By MacKenzie Brady
Student Life Editor
This is a difficult and confusing time all around, both at Washington College and in the world at large. Various departments and on-campus resources have sent numerous emails detailing their plans to move online, but it’s a lot to keep track of and a lot of emails to sift through to find the information you need. Hopefully this will help.
First and foremost, it may be difficult to do remote or online learning if you do not have access to the internet.
According to Patrice DiQuinzio, Provost and Dean of the College, “[WC] may be able to provide some support for internet access.”
To receive that support, email Dr. Mary Alice Ball, Dean of the Library and Academic Technology, at mball2@washcoll.edu.
“If the additional cost of internet access presents a financial hardship,
please contact Financial Aid,” Dean DiQuinzio said. “We may be able to help
students with financial need on the cost of internet access.”
Students with disability accommodations should reach out to Hilary Bateman (hbateman2@washcoll.edu) or Liz Shirk (lshirk2@washcoll.edu) if they have specific questions about adapting their accommodations to this new online learning format.
With fall 2020 class registration starting this Friday, you may have questions about classes. While most, if not all, can be answered by your academic advisor, the Registrar’s Office is available through email communications only and can be reached at registrar@washcoll.edu or by searching “Registrar’s Office” in the search directory.
If you are submitting forms to the Registrar’s Office, be sure they are submitted to your advisor first if they require advisor approval.
“The advisor will then forward the form to the Registrar’s Office,” the email
said.
If your forms don’t require advisor approval, they can be emailed directly to the Registrar’s Office.
If you need to order transcripts, use the “transcripts” tab on the Registrar’s webpage. Students should be aware that it may take up to a week to receive their transcripts back, so request them as soon as possible.
For academic help, the Writing Center, Office of Academic Skills, and Quantitative Skills Center have all moved online. To schedule a virtual appointment with a tutor, use the WC online system at http://washcoll.mywconline.com/index.php. Schedule an appointment at least 48 hours in advance, using the same link that would be used in normal circumstances.
Writing Center appointments are conducted through an online system that supports video chat, written chat, and document uploads. The tutor will appear at the left of the screen with the video function, and the center will be blank until the student imports files into the document. Both the tutor and the student will be able to type into the document during the session, taking notes and making whatever edits are deemed necessary. Each person’s edits will appear a different color. On the right of the screen is a dialogue box where the tutor and student can type in a chat format in case the audio is a little tricky.
When scheduling an appointment, it is better to do it earlier rather than later.
“Being home, I know that I lack a lot of motivation to do my work,” said junior Tamia Williams, a Writing Center peer tutor. “Knowing that someone else is going to review and help me improve it makes me want to actually get it done — and not fail the semester.”
As you work on papers throughout the semester, you will need resources from the Miller Library. While the library is trying to limit the number of books that get physically checked out, there are other ways to get the sources you need.
According to the email sent by Jennifer Nesbitt, Miller Library administrative assistant, “Interlibrary Loan services are limited to electronic materials only until further notice.”
The Ask-A-Librarian form is still available on the Miller Library’s website, and there is now a live chat function on the right site of the page. Librarians are available to chat Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Students who checked out books prior to leaving campus are asked to return them at the end of the semester in the book drop or mail them back to the library. Students who are not graduating seniors are able to hold onto books until the fall.
“We intend to be very lenient about due dates and overdue charges during this time,” Nesbitt said. “If you have ILL items out, we will reach out to you separately.”
While the WC bookstore is closed to the public and walk in business, books and gear are still available online at http://www.washcoll.bncollege.com. Orders will be shipped free within 24 hours of the order being placed.
Rented books are still due back to the bookstore by May 8. Use http://washcoll.bncollege.com/shop/washcoll/page/rental-book-return to return books and have them shipped back to the store for free.
If you have any questions relating to the bookstore, email Shannon Wyble at swyble2@washcoll.edu.