I Love Teaching at Penn State, But Going Back This Fall Is a Mistake

Paul M. Kellermann in Esquire:

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 63 percent of American colleges and universities are planning to return to in-person classes this fall, with another 17 percent operating from a hybrid model. This likely comes as welcome news to the millions of undergrads desperate for a return to the college atmosphere—an atmosphere where social distancing is virtually nonexistent, except in situations of weak cell service. In college towns, health care providers are prepping for an onslaught. Faculty and staff, meanwhile, feel abandoned, excluded from the decision-making process as a coterie of VPs weighed financial considerations against health risks. Somehow, no one in the ivory tower’s executive suite bothered to take pedagogic concerns into account—or to consult with those who practice pedagogy professionally.

More here.