Classrooms with empty seats. Lessons that quickly went virtual. In the year 2020, COVID-19 is dominating what learning looks like across the country for many students. As many Universities set out to offer in-person learning this year, an increase in the number of cases on campus prevented that from happening.
However, the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at the University of Missouri set out to make sure in-person learning not only possible, but feasible for students in 2020.
“Within the college, we offer our students about 700 different sections of courses,” says Christopher Daubert, vice chancellor and dean at the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. “Of those , 83% are offering some form of face to face instruction. We need to offer our students the best modes for teaching and learning. And, clearly, face to face instruction is the best way to accomplish that goal.”
The dean says with the goal of still providing social distanced, in-person learning, leaders within CAFNR quickly thought outside the box and got creative. CAFNR decided to take a Trowbridge, a livestock arena, and turn it into a working classroom. The college removed truckloads of dirt to create a venue students and staff could space out, work and learn.
“Because of what we did at Trowbridge arena, we’re able to instruct 2,700 students per week in that arena,” says Daubert. “2,700 students per week go through Trowbridge. That gives us a competitive advantage.”
