Menlo College student Alyssa Gomez, (quoted in the article about our college's shift to online education starting next week), expresses disappointment in Menlo College and implies that the college is unprepared for the challenge. Alyssa also states that she is studying and perhaps preparing for a career in human resources. One day, she may be called upon to make tough decisions impacting hundreds of people. Business colleges like ours often instruct using case studies involving many viewpoints--and right now all of us are stakeholders in a potentially life threatening case study.
So here's my viewpoint as an adjunct faculty member, writing on what was originally slated to be part of my Spring Break vacation week. I want to reassure Jessica and indeed, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, that we are working overtime to be sure that we are ready to provide the best education possible in a constantly shifting environment. The college's IT department has put in countless hours to provide students and faculty with the software that we need. As I write this, faculty are also receiving training and resources to get smart quick. This morning, the faculty started participating in an online forum to share best online teaching practices and we are all exchanging phone calls and emails and Powerpoints and videos to support each other. As a teacher in the college's Writing Center, which provides academic support to students, I want to reassure Alyssa that as she enters the virtual classrooms, I personally am available to help her with her coursework, vie email. phone or ZOOM.. As for the college's decision to close the campus, resulting in her delay in cancelling her own flight, Menlo College did not rush to make a closure decision for a wide range of reasons. One reason (and I am theorizing here--not quoting the administration)is that we have so many small classes--I, myself teach seven international students in an English language instruction course. There may have been a perception that as a smaller community of less than 1,000 students, with very small classes. we were at lesser risk--of course, now as the situation unfolds, we realize that everyone is at risk. Should Menlo College have announced a closing BEFORE students left for Spring Break on March 6th? Stanford made their announcement to close at the end of the day on March 6th--the second major university to do so. Menlo's announcement came yesterday, March 11th, while students were still away on Spring Break.

So Alyssa and Almanac readers, that's my side of the case study. You look at the facts and weigh in here or privately on what should have been done and what we should do next. On the other hand, maybe we should wait until hopefully the Corona virus is far behind us. Then we can do a post pandemic analysis. As a professor, I tend to see teachable moments everywhere--and this is no exception.

Woodside High School and Woodside elementary/middle school are now closed for the next couple weeks, based on recommendations from the county.

Epidemiologist predictions are that this will continue for the spring, dip in the summer, and then resurge in the fall.

People need to change their thinking to longer term closures and impact until there is a widely available vaccine in a year.