With a rapid increase in the cases of COVID-19, George Mason University Korea decided to hold an online Town Hall meeting with the purpose of informing and discussing the school’s response to the situation. The meeting consisted of primarily two sections: a message from Campus Dean Robert Matz followed by a question and answer session. Participants seemed to be satisfied with the new changes presented by the Mason Korea community but were disappointed with the community’s strategies in answering questions that presented problems to the school.
The presentation went from why the school decided to conduct online classes, to how to cope with COVID-19 as members of Mason Korea, then to how Mason Korea is making changes within the school to deal with the pandemic. However, after the scheduled presentations, some answers to questions left students unsatisfied. The most frequently asked questions were regarding the quality of online learning and financial transparency. On the issue of online class quality, Dean Matz outlined that students’ individual efforts are needed to tackle this issue. Specifically, Dean John T. Crist, the Dean of the Office of Academic Affairs, emphasized that student actions are the initial cause of changes within the school. On the other hand, some students suggested that there can be different solutions, such as posing a specific criteria for professors regarding a minimum time for synchronous classes to maintain high-quality learning. Dean Matz added that the university’s current policy providing minimum standards for online teaching allows professors freedom in the classroom. This left some students dissatisfied as they felt the response was not specific enough and shifted the burden onto the students.
For the second question, the school seemed to defend themselves instead of properly answering. Even though the faculty provided a website link that shows the information on student enrollment and tuition, and many students seemed dissatisfied with the information not being directly posted on the official George Mason University Korea website.
While the Town Hall was unable to predict the future of COVID-19, the meeting made it clear that Mason Korea is at least making an effort to communicate with the study body.
Written by Yeonseo Shim | Staff Writer
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