Remote education impacts senior experience

By Erin McGuinness | Published by March 24, 2020

For graduating seniors at Kean University, remote education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic might have a bigger personal impact. 

Kean University will be suspending all in-person instruction through the end of the semester. 

Online instruction began on March 16. 

Those expecting to graduate in May are embarking on post-graduate job searches and were looking forward to their final college experiences, students said. There is a possibility of event cancellations, such as Kean University’s Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony scheduled for May 21. 

Megan Kardan, a senior studying Elementary Education, has spent the semester student-teaching as a clinical intern. The program requires clinical experience as a graduation requirement. 

“We all worked so hard for this moment and it is kind of sad that we might not have a ceremony,” Kardan said. “I am glad we are implementing rules to keep everyone healthy but obviously it hurts not having our accomplishments celebrated.”

The university has said it is looking at alternate commemorations in case it does have to cancel graduation.

An email sent to the School of Education discussed the possibility of clinical internships continuing after graduation.

 Kardan, who had a dent in her income due to full-time student teaching, worries about how this will affect her financially, she said. As someone pursuing a career in education, it is difficult to know what the future holds. An Elementary Education job fair scheduled for the end of March was canceled, affecting her job search. 

“I wish I could have given a proper goodbye to my friends, classmates, professors, and even the baristas that work at Starbucks…,” Kardon said. “I just don’t feel completely ready to enter the workforce without the guidance of Kean faculty members and resources that would’ve been more easily accessible on campus.” 

Claudia Tantillo, a senior studying public relations, said she is having a hard time focusing on school amid panic surrounding COVID-19. 

“I enjoy coming to campus and seeing all of my classmates, friends, and professors,” Tantillo said. “Going online is cutting our face-to-face communication off and making it difficult to be present at the moment.”

The period of social distancing is impacting her post-graduate job search, as many of the opportunities she is interested in are located in New York City, she said. 

Travis Kukoly, a senior majoring in psychology, will begin pursuing his master’s degree in forensic psychology at Kean in the fall. 

“It feels like that the class of 2020’s senior year has been taken away,” Kukoly said. “We all worked very hard during our time here at Kean and we poured our sweat and tears into our classes.”

Social distancing has affected his advisement and his desire to apply for a graduate assistant position, he said. 

In an email to the campus community, representatives of the university addressed concerns surrounding a lack of in-person interaction through the end of the semester, specifically for graduating seniors. 

“The University recognizes that this disruption is particularly challenging and disappointing for our graduating students,” the email said. “A team is currently developing a back-up plan for commencement ceremonies, should it be necessary, that will help us celebrate our students’ accomplishments. The commencement plan will then be shared with the community.”

 

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