An online lecture, which was originally scheduled to be one hour in length, has entered its 12th consecutive hour. The incident, which is ongoing, has raised questions as to whether lecturers are abusing the ability to deliver classes online.
The incident is believed to be the result of Assistant Professor Christine Murray, a member of School of History and Archives. Dr Murray was/currently is delivering a popular class for undergraduate module “HIST23053 Dictatorship and Democracy in French Canada, 1879-2005”.
Critics have stated that this incident, and many more which have been reported, shows a disregard for student wellbeing, with some pointing out that as well as administrations refusing to adapt a partial no-detriment policy, some students have actually had a larger workload as a result of remote learning. In response to this, the lecturer said, “I’ll let you go now in a second but I just have one more thing to mention”.
A spokesperson for the SU Safety and Wellbeing Committee has expressed concern for the students who are still on the Zoom call, saying “many of these students have not eaten or slept since the commencement of the class. Some may have prior commitments which they cannot uphold now, not to mention other live classes which may be missed. I was in touch with one student who told me her carbon monoxide alarm went off two hours ago and she hasn’t been able to call for help or even open a window in case she is called upon to answer a question in the class”.
As the situation continues to approach crisis levels, we will continue to post updates on what has been dubbed “The Zoom call which cannot end”.
Congo Jack – Feeling Woozy
