feel comfortable returning to school.
On the other hand, some others do not want to risk the possibility of COVID-19 transmission and spreading the virus amongst students, faculty, and family. One third-year nursing student comments, “I would love to go back to in-person learning. However, I still believe that keeping ourselves, our families, our teachers, and others [safe] are the most important. Overall, the health of myself and others is more important than attending in-person learning.”
The process of returning to in-person learning and navigating the pandemic is not linear. While we still have four months until the beginning of the new academic year, only time will tell how our education will look in the future, as students wait anxiously for more detailed updates from University decision-makers and for our questions to be answered.