Just as COVID case numbers have ebbed and flowed since spring 2020, so have professor and student experiences. Sometimes it all seems manageable, and at other times stress or fatigue settle in, making teaching and learning a struggle.
“This semester, the lingering trauma and reacclimating that’s been occurring has been really stressful for both faculty and students,” Rachel A. Annunziato, associate dean for strategic initiatives and a professor of psychology at Fordham University, said as the semester was wrapping up. From the professor perspective, students are still missing class and requesting assignment deadline extensions frequently. They think: How much longer will this continue? Will we ever adjust to a new normal?
As a March Student Voice survey of 2,000 undergraduates found, many students are noticing faculty fatigue and frustrations—although the shared experience of the pandemic has, for at least some, resulted in both students and professors having new levels of understanding of and empathy for each other.
Scroll down for a visualization of students’ perceptions of professors as revealed in the survey, which was conducted by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse with support from Kaplan.
Student Voice explores higher education from the perspective of students, providing unique insights on their attitudes and opinions. Kaplan provides funding and insights to support Inside Higher Ed’s coverage of student polling data from College Pulse. Inside Higher Ed maintains editorial independence and full discretion over its coverage.
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