Generations - August 2020 | University of the Arts

In this issue

A Letter from Parent Council Member Marian Maier
Supporting Your Student
Building Virtual Community at UArts

A Letter from Parent Council Member Marian Maier

I hope some of these tips help you and your student. I will certainly miss seeing your students this fall, and I look forward to the day I can welcome you and your families back to campus. Until then, my virtual door is always open. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you or your student need anything.

“Returning” to school has a whole different meaning this fall. Though our students are returning to their studies, there will be a definite void, as they are not returning to campus. Instead of moving into a dorm, some will be moving their laptops, instruments, dance studios, etc., into home-made classrooms: kitchens, dining rooms, bedrooms or family rooms. As creativity is the common thread that runs through all majors at UArts, I am sure there are many innovative spaces being created as I write this!

Two questions arise for me as the students return to UArts remotely: How are you adapting to home as your new classroom? How are you dealing with the disappointment of not being on campus?

To understand how they feel, I polled the Parent Council for their students’ responses.

Julia, a student in the School of Design, has adapted by turning her bedroom into her “dorm.” The most noticeable difference for her is her hours of operation. Time management and self-discipline are fully her responsibility. Her main disappointment is a “less robust” classroom experience. She copes by realizing that though it is not a perfect situation, it is a safe one.

Shannon, a sophomore Musical Theater major, finds the biggest adjustment to be coordinating family schedules, so she doesn’t dance or play piano during her mom’s Zoom meetings. As for dealing with the disappointment of not being on campus and in Philadelphia, Shannon consciously reminds herself that this isn’t something that is only happening to her. This is something that is happening to everyone, globally. While it seems easier to be a math major going to school remotely than to be an artist who sings, dances and acts with others, Shannon thinks about how to make the most of the situation. She appreciates that the faculty is working hard to create an engaging virtual experience. Being creative and adaptive is, after all, what theater is about.

William, a returning sophomore, acknowledges that online teaching means a loss of some of the spark and intimacy of classroom learning. Though he is disappointed to not return to campus, William is grateful to UArts for putting the students’ and professors’ lives first. “You can fix a bad assignment or a bad performance; you can’t fix a death.”

I then asked my own student, Jessica, a sophomore MBET major, the same questions. She plans to turn a quiet, non-distracting, still-to-be-determined room into her classroom. Her biggest disappointments are not having studio time and peer interaction. In an effort to cope with this frustration, I offered her the following perspective, which I hope is also encouraging to your student.

Although there is a lot we may be currently missing, one thing we can never get back is time. Right now, most of us have extra time. Utilize it wisely. Derive inspiration inexhaustibly. Write the extra draft. Do another take of the difficult film scene. Practice your performance, dance routine or instrument again and again. Push your creativity to endless boundaries. Collaborate with other students via Zoom or FaceTime. Remember, nothing lasts forever. Stay positive and focused on your craft, and you will master it!

For the parents, enjoy this extra time with your student. Talk more, and experience the exciting major your talented student has embraced at UArts.

Stay safe!

Fondly,
Marian Maier, Parent Council member

Supporting Your Student

by Sara Pyle, assistant vice president for student services

In times of disruption, when people’s education and lives have been upended, relationships matter more than ever. Staying connected to students and cultivating a sense of community is harder at a distance than it is in a classroom. However, faculty and staff across campus are working this fall to support your student and their success. A critical part of our strategy for remote learning is to ensure that students have the tools and support necessary to meet the goals of their educational experience.

Our entire community is committed to meeting student needs for engagement and sustaining relationships, learning and community. As your student prepares for learning during COVID-19 and a remote fall semester, there are many adjustments to make, with a little extra focus and the support of their family, too.

Here are some tips to help you support your student.

Establish structure. Remote learning success starts with establishing a study routine. Some of your student’s online classes may still be running on a strict schedule, with the professor lecturing via online streaming and students required to check in at a set time to record their attendance. Your student should build in breaks similar to the ones they had between classes on campus. If you or other family members are also working or attending school at home, do your best to align your work and study hours. If everyone in the house is quietly busy and sharing a common work ethic, it will be easier for your student to stay on task.
Create a dedicated work space. If your house is anything like mine, it might be full of distractions. A dedicated space is important. Encourage your student to set up a study space, and make that area off limits to the rest of the family during your student’s established study time (another great reason to set a schedule and stick to it).
Practice with technology. This fall, UArts has transitioned from Digication to Canvas, our new online learning platform for all courses. This system is new to UArts, so encourage your student to spend some time navigating the site. They can link to it directly from the UArts Portal. Additionally, if your student is not already checking their UArts email regularly, encourage them to begin that habit now. Email communications will be our primary way of communicating with students about campus engagement events and activities and sharing updates throughout the fall.
Communicate regularly with faculty and staff. Encourage your student to call, email or set up a virtual meeting with their faculty to talk about any challenges they may have or material they don’t understand. Some of your student’s professors may be offering virtual office hours—encourage your student to take advantage of these! Students can also reach out to their academic advisor by contacting the Advising Center at advising@uarts.edu. If your student needs accommodations for a disability, they should contact the Office of Educational Accessibility at access@uarts.edu. If they are having problems logging in or accessing something, email UArts’ Help Desk at helpdesk@uarts.edu. If you or your student have a question and are not sure where to start, you can always contact Student Affairs at studentaffairs@uarts.edu. We are all here to help!
Develop good time management. Time management can be difficult even when life is normal. Add the stress and uncertainty of the current crisis into the mix, and it might feel almost impossible. But the more your student strives to practice good time management, the more productive they’ll be. There are tried-and-true time management tips for college students you can share.
- Establish dedicated study times.
- Build in time for fun and relaxation.
- Stay on a healthy sleep schedule.
- Each morning (or the night before), make a prioritized list of what needs to be done that day.
- Track academic to-do lists in a digital calendar or a time management app.
Recommended time management apps include
- Todoist,
- do,
- OmniFocus,
- iStudiez,
- myHomework,
- MyStudyLife,
- Loop Habit Tracker, and
- calendar or reminders apps on smartphone and computers.
Engage with classmates and friends. Even when social distancing, there are ways to study with others. Encourage your student to join or form an online study group with classmates. This will help them work through their assignments and give them some of the social time they’re used to. There are a couple ways to pull off an online study group, including
- regularly scheduled video conferencing on platforms like Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype and FaceTime.
- message groups on Google or Facebook where students can post questions, thoughts, reminders, links, attachments and more.
Find times for digital breaks. As we work through a remote fall, most of us will be spending more time online than ever before. Help your student to avoid digital overload and spend some time outside hanging out with people in your household and cooking, gardening or something else to give yourself a break from the digital world.

Building Virtual Community at UArts

For this semester, Campus Life has put together a number of activities for students to get involved and stay connected to the UArts community. The goal is to provide opportunities for students to connect in small groups over shared interests or bond through exploring interests together, while also providing options for support. Take a look at the various opportunities for engagement below, and encourage your student to get involved in ones they might be interested in.

Community Channels
Community Channels are virtual groups hosted by student leaders that join people based on common identities and shared interests. Groups will meet once a month beginning the first week of classes. Students will get to know each other by discussing topics relating to their particular community channel and providing a supportive community to one another.

Emerging Leaders
Students can join our eight-week workshop series, Emerging Leaders, where they will learn leadership skills and explore their own leadership strengths. Signup for this series begins the week of Aug. 17. Upon successful completion of the workshop, they will receive a leadership certificate.

Social Justice Leadership
This eight-week workshop series will encourage students to explore their own identities and learn how they can engage in social justice work. Signup for this series begins the week of Aug. 17. Upon successful completion of the workshop, they will receive a social justice leadership certificate.

UArtist Pen Pals
Through UArtist Pen Pals, students can sign up to be matched with other students at UArts. They can designate if they want to be matched based on similar interests, majors or hometowns. Then, they’ll connect with one another to write each other notes, connect virtually and build friendships.

Orientation Groups
All new students will be assigned to an Orientation group of 10–15 other new students, to build relationships with one another and experience Orientation together. Each group will be led by a First-Year Guide (FYG). FYGs welcome new students and serve as resources for new students throughout their first semester at UArts. FYGs will also host monthly Orientation group virtual events, as well as be there as resources for all the students in their group.

Clubs and Organizations
Our student clubs and organizations are great ways to get connected at UArts. There are almost 30 different active organizations, and they cover a
variety of interests.