Week 6 -- The dean is in the house

What is the most important thing for students to learn this quarter? I think the answer might be “how to be a regular student again.”

Students are obviously having challenges being back in close proximity to one another, and picking up the routines of campus life.

I realize now that I designed this quarter’s course to be basically the same as the spring online version — offering opportunities to do the work on their own time and at a distance, without coming to class in times of great personal duress and risk.

I am retooling the class effective tonight, offering incentives for attendance. At the suggestion of my teaching assistant, we will build a participation grade into next quarter’s cyber course.

I am hoping to see more students this evening in person. Our guest speaker is Dean Anind Dey, who will answer the standard three questions and then spend the rest of the hour answering questions from students.

The two infrastructure bills have not yet been voted on in the House of Representatives. It cost Democrats the governorship of the Commonwealth of Virginia last night; and it cost President Biden indirectly during both the G20 and the Climate Summit in Glasgow. Let us hope that the message is clear enough to move both bills forward yet this week.