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Opinion: Even at a Distance We Are Still Face to Face

Students around campus | Photo by Jessica Fugett | The Wright State Guardian

Students around campus | Photo by Jessica Fugett | The Wright State Guardian


University may be more virtual, but it can still be face to face through WebEx, Zoom, Skype and Facetime.

The changes that Wright State University is facing are ones that will shape how the 2020 school year will go. Each and every challenge that we face as a community and as a college are difficult, but we are still able to have face to face communication with people who care.

Now more than ever, those who were less inclined to interact with technology platforms are not only willing, but also excited, to hop online and communicate.

Zoom and WebEx

Both Zoom and WebEx are free services that can range from $19.99 and $26.95 + per month respectively. While the two platforms offer relatively the same services, there are a few differences between them.

This includes total number of participants, conferencing features, web features and supported integrations according to DGI Communications.

Luckily for students, a great free version of WebEx is linked to their Wings account through Wright State University.

Universities are taking advantage of these services and are conducting virtual college visits to their campus.

Olivia Milligan, a Senior at Coldwater High School, had the chance to experience a virtual college visit of Wright State University.

“The college visit was good. We were able to go on the website and go through it with ease. There were pictures of campus and they went through the map, explaining everything,” said Milligan

Changing times

From meetings with your academic advisor, office hours with professors, and open houses, students are able to interact with the university relatively the same way as before.

One of the better parts about this semester is that professors and students are familiar with online classes and remote learning. Professors who had never taught online before have now experienced what it is like and how to help students.

“I’ve been working a lot this summer on making my fully online classes more interactive so that we can foster that engagement that I love about literature classes, even if we’re doing it from a distance,” said Professor Christine Junker.

While Spring Semester 2020 was one semester that several students and professors struggled with handling, there is hope that Fall Semester 2020 will be our best yet!

Because we went to remote learning on such short notice in the Spring, students and faculty alike were thrown into a whirlwind of technological problems.

However, with help from campus IT faculty members, most problems can be solved remotely. Courses that required the campus computers were able to be accessed at home through VPN connections.

What to expect

This upcoming semester will be completed with a mixture of face to face and remote learning.

With this, there are still things for students to keep in mind. Students should feel free to always contact their professors and academic advisors if they are having trouble with courses.

“Virtual chat has always been apart of the services WSU Libraries offer to students. We are also discussing the continuation of virtual tutoring appointments as well in the Fall due to the coronavirus. It is our mission to ensure we match the quality of services virtually, as we did in our face-to-face exchanges”, said Jamon Flowers, the Student Success Center and Library & Technology Center Director.

Students are entitled to receiving the best education while also being comfortable with their health and surroundings. Students are top priority and should be treated as such.

From meetings to discussing projects, to catching up with family on zoom calls, people are able to come together in newer and better ways.


Roxanne Roessner

Wright Life and Laker Life Editor

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