The University of Miami endured a tumultuous year of surprises and hurdles: from responding to the coronavirus pandemic to implementing new health practices, to adapting to society’s new normal.
The university enrolls more than 17,000 students and employs more than 16,000 people across three campuses: the Coral Gables Campus, the Medical Campus in downtown Miami, and the Marine Campus on Virginia Key. Like many universities, UM was tasked with adapting to remote and hybrid learning environments while also striving to mitigate the spread of the virus on its campuses.
The UM community, filled with students, professors, faculty and administrators, weighed in to express their perspective on the overview of the year.
Sophomore Jamie Williams-Smith logs on to class outside of Lakeside Village on Sept. 29, 2020. Photo credit: Ally Gaddy
The University of Miami provided several modes of teaching during its reopening in the fall: hybrid, remote learning/virtual, and in-person teaching. Students were able to select their learning option and whether they would be classified as a remote or on-campus student for the duration of the semester.
Freshman Nyayaongah Gony did not like the hybrid learning model. With this specific option, a certain number of students would come to class on a specific day while the rest of the class stayed back and attended the class online. This aim was targeted to reduce the capacity of students in a room to enable adequate social distancing.