以杜克大学为例，2020秋季到美国大学读书会是什么体验？

In the past month, many colleges and universities in the U.S. have begun to unveil their fall semester plans.  While some school systems such as the California State University system (not the University of California system) will be fully online in the fall, most appear to be adopting hybrid plans which will allow for students to engage in both remote and in person learning.  Duke University, in Durham NC, recently released their plans. In brief, their plan includes starting undergraduate classes earlier than usual, with the semester concluding before Thanksgiving.  Duke has eliminated Fall Break and Spring Break, in order to accommodate the earlier fall start (and later spring start).

While freshman orientation has historically been held in person, they are working on plans to have online orientation which students will participate in before their staggered arrivals to campus.

Duke’s courses will be offered in three formats: in-person instruction conducted in classrooms on the Duke campus, fully online courses and hybrid courses that involve some combination of in-person and online instruction. 

The institution has established further expectations for their students including the wearing of masks in classroom and public settings, along with social distancing measures.  All students living on campus will be tested for COVID-19 before they are permitted to begin classes and they will use a monitoring app for daily health checks.  Given the fears of a COVID-19 recurrence, all students living in on-campus or off-campus housing will be expected to remain in the Durham area during the semester.

Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities (lectures, performances, club activities,  events) will be held virtually, but there will be opportunities for in-person gatherings that meet university and public health guidelines.    On-campus dining centers will provide expanded take-out options and limited in-person service using reservation systems.

Duke is to be applauded for its efforts to make their campus safe for students, faculty and staff.  However, the question remains: how will this impact an international student’s cross cultural learning, when so much of the study abroad experience involves interaction with other people to learn the culture of the U.S.?

Masks are currently being used in U.S. communities and while there are those who protest the use of masks, those individuals are few and far between.  In class, instructors will certainly be able to enforce the use of masks and fortunately, Duke is considering hybrid classes — I cannot imagine taking a Chemistry lab remotely without the ability to manipulate my experiments, and watching these online cannot be a substitute for the learning that occurs in running one’s own experimental trials.  Similarly, a drama class would not be the same in a zoom environment.  While many WholeRen students have expressed an appreciation for recorded lectures which they can watch at their own convenience, classes which require peer to peer engagement will suffer at the hands of a faculty member who is uncomfortable in the remote learning environment and cannot successfully engage the class.  

It is clear that Duke is attempting to think about all aspects of safety as they begin to reopen classes.  Staggered move-in times will ease the massive ‘rush’ of parents and students on campus, and online orientation will also ease that transition.  However, orientation is where students often meet their first set of college friends – and it is doubtful that a remote orientation will create the same types of peer experiences.  On the other hand someone pointed out that many international students have struggled with language barriers during orientation, which has led to them missing vital information.  Online orientation may allow students to focus more, practice their English in the comfort of their room, and if sessions are recorded, give time for students to re-watch important aspects of orientation such as policies on academic integrity.

While masks may be omnipresent in classrooms, will students use them at parties, in their residence halls, and during extracurricular activities?  No matter what regulations are in place for school sanctioned events, the question remains: will students follow these social distancing guidelines?  Some believe that this will not happen, given the importance of social life on college campuses.  There is no doubt students will continue to party.

The advice we would offer students is to make sure they are watching out for their own health and safety. Even if students around you are not wearing masks and being safe, the responsibility will fall to yourself to take care of yourself — wear your mask, stay away from those who are not being safe, and take yourself out of situations where you could be exposed.  Fall will be challenging socially as students navigate trying to make friends but also potential peer pressure to ignore social distancing measures.  Students must take care of themselves, wear their masks even if others around them are not, and make smart choices related to their health.

The American saying, “you get out of it what you put into it”, should be applied to your education: even if it is an online class, pay attention fully to the course; do not be tempted to wechat or play a video game just because you are sitting at the computer for class. Avoid isolation by engaging in zoom study groups – when students struggle in a course, they often will struggle alone. Remote learning will exacerbate this potentially destructive behavior so students need to be aware of how to seek out help (Duke’s Academic Tutoring Center is bound to have options for students to get course assistance in novel ways during this new norm).  Additionally, Duke’s TWP Writing Studio has already shifted its work virtually, so there will be no learning curve for students when they choose to engage in this resource.  

The planning for Fall 2020 at Duke is in depth and well thought out. However, as with any large community, there will be those who follow the policies and those who do not. It will rest on you to make the best choices for your own health, advocate for your safety, and engage more actively with your education than you ever have in the past.  Do not let language barriers prevent you from finding resources on campus to help you succeed in your classes, and do not sit in your room alone if you are fearful of health situations (contact the Health Center with wellness concerns).