Happy Friday

[Bill Maurer]

    Dear all,

    Happy Friday, and end of Week 6! As I said yesterday, we had a bunch
    of great events today. Those who missed Prof. Sara Goodman's talk on
    partisanship and policy preferences during the pandemic (with brand
    new data from just yesterday) can watch it here. There were some super
    questions from the very engaged students who were in attendance. I've
    been finding it quite gratifying to see their level of engagement.
    
    In the student engagement department, we have some preliminary results
    from our own survey of our students. Over a third say that remote
    learning is working for them; 65% say faculty have been accommodating;
    and for our future planning, students really appreciate pre-recorded,
    "chunked" lectures, and some report "Zoom fatigue." Only 28% have a
    space in their home where they can participate in virtual classes with
    minimal disruption--something we should all bear in mind (and something
    many of us have in common with them during this experience, too).
    
    We'll have more results once the survey closes next week but I thought
    this little snapshot had some lessons for us as we look ahead toward
    Summer and Fall.
    
    I also just want to thank everyone again for all that you are doing as
    we navigate these challenging times, and keep the university going. It's
    really been absolutely remarkable, and I am extremely grateful for the
    support you've given me and are giving to each other and our students.
    
    Have a wonderful weekend, and take a look at Alysha Casado's sourdough!!
    
    Bill