Boise State students enrolled in the University Foundation (UF) 200 courses have been allowed to resume some instructional activities after being suspended.
In a follow-up email sent by Interim Provost Tony Roark to students taking the UF 200 courses, rules were outlined for the now asynchronous course, meaning the students and professors will not meet in person. The following guidelines were provided to students:
- Regular communication between students and instructors may resume.
- All instruction and other class activities will be asynchronous.
- Discussion boards, group work and any other course-based peer-to-peer interactions remain suspended at this time.
Sophia Saucerman is a freshman philosophy major enrolled in the Ancient Religions and Hospitality UF 200 course. Saucerman was prepared to drive to campus for her in-person class but received an email right before leaving that the courses were suspended.
“The past two semesters it’s been so dystopian, and it kind of feels like this is pretend, and going to classes is just so odd right now,” Saucerman said. “It kind of feels pointless sometimes with this class being canceled, it’s not like I’m not surprised but it’s also kind of driving home the idea that this is just ridiculous or being in school right now it’s just ridiculous.”
Although the courses have been suspended and are now asynchronous, Saucerman never felt that her professor was rude or demeaning in any way. She appreciated the way he taught the
material and counts it as one of her favorite classes she has taken so far.
“I had a very small class, so he would spend the entire time or he would even bleed into the next class to make sure that he would ask everybody their opinion and have a whole conversation with them about it,” Saucerman said.
Faculty Senate President Amy Vecchione was included in the conversation about suspending all UF 200 courses. She felt that the number one priority and focus of making the decision should be about students.
“The chairs of those committees and myself were pulled into a conversation about that [UF 200] decision, and that focus was always the well-being of the students to make sure that all of the students are being cared for,” Vecchione said. “That’s my number one priority is always the experience of our students.”
The Faculty Senate is continuing conversations about how to help students while an ongoing investigation takes place. According to Vecchione, the university has hired Hawley Troxell, an external law firm to conduct the investigation.
The Arbiter reached out to university officials to answer further questions but they were unable to comment due to the status of the ongoing investigation.
“Faculty, and the Faculty Senate, we’ve been discussing how important academic freedom is and how important the principles of discussing multiple viewpoints, even controversial viewpoints are,” Vecchione said. “And that ability to freely discuss ideas is the most important aspect of the university, regardless of what those topics are.”
