Sun, 19 Sep 2021, 02:08 Class on Monday will be over Zoom, as usual

My students,

I understand there is some confusion as to whether we will stay on Zoom next
week, or have class in-person in WCH 1.120, as specified in the University
schedule.

The University has told us to return to in-person teaching starting this coming
week, but if we need more time to organize the transition, we should move to
in-person by Oct 4.

I personally strongly prefer teaching in-person since it allows me to see the
looks on your faces and thereby know whether my explanations are making any
sense, and try to explain things differently if they don't make sense. I also
very much enjoy the personal contact of in-person.  With respect to personal
contact, there is no comparison between in-person and Zoom.

In normal times I would greatly welcome teaching the 183 students in our class
in WCH 1.120.  But the pandemic is not normal times, and WCH 1.120 would have
you sitting less than one inch from the person next to you, perhaps someone
unvaccinated and/or not wearing a mask.  I am concerned that such an
environment would be dangerous.

While I figure out what to do, we will continue to hold class, at least for
the next week at least, over Zoom.

I would also like to get your preference as to what to do.  I will follow up
tomorrow with a number of questions that I would like you to answer that
would help me figure out the best solution.

Hopefully, we can get past the pandemic before much longer.

Good luck with the rest of the semester.

Yale Patt