SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Syracuse University has announced that courses will go fully online starting Monday, Nov. 16, one week earlier than originally scheduled. The decision means that classes will be conducted on various online platforms, including Zoom and Blackboard Collaborate. Going remote is a change for all students, but it is an even bigger shakeup for students participating in a course that takes place in an on-campus studio. Chris Sacchi is a senior Broadcast and Digital major whose capstone course is dedicated to making and producing TV newscasts. He says going remote will make his class a bit more challenging.
“When you are in the studio, you have the cameras on you; it feels much more real than on Zoom. I mean, if it is Zoom, it is really to me not as much as the effect, and it will make it more difficult,” Sacchi said.
Tate Sigworth is also a senior BDJ major who believes without being in the studio, the newscast’s quality will take a hit. He says the class already did one online newscast where they did what they could.
“We just kind of threw it together,” Sigworth said. “It definitely was not as good, but you get on zoom, and you record it that way.”
But more than just the quality of the newscasts will be missing. The opportunity to continue to get more interactive learning on equipment that professional newsrooms use in the field is something that will be missing as well. Sigworth says that is what he will miss the most when the class heads online.
“And you are not hands-on with the same technology that you are going to be using in the field down the road, so moving online definitely does take a big hit to your level of learning,” Sigworth said.
This week will be the last week of in-person learning before all university courses go online next week for the rest of the fall semester.
