Page 8 - MGATODAY_Spring_2021

Dr. Crystal O’Leary-Davidson, english professor, is shown teaching an early american Literature class to her masked, socially
distanced students on the Cochran Campus. she had concerns about returning to in-person teaching last fall but praises her students
for their conscientiousness in following MGa’s safety protocols.

person faced some challenges in suddenly shifting In some academic disciplines, teaching certain
to fully online formats in the middle of a semes- aspects of the curriculum fully online is simply
ter, although most supported the move for their not possible.
own safety and that of their students. The pandemic temporarily grounded MGA’s
“Many of my students had to juggle a lot, and flight students and put a stop to applied training
they needed and appreciated the flexibility that classes for those in aviation maintenance
online courses allowed them,” said Dr. Crystal programs. “We shut down (in-person) instruction
O’Leary-Davidson, an MGA English professor. when everybody else did and received FAA
“At the end of spring 2020, my students said they permission to move the lecture portion of our
felt I was ‘present’ and that their fellow students classes online,” said Adon Clark, dean of the
were ‘present’ as well. I spent more time than School of Aviation. “That continued until May
ever online, communicating multiple times daily 26, when we resumed the maintenance and
through emails, announcements, and video flight labs.”
recordings. All the teachers I know did this.” Suspension of hands-on instruction did delay
O’Leary-Davidson admits that she, along graduation for some aviation students, “but we
with many of her colleagues, had concerns about were able to get most of them finished over the
returning to in-person classes in fall 2020. COVID summer months,” Clark said.
case numbers were rising and she knew people Senior respiratory therapy students in spring
who had gotten sick with the virus, including 2020 were midway through hands-on prep work
some who died. for their credentialing exams. “We did as much
“However, at least in class, students are very as we could online but there were times we had
conscious of social distancing and wearing their to get special permission to come together in
masks,” she said. “We do a lot of (voice) project- person,” said Teri Miller, chair of the Department
ing! And I repeat what a student says so those in of Respiratory Therapy. “We were able to get that
the back of the room can hear.” done so they could graduate on time.”

8 MIDDLE GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY