Sarah Kessler (center), an incoming freshman, moves into Piedmont Central on the Atlanta Campus with help from parents Michael Kessler and Shelley Brown. (Photo by Meg Buscema)
By Michael Davis (B.A. '03)
With reduced in-person class sizes, no large-scale gatherings and, of course, masks required in campus facilities, this fall will look different at Georgia State. But throughout the summer, faculty, staff and administrators have been hard at work to ensure a rich collegiate experience this fall semester.
Students will notice signage reminding them of best practices for social distancing. Volunteers at Ask Me booths, a mainstay of the first weeks of the semester, will be providing every student two free Georgia State cloth face coverings. Faculty and staff members have already received theirs.
Changes are apparent in residence halls as well, with almost all residents having private bedrooms and restrictions on guests and building access in place to help provide a safe and healthy environment for everyone.
Sheryl Watts, a freshman education major from Dallas, Ga., moving into her residence hall this week, was looking forward to meeting classmates and taking advantage of the opportunities available near the Atlanta Campus. Though she’ll take classes exclusively online, she still wanted to live on campus.
“I just like being in the city,” she said. “I’m hoping I can meet up with people to study at a safe distance.”
To further promote the safety of residential students, check-in for housing is taking place this week at Center Parc Stadium (formerly Georgia State Stadium) with temperature screenings and scheduled move-in times to reduce traffic flows.
“The check-in was great. It was very organized and very safe,” said Shelley Brown, who helped daughter Sarah Kessler with move-in on Tuesday.
“I’m really excited to be right in the middle of the city,” said Kessler, an incoming freshman art major from Covington, Ga. “It’s so different, and it’s so fun. It’s beautiful. And there’s a lot of art here.”
This fall brings many more options for scheduling classes, including greatly expanded access to fully online courses and classes taught in a blended format with online and in-person components. Some classes, such as some labs and performance classes where students benefit from face-to-face instruction, will be held entirely in-person when social distancing can still be achieved. For blended courses with in-person components, classroom occupancy has been reduced to no more than 25 percent of the room’s capacity to ensure everyone has plenty of space to stay safe.
“Having those options is one of the ways we’re trying to serve students’ best interests,” said Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Dean of Students Michael L. Sanseviro. “So, for the student who really needs to be fully online this semester, there are plenty of course offerings for them to be able to put a schedule together.”
But the changes required by the COVID-19 pandemic, and in accordance with University System of Georgia policies and public health recommendations, won’t diminish the college experience for Georgia State’s roughly 50,000 students. There are plenty of options to participate in campus events and activities virtually.
“We’re shifting a lot of our large-scale programs into a virtual environment,” Sanseviro said. “Instead of students having to be available at one time in one physical location, you can participate from anywhere virtually and you have the added benefit of being able to experience it after the fact.
“I think the access to programming and information will be enhanced.”
Jalin Quick, an incoming freshman computer science major from Woodstock, Ga., also moved into housing on the Atlanta Campus this week with help from his mother and father, Resa and Orlando Quick. With a schedule of blended classes, Jalin said he’s looking forward to the college experience, however different it may be this semester.
“I’ve visited here multiple times, and though it’s going to have a different kind of feel, I’m excited for it,” Jalin said.
“I’m excited for him to be in the city,” Resa Quick said. “He’ll be able to experience different things, learn some life lessons here and create memories.”
Whether attending class, campus events or meetings with advisers and faculty in person or virtually, students will have plenty of options to participate in campus life, Sanseviro said. And many of those avenues for participation, such as livestreamed events and virtual appointments, will remain available even after the pandemic threat has subsided because they offer more robust service to students.
“The collegiate experience will still be alive and well this fall because the opportunities to engage with peers and with faculty and staff are still going to be available,” Sanseviro said. “It’s important for students to know that while it may be a different mechanism, we want them involved in all of the different ways they can still meet new people, form new friendships and connect.”