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About 2,500 Syracuse University students have opted to take classes fully online this semester as of Tuesday, a university official told The Daily Orange.

That preliminary number includes undergraduate, graduate and law students. If SU’s 2020 enrollment total remained the same as last year’s 22,850 students, that would mean about 11% of SU’s student body has opted out of taking in-person classes. SU won’t have an official count until the university conducts its fall census.

Students’ reasons for not returning to campus this semester vary. For Grace Zhang, a freshman history major, and Alexa Schlitt, a sophomore sport management major, the potential of contracting coronavirus on campus dissuaded them from coming.

Both Zhang and Schlitt said they were troubled by reports of parties and large gatherings taking place at SU, like the one that took place in the quad on Aug. 19. But they also said the university could have done more to protect students’ safety.

“In my mind, my safety trumped the fear of missing out on events,” said Schlitt, who is immunocompromised. “I didn’t want to have to pick and choose whether I wanted to be safe or be with my friends, but I ultimately had to.”

Remote students are experiencing their classes both synchronously and asynchronously. For classes that are in a hybrid format, they must join in-person classes via Zoom or another video conferencing service while their classmates on campus are together in a classroom.

Remote students told The D.O. that, while their first week of virtual classes was easier than expected, they have still found it difficult to adapt to the new and unfamiliar environment.

Students in different timezones said SU’s new asynchronous courses have allowed them to avoid some of the late-night or early-morning classes that were an issue when the university transitioned online in the spring. The synchronous elements, however, still remain a challenge for some students, said Kimberly Mitchell, a freshman magazine, news and digital journalism major taking her classes from San Francisco.

Mitchell, whose classes start as early as 6:30 a.m. some days, said she’s had to adapt to her new schedule.

“I wake up at 5:30 or 5:45 most days,” she said. “You just get used to it.”

While some technical issues have also come up during her Zoom classes, classes have gone smoothly for the most part, Mitchell said.

Students agreed that SU’s approach to remote classes seems better organized than last year, when faculty had to adjust their curriculums mid-semester.

Jack Morris, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said some of the asynchronous elements, such as recorded lectures, should remain even if SU returns to fully in-person classes in the future.

“This year it seems a lot different, everybody’s very prepared,” said Morris, who is taking his classes from Vermont. “Overall, the structure of online classes has actually made classes easier.”

Despite the new learning formats, some students have still found new ways to connect with other SU students who are studying remotely this semester.

Mitchell, along with about 20 other students she connected with on social media, created a Google spreadsheet where they could share their emails, locations, Instagram usernames and timezones. Users of the spreadsheet represent several U.S. states and territories, as well as countries, such as France, Brazil and Peru.

“Now more than ever is a time to be social, and try and make new friends,” Mitchell said. “Know those people are going through the same thing as you.”

The top of the spreadsheet bears the title “Team Otto.” Just beneath that, an alternate team name, “Team Defeating the Virus,” is followed by an emoticon face punching a virus emoji.

The spreadsheet — as well as a group chat that formed alongside it — helped students overcome some of the isolation that can come with remote learning, said Zhang, who lives in Seattle. The students often swap advice about how to deal with some of the challenges of taking classes hundreds or thousands of miles away from campus.

“There’s a lot of advice about adding, dropping classes,” Zhang said. “Everyone’s just been very supportive.”

Other students said they still miss the social elements of being on campus. While the university has tried to help include remote students in clubs and activities, Zhang and Mitchell said it’s difficult to feel involved.

Most of all, Morris said he misses seeing his friends and going to athletic events.

“That’s definitely the biggest thing I miss from being on campus,” Morris said. “The social aspect.”

Published on September 2, 2020 at 11:22 pm

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu