During this season of Leading Lines, we’re exploring the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on higher education. A big part of that impact lands on our students. Robin DeRosa is the director of the Open Learning & Teaching Collaborative, or Open CoLab, at Plymouth State University, a public liberal arts institution that’s part of the University. She brought along her colleague Martha Burtis, now a learning and teaching developer at the Open CoLab, and formerly at the Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies at the University of Mary Washington.

Robin and Martha talk about the challenges our students are facing during this crisis and the ways they and their colleagues are helping to respond to those challenges. They also offered some useful advice for faculty and institutions planning ahead for an uncertain summer and fall.

Links• Robin DeRosa’s website, http://robinderosa.net/• @actualham, Robin DeRosa on Twitter, https://twitter.com/actualham • Martha Burtis’ website, https://marthaburtis.net/• @mburtis, Martha Burtis on Twitter, https://twitter.com/mburtis • Open CoLab, the Open Learning & Teaching Collaborative, https://colab.plymouthcreate.net/• “Preparing to Teach During COVID-19,” from the CoLab, https://colab.plymouthcreate.net/covid19/• Ungrading webinar, https://colab.plymouthcreate.net/resource/ungrading-webinar/• Ungrading, a Chapbook produced by Martha Burtis and Ashley Hichborn, https://colab.plymouthcreate.net/uncategorized/introducing-ungrading-a-chapbook/• Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies course website, https://colab.plymouthcreate.net/ids-intro/ids-intro-home/