Unleashing Our Chemistry Superpowers: Promoting Student Success and Well-Being at a Black Women’s College during COVID-19

Abstract

Spelman College, a small (∼2150 students) Black women’s liberal arts college located in Atlanta, GA, USA, is dedicated to empowering women of African descent to become global leaders and change agents. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting abrupt and unforeseen campus closure, Spelman experienced pressure and urgency to maintain a high quality curriculum for its students, while balancing student and faculty well-being. This communication is a reflection of the teaching practices that the faculty in Spelman’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry implemented during the transition to emergency remote instruction (ERI). We first describe the initial week-long planning phase used to transition the Department to ERI, including detailed information on the faculty’s efforts to redesign lecture and lab courses via the adoption of new learning platforms, teaching strategies, and student learning objectives. Next, we use student survey data, collected by individual faculty, to reflect on the challenges, opportunities, and iterative course redesign that occurred throughout ERI. Student well-being, engagement, and adaptation were of particular concern and challenge to the Department during ERI. Nevertheless, by embracing a spirit of ”productive disorder”, the Department was able to channel its faculty ”superpowers” toward pedagogical change and transformation. More importantly, by allowing students to operate as independent and resilient learners in the time of COVID-19, we found that students rose to the challenge of creative expression and critique even in unconventional times.