All newly admitted graduate students in the Elliott School of International Affairs will be able to take courses online this fall.
Officials implemented the Flex-Start program for students facing travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic or those who would prefer not to move to the District during a time of “uncertain economic and public health conditions,” according to a University release. Students will be able to take up to 9 credits online in each of the 13 graduate programs the Elliott School offers at the same cost as in-person classes, the release states.
Professors will hold class sessions live during the regular weekly course time for students in the program, and the courses will be designed to be “highly interactive,” according to the release.
“We will work with each admitted student on a case-by-case basis to identify the right plan of action and deadlines for moving forward,” the release states.
Students will not need to pursue a separate enrollment process for the program, the release states.
The release states that professors will work with the Elliott School’s instructional design team to create “cutting-edge course content.”
“In addition, faculty are trained in individualized workshops to help identify nuances to be captured in each particular course,” the release states. “Students are not subjected to a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach; rather, the courses are produced with a view to maintaining the same student experience online as they would have in-person Elliott School classes.”
Officials in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences launched a similar program last month for graduate students facing travel restrictions due to the pandemic.
University President Thomas LeBlanc said in a Faculty Senate meeting earlier this month that officials will announce a final decision regarding the status of the fall semester by mid-June. He said officials are considering three scenarios for the fall semester: a return to in-person courses with social distancing measure, a hybrid of online and in-person instruction and fully online classes.
