Washington University is back in full swing—almost. While classes are ramping up after a whirlwind first week, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced faculty and students alike to be flexible and cautious in order to stay safe.

Courses this fall are being taught in either fully remote or hybrid models, the latter of which vary greatly between departments and individual faculty members.

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Jennifer Smith emphasized that the University had not made any blanket mandate to dictate how classes should be instructed.

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“We asked departments to determine what if any courses in their programs needed to be taught in person or remotely based on the pedagogical need…or public health considerations,” she said.

After that, individual professors were given leeway to create courses based on their personal preferences.

Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences Phil Skemer is teaching remotely from his office, where he said that he feels most comfortable. He has configured microphones, whiteboards and monitors to display visuals, and even put together GoPro-filmed field trips for students to watch from their rooms.

“I don’t want to do it like this forever,” Skemer said. “But for a semester or two, [it’ll be] pretty interesting.”

Professor of Anthropology Michael Frachetti is exploring ways of reducing risk of transmission while still meeting in person. He has decided to conduct classes partially outdoors as weather permits, a method he hopes will benefit both him and his students.

“My teaching style is very face-to-face, it’s very off the cuff,” Frachetti said. “And so for me, going onto Zoom where everything should be regulated and everything has to be communicated in a pre-cooked format is more difficult.”

While professors are working to teach effectively, many students are struggling to adjust to the newly-formatted college courses. Freshman Rafi Diamond is taking all online classes, and said that she misses the social aspect of typical classroom learning.

“I feel like it’s a lot less gratifying, not being able to have an in-person connection,” she said.

For upperclassmen used to a bustling first week on campus, the switch to remote learning and living has been similar. Senior Joanna Grill said that she misses the excitement of reconnecting with old friends during the first week.

“I definitely miss the joyful nature of seeing people around campus,” she said.

Grill also has to make the choice between taking all of her classes online, or sitting in a three-hour seminar with a mask on for her single hybrid class.

“I elected to take the first class remotely, but [I’m] not exactly sure what I want to do going forward,” she said.

For all the challenges in navigating the first week, however, there have been successes as well. Many professors said the change in teaching format forced them to take a deeper look into their courses.

“In the digital pedagogy courses I took, I’ve exchanged more ideas about teaching with faculty in the last two months [than] in the previous 10, 15 years,” Professor of Drama and Comparative Literature Robert Henke said.

Skemer also appreciated the opportunity to mix things up, saying he wouldn’t have done this in a more normal school year.

“The thing that’s been really nice for me is having the opportunity to really rethink this class from scratch and really build it up again from its base level,” he said.

This extra planning and effort has not gone unnoticed by students.

“Every professor I’ve had has clearly put in so much work to try to make this the best experience for [us],” Grill said.

Throughout the ups and downs of the first classes, many remain optimistic for the weeks to come.

“It’s not as good as the normal thing, but I feel like we can maybe learn some things that we wouldn’t have learned otherwise and have a good experience,” Henke said.

Frachetti shared a similar viewpoint.

“This will pass, and we will get through it,” he said.