An Update from Provost Deek - Pandemic Recovery Plan
May 5, 2020
Dear Members of the NJIT Community,
As the Spring 2020 semester draws to a close, every member of the NJIT community should be proud of what we have accomplished during the last seven weeks. We have adapted to new ways of learning, working, and living, but this should not surprise us. Our greatest strength at NJIT has been innovation. Students always have learned through direct interaction with teachers at the leading edge of knowledge, but now they are also able to do so in the classroom, from their residence halls, or even from home.
Though our transition to fully remote learning has been successful, we at NJIT are now preparing to welcome students back to campus in the fall. To do so safely, we have created a Pandemic Recovery Plan that provides guidance for our return to campus classrooms and activities. We invite you to review this document which is available here. The key objective of the plan is delivering high-quality education in an environment safe for all members of the NJIT community. To do so, we build upon our leadership in technology-enhanced learning.
Starting with our creation of the virtual classroom in the 1980s, NJIT has continuously pushed the boundaries of teaching with technology. Our most recent innovation, converged learning, which we have been pioneering since 2013, is an educational model that breaks down the distinction between face-to-face and remote learning, with students attending the same class at the same time either in person or virtually. You can read more about it here. Because converged learning allows professors to see, interact with, and work synchronously with all students ‘attending’ class, students have the same educational experience regardless of their physical location. Our traditional online learning initiatives also will continue to accommodate students at different times and distant locations.
Converged learning offers exactly the flexibility we need today. As New Jersey recovers from the pandemic and the risk of transmission declines, classes will increasingly be opened to in-person attendance. If the situation changes, the number of students physically in the classroom could be reduced. Throughout the semester, students with preexisting conditions or concerns about in-person attendance can choose to attend class remotely; similarly, students who prefer to learn face-to-face can do so whenever possible.
We know that students choose to attend NJIT for the great educational experience. This will not change. From advising to tutoring, from housing to food services, and from music to theatre, we are transforming how our campus works to enable social distancing while preserving the community that makes NJIT a great place to learn. All the campus events that bring people together, including athletics, lectures, and student activity meetings, will be available online and, whenever possible, in-person.
Our first commitment is to the well-being of our community. In fall 2020, the community of NJIT will be different, but it also will be more vibrant as we advance the use of technology to bring us together. The difficult times we face today will lead to opportunities to grow and develop, paving the way for new beginnings. Here at NJIT we are leading the way.
We look forward to seeing you all soon as we prepare to welcome our incoming students.
