Weather affects NIU curriculum

A student walks out of the cold and into Davis Hall during class hours Friday. Some faculty had to adjust the dates of what was planned for class.

By Carlos Galvez

After harsh weather caused campus closures Jan. 27 and 28, professors and administrators have concerns about how it will affect their curriculum.

In the event of more unplanned days, Paul Palian, Media and Public Relations director, said it will be up to faculty to make adjustments to their courses to make up for missed days. Assistant history professor Kristy Bowers was one of many educators who had to do just that.

“For some of my classes, I had to adjust the dates of what was planned and condense some of the material of future lectures into one,” Bowers said. “Though we should just adapt to the days, there’s really nothing to be prepared for.”

Professors like foreign language professor Lucinda Alwa are worried about not only maintaining quizzes and tests, but also keeping students up to date with their planned material.

“My concerns were keeping students in check with class,” Alwa said. “One way I try to make sure students are in line with class, even when class is canceled, is Blackboard.”

Some students said overreliance on Blackboard would be detrimental. Freshman undecided major Deja Morataya said Blackboard can be less effective than class due to some students’ lack of responsibility.

“I feel like if professors are going to consider [Blackboard an] alternative they should keep the work simple and brief,” Morataya said. “Treating Blackboard like a virtual classroom will only bring students boredom and will not be interpreted correctly.”

Teachers and administrators will be required to work around the semester schedule as NIU cannot change its plans for class days and vacations.

“The schedule for the semester is already fixed. There’s nothing we should do at this time,” Palian said.