Lehman Goes Remote Amid COVID-19 Crisis
Lehman campus seen empty. (Photo Credit: Perla Tolentino)
By Deanna Garcia
“We’re careful not to say that Lehman is ‘closed’ because we are still an active community – we’re still Lehman and we’re still here for our students even though most of us are not physically on campus,” said Dean of Students Stanley Bazile.
Lehman’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was followed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision to close all CUNY and SUNY campuses on March 11.
Prior to the closure, only one case of a Lehman student feeling ill was reported on March 5, but the student assumed it was allergies. The student, whose identity was kept confidential, attended classes in Lehman’s Carman and Davis Halls on March 5, 7, 9 and 11. President Daniel Lemons informed the community on March 16 via email: “The areas visited by the student on those dates have been thoroughly cleaned by our custodial staff as part of their ongoing proactive cleaning measures.” Classmates and professors of the student were told to go into a “precautionary quarantine” for 14 days after attending the class.
On March 22, Cuomo ordered the entire state to go on “PAUSE”, or “Policies Assure Uniform Safety for Everyone,” which forces all nonessential workers to remain home, maintain a 6-foot distance from others and wear masks while in public. According to MSNBC, PAUSE will be extended until May 15.
Some Lehmanites felt the closure should have happened sooner.
COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at Lehman's parking lot. (Photo Credit: Perla Tolentino)
“The wait could have jeopardized more students if the person had gotten sick earlier,” said Amman Ahmad, a junior journalism major. “The virus is reaching people at a great amount, so it wouldn’t surprise me if others contracted it as well.”
Others were worried about succeeding at distance learning for the remainder of the semester.
Joseph Flaz, freshman biomedical engineering major, mentioned that learning for his math and science classes online will be a challenge for him. “Having to learn all of this from home will be difficult, but it’s better than prolonging the spread of the virus around campus.”
“I’ve maintained my high GPA and I would like to keep it that way, but I have a fear that this new experience with remote learning could jeopardize it,” said Katerina Sopilidis, senior English literature major with a minor in childhood education. She wants Lehman to make it clear to professors to remain patient with their students during this pandemic.
Music department Chair Diana Mittler-Battiapaglia, told the Meridian that some courses such as music history and music theory, were able to convert to online learning. However, ensemble courses are seeing some difficulty.
“You can’t coordinate sounds coming from various sources even if we call a Zoom meeting; it’s not like everyone is in the same place,” she explained. “If I were to accompany them, it’s almost impossible to synchronize sounds.” This resulted in students in courses with vocals and instruments individually video chatting with their professors.
To address increased student precarity, on April 2 the CUNY Board of Trustees approved a flexible grading policy for spring 2020. All students have the option of converting all of their (A-F) letter grades to Credit/No Credit for their courses.
Road sign let drivers know Lehman's testing site is appointments-only. (Photo Credit: Perla Tolentino)
“I have a fear that this new experience with remote learning could jeopardize [my GPA].”
Lehman is also trying to provide adequate tech support for students who lack necessary resources. The college has received over 500 loan laptop applications for devices towards the beginning of April, according to Bazile. CUNY sent out 30,000 laptops for students in need to continue the semester. So far 200 new Lehman-purchased Chromebooks and about 23 iPads, loaned from Lehman’s Leonard Lief Library, have been sent out through UPS. An additional 200 new Chromebooks were expected to ship by April 4.
Bazile told the Meridian that essential staff from the IT, Student Affairs and Administration and Finance Departments gather in a large room, while practicing social distancing and wearing protective gear, to prepare each device before sending them to students.
Although students and faculty are not on campus for classes, an appointment-only drive through testing site was put in Lehman’s parking lot on March 23, which is still open for residents, and is providing 500 tests daily. The site is only accommodating appointments for people in their 50s, immunocompromised and displaying symptoms.
“As humans, we need to unite, help each other out and make sure we are all staying inside,” said Ahmad. “The best way to battle a virus without a current cure is to fight from home.”
