Profs. Kevicha Echols and Keisha Thompson welcome you to the Spring 2020 semester! Ware the facilitators of the group and are responsible for organizing the meetings, planning the agenda, selecting reading materials, and updating the blog page. We scheduled three meetings for this semester: Mach 10th, April 1st, and April 29th.
We are very aware that this semester has presented a set of circumstances never experienced with the COVID-19. We support our members and continue to have meetings in the wake of transition to online and and new adaptations to our pedagogy, schedules, and ways we connect and support one another.
March 10, 2020
The first meeting of the semester was a check in with members. Campus climate and the retention of faculty from underrepresented groups on campus were concerns raised, considering the number of faculty from underrepresented groups that left in the past couple of years. For those who had not already heard, we described some of the roles and goals for the HURFS Resource Center that was open in the fall to actually support faculty and staff from underrepresented groups and faculty retention. We assured members that DFIG and HURFS_RC serve two different functions though some topics related to underrepresented faculty and staff do overlap. The DFIG is. A supportive group which discusses current issues and readings, share information, and foster collaborations among faculty, though staff are welcome. HURFS-RC is designed to create learning opportunities and support for both faculty and staff through mentorship, workshops, and other designed activities.
April 1, 2020
We had a video and a reading for this particular meeting (listed below). However we had no idea the major shift that would occur between our first meeting and the second one. The coronavirus pandemic blindsided everyone the article on video we chose were based on how other professors around the country were also approaching a new way of conducting education shifting to a fully online virtual campus for all colleges in the country. This is a concern and challenge for many of our faculty and staff as some have never done online learning and others are very concerned about how effective we can be for our students virtually. Several members were more concerned about students well being and mental support through the change and transition, also as well as for their safety. Additionally, members shared anecdotes, tools, and resources that can help teaching faculty with the transition to teaching online.
As the Coronavirus Forces Faculty Online, ‘It’s Like Drinking Out of a Firehose’ https://www.chronicle.com/article/As-the-Coronavirus-Forces/248286
Commentary: I feel compelled to be here: San Diego college faculty on supporting students during coronavirus https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/commentary/story/2020-03-23/san-diego-college-professors-administrators-coronavirus
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