What really matters now: with compassion, we can help our students

 

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Our students are worried. We want to help them. We want to make things better for them. We look for alternative methods of assessment. We dedicate our time to re-learning how to teach. We've made time for them when they need extra help.

We do this because what really matters now is compassion. What really matters now is that our students are well enough and supported enough to resume their academic learning when the storm has passed. They are learning now. They are saturated with learning.

They are in an environment in which they have never been. They are separated from their loved ones, they are isolated in big houses, they are crowded on top of each other in small apartments, they are in places that are not home, they are surrounded and supported, they are in homes that are hostile.

There is a killer stalking their grand-parents, their uncle has died, they are reunited with family. They are getting tons of advice, their job prospects have vanished, their lab space is locked up, their funding is running out, their peers are scattered to the four winds, their familiar, comfortable classrooms are empty. Their future is a question mark.

Their borders are closed, their flights are cancelled, their parents aren't working, they are in rural communities, they might make minimum wage packing bags at the grocery store downtown if they can get a shift, they are sheltered and safe, they are dodging the virus on the city bus.

They lie in bed all day, wondering why no one is around, they try to stay away from depression and anxiety, they get some much needed rest. They plow their too many waking hours into gaming, they exercise in the morning, they drink themselves to sleep. They haven't had a home-cooked meal in weeks, they worry about how much rice is left in their pantry, they take their vitamins, they count what's left of their prescription, and they aren't sure how to get it refilled.

They are being taught, and they are being rigorously tested. They are learning important lessons. They are learning to deal.

What matters right now is that we don't pile it on. What matters right now is that we give them space to learn how to deal. What matters right now is that we make it easier, not more difficult.

They will remember us. They will remember that we helped them. They will remember that we gave them a break, that we broke their backs, that we kicked them when they were down. They will remember that we taught them how to deal, that we made their lives impossible, that we showed them compassion, that we were indifferent. They will remember it all.

They won't remember that course material. They won't remember what was on that test or that assignment. They won't remember who wrote that book, who made that critique. They will remember what they learned about how to deal. They will teach the next generation.

What really matters now, is that we help them deal. What really matters now is what we teach them how to teach the next ones who come along. What really matters now is that this doesn't permanently derail them. What really matters now is compassion.

If you know of a student - or if you are a student - in need of assistance, please contact my office. Whether a modification is needed to help respond to difficulties brought on by time-zones, computer/internet access, or other personal stresses, we're here to help.

And if you're one of the people helping students through this, whether you're faculty or staff, we're here to help you help them. Take care of yourselves, so we can all take care of our students.

This post has been updated and republished following its original publication on April 17.

André Costopoulos, Vice-provost & Dean of Students

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André Costopoulos joined the University of Alberta as Vice Provost and Dean of Students in July, 2016. Born and raised in Montreal, Costopoulos holds a BA (Hons) in anthropology from McGill, an MSc in anthropology from the Université de Montréal and a PhD in archeology from the University of Oulu, Finland. He began his career in 1999 as a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work at Eastern Connecticut State University. In 2001, he joined McGill as a research associate and sessional instructor in the Department of Anthropology and joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 2003. From 2012-2016, he served as McGill's Dean of Students.