This article is co-written by Jordan Burch and Logan Taylor.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Milligan College has opted to move all physical classes online for the rest of the semester. The decision was made to ensure the safety of the campus community and prevent further spread of the virus.
Bill Greer, president of Milligan College, announced the college will shut down and transition to online classes on March 20. While some classes have transitioned easily, others have experienced more difficulty.
Milligan’s theater program is one of the classes affected by the online transition. It is unlikely students have access to essentials such as costumes and stage technology while at home.
Richard Major, professor of theater and director, has adapted the course and created new assignments.
“With patience and perseverance I think I can continue to find ways to make the courses I am teaching this semester both enjoyable and meaningful,” said Major. “ I will try earnestly to live up to the task and I hope my students will find innovative ways to deliver material in a way that will demonstrate resourcefulness and creativity.”
Margaret Siglin, a sophomore theater major, shared her thoughts on the situation. “ I have to admit that this is not an ideal setting to improve my theatre education, but thankfully I have a really incredible professor who is committed to me getting the education I deserve/have paid for,” Siglin stated. “ I’d say the hardest part about this whole transition is the cancellation of not only our spring show but also the One-Act festival.”
The transition to remote learning has also impacted engineering majors. Adrian De La Cerda weighed in on what class has been like from South Padre, Texas.
“The area has done everything in its power to make the transition as smooth and forgiving as possible,” De La Cerda said. “A major personal adjustment for me comes from my location and the time difference.”
Despite these challenges, the engineering professors are putting in hours of work to accommodate student needs. The area has been working tirelessly to aid the seniors in their capstone projects, as well as help their other students with the difficult course material.
“We are having a meeting soon in an attempt to figure out the best way to deal with the difficult aspects of our research,” said senior Mitchell Bronstetter in regards to the senior projects. “We should be able to finish, but it might take more time.”
The nursing area has also been strongly impacted by the move to online learning.
“My nursing classes have changed in many ways including switching all my hardcover textbooks online and not being able to attend lectures, labs and clinicals,” said Sofoniyas Wedeneh, a junior nursing student.
“The nursing professors are doing a very good job adjusting to the changes. None of my professors have decided to use zoom, but instead they have posted their power points, lecture notes, and links for other useful resources to use.”
During a normal school year, nursing majors are required to complete a certain number of clinical hours at a local hospital. The decision was made to transition this portion of the learning to an online format.
“I am very sad that I am not going to be able to finish out my sophomore clinical hours. I was looking forward to the hands-on experience,” said Ashlen Burch. “We have been given alternate assignments in place of clinicals including discussion boards and case studies.”
Though this situation is far from ideal for many professors and students, Milligan’s staff seems to be finding creative alternatives to the traditional course methods. The school and its faculty are still attempting to figure out how to best deal with this unprecedented circumstance.
Headline photo: The commuter parking lot in front of the science building remains empty during Milligan’s switch to online classes.