AU students, faculty preparing to get back to in-person learning in fall

By Chris Rickerson | Staff writer

Augusta University classes have mainly been online for the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but will soon be back to face-to-face learning this fall. 

“I am very excited, but cautious because we want to make sure that everyone feels safe in our learning environments, “said Dr. William Hatcher, professor and interim chair of the Department of Social Sciences. “And we all need to take time to recognize the challenges and tragedies caused by the COVID pandemic.” 

The University System of Georgia announced that all institutions must move to online instruction in March of 2020 and the university has been mainly online and hybrid ever since. While teachers are ready to get back in the classroom, some students are not really focused on getting back to face to face.  

Senior Colin Litzinger is a social work major at AU. He says he is not really thinking about going back to in-person classes, but it is just focused on getting his work done. 

“I haven’t really been thinking about it,” said Litzinger. “I have just been trying to keep my head in the game with full-time summer classes. Both options bring challenges, and whatever they are, I will face them in time.” 

Candis Bond, director of the Augusta University Writing Center and assistant professor of English, says she is just ready to be able to interact with the students. 

“I enjoy interacting with students in the moments before and after class, in the hallways and in the writing center,” said Bond.  “It's in these moments you learn about one another as humans and you can build relationships that then contribute to academic success.”

Bond says while she could interact with them through Microsoft Teams and other virtual platforms, it just does not feel as natural as interacting in person. 

“You can do a lot of that online too, but it requires a lot more planning and doesn't always feel as natural as it does when you're all sharing the same physical spaces,” said Bond. 

Professors have also said online can be beneficial to some students, but it is good to be in person to get connected with the class. 

“The flexibility of online is the main benefit,” said Hatcher. “One of the main struggles of online for students is feeling connected to the course, their classmates and the instructor.” 

AU has been online for quite some time now, and it may take some time for students to get use to going back to in person classes. 

“It will probably cause me more stress during the readjustment period, but after that I will be fine,” said Litzinger. 

Classes for the fall semester at AU begin Wednesday, Aug. 11. 

Contact Chris Rickerson at crickerson@augusta.edu.