The Myth of the COVID-Transformed Workplace: Unpacking Impact Disparity
Throughout the pandemic, what once was considered optional in higher education—asynchronous learning, accessible features, electronic resources—has now become the norm. At work and in the classroom, many have embraced new methods of communication with welcome results. But does everyone experience these changes equally? Are online classes an asset or a roadblock in connecting with students? Why did it take a global pandemic to provide these options in the first place?
In this final episode, our guests look at the impact disparity of new policies and mandates since the pandemic’s beginning. Cynthia Clark of Bentley University bemoans the digital divide and varying levels of digital readiness, each contributing to the other’s negative effects. Gwendolyn Combs of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln discusses how underlying inequities existed long before COVID exacerbated them; she unpacks her disappointment with technology access being the flashpoint that spurred action to address these societal problems. Finally, Rhonda Sharpe of the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race and Hari Rajagopalan of Francis Marion University highlight the benefits of the virtual environment, such as the use of chat, ease of online meetings, and faculty’s increased approachability off campus.
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