Learning during COVID-19 crisis
Dear Students,
During these very challenging circumstances our beloved country and the whole world are facing, we want you to know that we completely understand your anxiety and worry about the uncertain future and your fear about the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus. We want you to be assured that LAU is committed to high quality delivery of learning and to helping all students progress towards their academic goals. LAU stands by you!
I would also like to take this opportunity to urge you to focus on your learning without the added burden of worrying too much about grades. LAU is currently assessing different options to alleviate the anxiety about grades, and you will be informed in due time of any developments or decisions. Take advantage of being at home to study and study well. Doing so will help you come out of the crisis stronger and be much better prepared to face the next phase of your life.
I have a few suggestions for you to succeed in learning from home. First, properly manage your time as if you were going to classes every day. Develop a daily routine with a scheduled course time, study time, and free time. Try to maintain contact with your faculty and improve your communication with them to be better engaged in the learning process. I also urge you to design a good learning environment where you are away from various distractions such as your phone, video games, surfing the net, etc. I know many of you are concerned about online data usage quota. Following the latest governmental decree, LAU IT has been working with the Ministry of Telecommunications to make sure that when you use the library, Blackboard, Panopto, and LAU WebEx, this usage will not be deducted from your quota.
Finally, rest assured that all of us are doing our best to maintain and ensure the quality of LAU’s educational mission. Your faculty are using several means to deliver learning, ranging from live meetings to recorded lectures and interaction on Blackboard. Faculty are also considering alternative assessment methods rather than exams whenever possible, such as projects, take home type tests, and other means. However, it is up to all of us to uphold our academic integrity to high standards. I am proud of the way you have been trying to engage with your learning in spite of the tremendous challenges you are facing. With your continued determination and efforts, the learning process will not only go forward but will succeed in new innovative ways that were an impossibility a few weeks ago.
We wish you safety and well-being and hope to see you all again soon on our beloved LAU campuses!
Sincerely,
George Nasr
Provost