Fall 2021: Learning Both in Person and Virtually

by Margaret Savoie

Walking on campus In February 2021, Chancellor Glenn Boyce announced that for the Fall 2021 semester, the University of Mississippi would be open for in-person learning and return to pre-COVID-19 operations. After a whirlwind of 2020 challenges, many of which were COVID-19 related, students have eagerly returned to campus, which is once again buzzing with faculty and students, Grove squirrels, and food delivery robots which hum across campus like miniature storm troopers. Many new and returning graduate students were thrilled for the opportunity to be physically back on campus, though for others, distance education provided options they now find are easier and more manageable to integrate into their current circumstances.

Katlyn Tidwell, a first-year Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) master’s student from Southaven, MS said, “I am excited about being back on campus in a classroom full of my peers. I learn better in a classroom setting … being back on campus feels great.”

Some students expressed feelings of isolation, being removed from campus and located in their hometowns away from Oxford. Austin Newcomb, a first year M.Ed. in Counselor Education with Emphasis in Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate student from Corinth, MS, elaborated on this sentiment, stating, “I actually feel like I’m a student again as opposed to last year only sitting in my bedroom.”

The general consensus with students who are now back on campus was that distance learning during 2020-2021 academic year, although important to enable students to continue their education during the pandemic, was different than in-person classes. For students enrolled in residential programs, they missed the key dynamic factor of such programs—that is, having faculty in the front of the classroom leading active conversations, discussions, and debates which tend to lend themselves to that “aha moment” when interaction contributes to everything coming together and making sense while working through difficult material.

Some students found themselves comfortable in either learning environment. Aldyn Ewing, an Accountancy graduate student from Corpus Christi, TX, welcomed the return of in-person classes, but said she didn’t find the back-and-forth switch to be a great challenge. She said, “I don’t see it [the switching back to in-person classes] as a challenge, but I’m thrilled to be back with in-person classes and feel I’m learning much more.”

The past school year did open some students’ eyes to online learning. As some students mentioned earlier, online classes were more independent. This newfound independence helped some reach a new potential and students decided to partake in the online graduate programs offered here at the University.

Along with this opportunity for independence, some students found coming back to campus to attend in person classes and programs was not a viable option. Many of those graduate students are part of online graduate programs. Some are doing this due to work, COVID-19 precautions, or other life situations.

Mary Parker Janoush, an IMC master’s student from Cleveland, MS said, “I am currently working full time and it [the online program] allows for flexibility. I needed to be able to still work as well as work to obtain my degree.”

“I will say that the workload is similar to that of the workload of an in-person course,” continued Janoush.

The Graduate School is glad to have all our students back, whether online or on campus, for a year full of learning and academic success.

Fall 2021: Learning Both in Person and Virtually

Newsletter Fall/Winter 2021 Articles