How In-Person Instruction is Going at UVA
From UVA Today:
The University of Virginia began some in-person instruction Sept. 8, taking extensive precautions to protect students, faculty and staff from the coronavirus, including mask wearing and at least six feet of physical distance in all classrooms. UVA Today checked in with three professors to learn how the in-person experience is going and sent photographers into classrooms to capture some of the early moments of this new way of instruction, among them, award-winning professor Ashley Hurst, who teaches ethics courses to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Hurst is teaching two courses in person this semester: “Ethics in Clinical Practice” for undergraduates and “Ethics, Nursing and the Larger Healthcare Arena,” a graduate level course.
She has 13 students meeting in person in the first course, meaning they can all gather safely in a large classroom. The second class has 43 students enrolled. Originally an online, synchronous course, Hurst decided to add an in-person option and she’s had between 10 and 12 students come to the classroom.
“Teaching is my passion,” she said. “I see the opportunity to teach and learn from students as a gift.”
A 2020 winner of an All-University Teaching Award, Hurst said her teaching style resonates with students.
“If I could safely teach in person this semester, I wanted to be present with them during these unprecedented times,” she said.
“I am proud of the students in my classes; they respect the rules, each other and me. This allows me to feel safe being with them in the classroom.”
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