No classes after Thanksgiving
By Juan Barrera
Bridge contributing writer
Published Monday, Nov. 9, 2020
The Fall 2020 semester nears its end with some differences to the final-examination period before the winter break.
Texas A&M International University offered new TAMIU Flex and hybrid classes, along with online courses, for students’ choice regarding the attendance of lectures in person or from home. Along with this, students were notified prior to the start of the semester that they would not be required to come back to campus after Thanksgiving Break.
“We have modified our teaching to provide students with a choice of when and where they participate in most of their classes,” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Thomas R. Mitchell said in an email to The Bridge. “In late March through finals, we went virtual, in the summer online and in the fall a mix of online, hybrid, face-to-face and TAMIU Flex. We did this to provide students with a safe way to continue their education as they and their families adjusted to the disruptions caused by COVID-19.”
Students went home earlier this year at Spring Break, which was then extended an additional week. Rather than return to campus, students continued virtually for the rest of Spring 2020. This semester, students will be able to go home after classes end on Nov. 25. All finals will take place online Tuesday, Dec. 1, until Monday, Dec. 7.
Student on-campus residents may be those affected the most. Yet all students are affected, such as senior psychology and studio art double major Angely Gonzalez.
“This saves gas, money and time my family must spend transporting me back and forth,” Gonzalez said. “On the other hand, a lot of us are already struggling enough to succeed in our classes during TAMIU Flex. As a student, I feel like we are not going to have enough time to prepare for our finals.”
Students and teachers accommodate the current system of learning from home. However, when it comes to exams, students understand the pros and cons of the situation.
“Classes always end around this time,” senior education major Jose Chong said. “The only difference would be that students don’t have to come back to take their exams in person. As a future educator, I think students should have the choice to take the exam in person. I feel like teachers need to accommodate the students’ needs.”
