President David Wippman and co-author Cornell Professor of American Studies Glenn Altschuler wrote an op-ed titled How America’s undergraduates can survive — and thrive — at home in The Hill published on March 24.
Acknowledging the possible hardships and sense of loss and confinement students may currently be experiencing, the authors offer “suggestions for making the best of an unprecedented situation.”
Among their ideas: treat your online classes as you would any other class; don’t hesitate to reach out to a professor; set a schedule and stick to it; practice social distance but not social isolation; do research about a profession you think you might pursue; and chat with an elderly relative or family friend once or twice a week. They close by urging students to meet this challenge, “to do what is right and what is good to ‘secure the home front,’” as others before them have met similar challenges in past eras.
