COSAM News Articles 2020 March Message from Robert S. Boyd

Message from Robert S. Boyd

Published: 03/31/2020

We are beginning our third week of remote instruction and, although our campus is much quieter than normal, the important work of training and educating our students continues.

COSAM faculty are working hard to adjust to the new teaching mode, sometimes working late into the night to convert course content from in-person to online. Some have had to juggle their work responsibilities with the needs of their school-age children who are now also spending the day at home. Fortunately, our faculty have had excellent support from AU’s Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning, which has provided resources, tutorials, and consulting sessions to help faculty learn how to deliver course content and exams/quizzes to their students.

Our Student Services Office moved rapidly after Spring Break (March 9-13) to an online format to advise and support students. Dr. Beth Yarbrough (Director of Student Services) worked with Maria Gebhardt (Director of Communications) to create a new webpage (http://www.auburn.edu/cosam/about/online_resources.htm) that contains a wide collection of information to support our students, including Advising Resources, Tutoring Resources, Apps for Online Classes, Remote Student Resources, and links to many other services from across the campus. This “one stop shop” of student resources also has information about a Zoom Room (online conferencing room) where students can (remotely) stop by and ask advising questions. The advisors are holding appointments with individuals or groups using Zoom.

Many COSAM students are PreHealth majors and these students are justifiably concerned about how the current crisis will affect their professional school plans. Mrs. Beverley Childress (Director of PreHealth Programs) has added a link from the Student Services Office webpage to a page provided by the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions so students can read about how professional schools are planning to proceed with admission decisions.

I have been heartened by the response to this crisis by the Auburn family. Faculty, staff, and students are stepping up to the challenges facing them and working together. It’s times like these in which the Auburn Creed becomes more than mere words: practicing its principles can guide us to a brighter future for everyone. War Eagle!