Returning to the Babson Classroom
Take a look inside the classroom experience this fall, including the technology enhancements we've made to facilitate hybrid and remote teaching and learning.
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Academic Continuity
Babson’s campuses are open to all students who can safely travel and wish to return for the academic year beginning this fall.
Learning Together will look different from how it has in the past: Building on Babson’s nearly 20-year history of successful distance learning and innovative curriculum development, the fall 2020 course catalog has been intentionally redesigned with a focus on successful online and hybrid instruction.
Last updated: August 13, 2020
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Hybrid classes blend face-to-face instruction with technology to accommodate our de-densification needs, and include teaching techniques such as split attendance, small groups, and blended learning.
Hybrid classes:
- Are designed to maximize the in-person experience in creative ways that still allow for proper social distancing at all times.
- Make up the majority of fall 2020 courses. They are open and accessible to all students, regardless of whether you can get to campus.
- Include regular in-person, face-to-face faculty/student interactions with every student during the assigned class time. In-person interaction also is accessible online. They are designed to be primarily face to face, and can be attended virtually.
- Face-to-face interactions do not imply that all students in a course can or will be in person at the same time. Therefore, students who may not be able to start on campus in August (but believe they will ultimately get to campus at some point in the semester) should choose hybrid options. Face-to-face instruction will be driven by current social distancing and de-densification classroom restrictions.
- Enable students to take courses in the modality they need, whether in person or online, to accommodate their personal circumstances throughout the semester.
Fully online classes provide engaging and dynamic delivery of content completely online.
- Online courses are scheduled to begin from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET throughout the day, in an effort to provide options for students studying in different time zones.
- Students who choose the online option for individual courses must stay online for the semester.
- Online courses are designed to take full advantage of technology capabilities in order to serve students who need the flexibility online instruction provides.
Teaching and Technology Excellence
In spring 2020, faculty and students undertook a herculean task of shifting 650 in-person classes online during spring break. This emergency remote teaching scenario helped us understand both what worked well and where there was room for improvement.
Babson gathered valuable feedback from faculty and students and used that input to shape an intensive online teaching program for faculty, and online learning support for students. A multimillion-dollar investment has been made in faculty development, hardware, and software that will elevate the learning experience. Nearly 100% of our faculty is participating in an online teaching program and using this time to reimagine courses to be more accessible, creative, and innovative.
Academic Calendar
Having developed many community safety measures in consultation with external public health experts, the College also has adjusted the undergraduate academic calendar so that students will not travel back to campus after Thanksgiving.
In addition, to ensure adequate time for required COVID testing and results, we will begin undergraduate classes in a fully online modality for the week of August 24, and begin in-person hybrid learning the week of August 31.
Onboarding for All Students
All students returning to Babson, whether face to face or virtually, will experience a significant shift in the student experience. As such, a required onboarding program will help students prepare for and better understand new expectations for the fall semester.
During the week of August 3, 2020, students will receive an email link to the Canvas site along with detailed instructions on how to complete the course’s three required modules: Safety and Wellness, Navigating Campus, and Preparing for Academic Success. Each module will house training tools and resources that students can access at any point during the fall semester. Students will be required to achieve at least 80% on each of the module's quizzes. Failure to successfully complete each quiz by August 24, 2020 (first day of classes), may result in a cancellation of their fall registration.
More information is available on the Information for Undergraduate Students and Information for Graduate Students sections of the Babson Together site.
Virtual Campus
For additional academic resources, visit Babson’s Virtual Campus. It’s home to everything students need—resources, technology, and more—to engage in the Babson experience remotely.
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