2021 OS Newsletter June 2021 | 20th Edition | Page 14

TRANSFORMATION OF THE OS CLASSROOM

A Fresh Perspective

BY PROFESSOR NICK CAMP

This year has certainly been one of transition and change , both personally and collectively . As a first-year professor in OS , I ’ ve gotten to know our amazing students ( over Zoom ), start up a research lab ( remotely ), and experience the beauty of Ann Arbor ( socially distanced and mostly outdoors ). On top of the move to Michigan and the transition to a new job , I also took on a second position this summer : father to a spirited young boy . Our department transitioned to teaching and learning in a COVID world , which came with its own challenges and opportunities . Zoom classes let us bring in speakers from around the world , without leaving our own homes ( or our sweatpants ); at the same time , we had to grow accustomed to a new way of communicating with each other , with all the stumbles and accidental mutings that entails .

To be sure , it has been a strange and difficult year . However , it has also illustrated the importance of a community like ours in OS . Even though we could not gather in Weiser Hall , staff , faculty , and students sought each other out , supported one another , and shared in the trials and triumphs of the school year . I know that I had to adjust from lab meetings with my research assistants , where we would typically brainstorm study ideas over snacks , to Slack discussions and conference calls . Adjust we did , sharing advice and encouragement , if not pretzels .
I saw a similar flexibility as I taught my first OS seminar this Winter , on racial disparities in policing . Indeed , this is a transformative moment in our country with regards to issues of racial equity . Conversations around racial inequality are difficult no matter the time ; how would these discussions go over a Zoom call ? The OS students rose to the challenge , displaying curiosity , compassion , and courage throughout the semester . Their final
PAGE 14