Questions tagged [covid-19]
Specifically for questions relating to the current situation of the planetary Covid-19 Pandemic and how academic institutions and staff may be affected.
78
questions
8
votes
3answers
2k views
What is the academic job market going to be like in September-November 2020?
Is there any good reason to be optimistic? I have the impression that this may be the worst job market year in the past ten years.
Edit to be more specific: I am referring to hiring grad students, ...
21
votes
3answers
5k views
Postdoc with unusual working conditions
I applied for a postdoc at a lab in the US as I really liked
the work of that lab.
I had the initial interview with the professor and then with the lab members.
All went well and the professor ...
1
vote
0answers
75 views
Should I apply for a second masters degree (PSI master's program) after already having done a dual degree in physics?
I am a master's student in India, supposed to apply for PhD applications this year. However, I am still unsure of what I want to pursue in my PhD program. Meanwhile, I came across PSI's one-year ...
-2
votes
3answers
357 views
How to report a misconduct in methods in an article published by a top journal anonymously?
I found a potential wrong application of machine learning validation methods in one paper recently published in Nature Energy, which is the best energy journal (>50 impact factors). The authors ...
13
votes
3answers
3k views
Will taking unpaid leave hurt tenure process?
I am in the last year of my tenure clock and will be submitting my tenure package this Fall. However, I will not be able to teach on campus this Fall partly due to COVID-19 disruption (school closing ...
1
vote
3answers
216 views
How does the lockdown affect the application and admission processes in the Western Europe, Scandinavia, and the US?
I am about to submit my PhD thesis and thus my studentship will terminate. Along with my studentship, naturally, my scholarship and my stipend also will be gone.
I have some savings, but I doubt I can ...
-3
votes
1answer
97 views
Choosing between institutes amid a pandemic [closed]
I have been offered an admit at a institute closer to my house. I also have the option to upgrade to a slightly better institute which is more than 1000 miles away from my home. Although classes will ...
6
votes
0answers
186 views
May F1 students with a US PhD receive their stipend if they leave the country? [closed]
I am considering returning to my home country since my PhD classes are being offered optionally online (which means we can take them both in person or online) for the fall semester, and the US state I ...
1
vote
1answer
133 views
With GRE not being accepted or being considered optional due to Covid, which other aspects of application will be given heavier weightage? [closed]
Due to COVID-19 many universities (at least many Physics departments) are not accepting or are considering the GRE as optional. So, which other aspects of my application might be given heavier ...
27
votes
2answers
1k views
Best practices to teach while wearing a mask
The title of the question pretty much says it all: starting Fall 2020, my university should resume face-to-face classes, requiring that
all faculty, staff, students, and visitors […] wear an ...
6
votes
2answers
169 views
Posting commentary papers to preprint repositories
Short version:
We noticed a problematic but influential preprint, wrote a commentary paper to criticize and rebut it, but were not able to post the comment to any public preprint repository. In this ...
5
votes
0answers
193 views
What are best practices for reducing cheating in online tests? [closed]
I would like to know how can universities conduct exams of mathematical subjects during coronavirus.
My university is not willing to let us be tested from afar because of the claim that in this case, ...
1
vote
1answer
290 views
What is the fair way to grade in this pandemic?
I am a second-year student at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research.
There's been a lot of discussions among students and faculty in my institute regarding the grading system to be ...
1
vote
1answer
130 views
Outreach activities in the COVID era
All the outreach activities planned this year for my project have been cancelled due to COVID-19 disruptions.
These include Summer math camp for high school students and seminar in local high schools.
...
3
votes
1answer
132 views
Missed registration deadline that was not announced for second exam of a course, how should I proceed?
I am an undergraduate student in Germany.
Due to scheduling problems I couldn't attend an exam last semester. Subsequently, because of COVID-19, the date for the second exam was unknown. To register ...
2
votes
1answer
211 views
Should I choose a “Pass” grade instead of a letter grade due to the study disruption during the Covid-19? [closed]
I understand this question has been asked in this forum. But I still want to have some advice on my case.
I am current a research master student in one of the top universities in Canada. In the last ...
3
votes
0answers
73 views
Is there a repository for copyrighted academic video lectures?
As the Covid-19 pandemic spread out everybody’s moving to teach online. Would it be possible to post online my video lectures, without sacrificing copyrights, i.e. posting them with a warranty that (...
1
vote
2answers
197 views
What will replace math exams in 2020/21 given covid-19? [closed]
A lot of universities are expecting not to be able to run in-person exams for at least part of the 2020/21 academic year. I believe, for example, that no UK universities is currently planning to hold ...
3
votes
3answers
102 views
How to proceed if email asking for a recommendation letter hasn't gotten a response after 3 weeks (during COVID-19 pandemic)?
I know this question has been asked before but here is the Covid-19 Pandemic Edition:
I emailed my professor asking if they would consider writing me a LOR almost a month ago and haven't gotten a ...
2
votes
0answers
137 views
Should I contact professors in Europe to enquire about PhD positions given the ongoing pandemic?
I am a 2nd year masters student in Mathematics in an Asian University and my masters will be completed this month.
I wrote to professors in December and January asking about open positions in their ...
8
votes
1answer
473 views
How can I tactfully decline my supervisor's suggestion and set boundaries?
New here. So I just started my postdoc about a month ago (great time to start a postdoc during a pandemic I know). Learning the ropes and trying to kinda set my own path in the lab has been ...
1
vote
2answers
198 views
Covid gap year and grad school admissions
I'm a sophomore at a public university in the U.S. I'm thinking of taking a year off before my junior year, but I'm worried I'll have to explain the gap in my transcript when I apply to math grad ...
1
vote
1answer
160 views
Should I take an S/NS grade during COVID19 if I want to go to grad school?
I am currently a graduating senior. The course in question is within my department, but will count as an elective (since I have already met the requirements, I just took this class for the experience)....
1
vote
0answers
44 views
Best cheap printer for printing papers? [closed]
What's the best cheap printer (hopefully under $100) for printing papers? Need one because of the COVID situation.
9
votes
2answers
987 views
Retroactively Awarding Extra Exam Time
Since the beginning of the Corona Virus pandemic and the adaptation to distance learning, I have had to adapt my classes to hold exams via video calls. In previous semesters when I've had students ...
4
votes
0answers
124 views
GRE Subject Test and COVID-19
A far as my research can find, ETS has waived rescheduling fees for taking the GRE and has canceled all test dates for all tests through September 2020. They also have an at home option for the ...
3
votes
1answer
157 views
What are the benefits and drawbacks of timed online exams? [closed]
I have seen several ideas for online exams but one thing that is not fully discussed is what are the advantages and disadvantages of timed exams? This will be helpful to many, especially during these ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Is it appropriate to express concerns to a professor about a new exam format?
I'm taking a math class at community college. The class has three regular exams (25% of grade) and a final (25%). Normally, the professor generously grades the fifteen-question exams with partial ...
6
votes
3answers
495 views
PhD dissertation burnout duing pandemic (COVID-19)
I am in the process of writing my PhD thesis and it happens to be during the global pandemic crisis. My submission date was supposed to be June 2020 (we are in April 2020), but my supervisor has been ...
61
votes
13answers
17k views
Other students can easily cheat on a test and the grading system is relative - should I cheat, and what else can I do?
Amid the pandemic, a test that has traditionally been in-class is now planned to be held as follows:
The examiner starts a Zoom conference.
The students join the conference from their homes, turning ...
65
votes
8answers
9k views
Can online recording of work area at home be made a mandatory criterion for passing exams midway through a course?
Right now with the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada I believe most Ontario universities and colleges have their classes online, and my university decided to do that as well. With this in mind, many of our ...
3
votes
1answer
113 views
What are the best practices for teaching second-language students in classes that have moved online mid-semester due to COVID-19?
I'm working on a research project for one of my university's departments that supports professional development and teaching development for our faculty and grad students. We are expanding our ...
1
vote
1answer
100 views
How to explain a missing grade card in unofficial transcript for online graduate application?
I'm an international pre-final year undergraduate student. My undergraduate degree consists of 8 semesters and I'm currently in the 6th semester. I'm hoping to apply to US mathematics graduate schools ...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
Accepting a graduate program. Enrollment in two graduate programs? Transferring Universities
I work at University A. I applied to UA's MA program and was accepted. It starts in the summer. Because I already work for UA, my MA is funded and I've already taken several classes at non-degree ...
2
votes
2answers
317 views
Can my PhD admission offer be rescinded due to COVID-19?
I had applied to some PhD programs to start the upcoming fall semester. I have got two offers. Tomorrow, April 15th, is the deadline for accepting or declining admission offers. I accepted one of the ...
4
votes
1answer
178 views
technologies for remote proctoring / invigilating [closed]
I'm interested in a video solution (think Zoom) that would allow an
invigilator to see a number of candidates on the screen but which does
not allow candidates to see each other. Are there any such
...
22
votes
5answers
4k views
Can the university force me to share my courses publicly online? I want to use my course material to write a book in the future [closed]
As a response for the Covid-19 pandemic, my university built an electronic platform, and is now ordering professors to share their courses on it.
The school platform is open to the public, so I'd ...
3
votes
1answer
278 views
COVID-19 - Should I start applying for other jobs having accepted a post-doc verbal offer months ago?
I accepted a verbal post-doc offer from my future PI through email in late January. The university has asked me to fill out some forms for paperwork and visa application from time to time since then (...
1
vote
0answers
260 views
Cheating tendencies for open- versus closed-book online exams
Like many faculty, I am forced to give online exams for the first time this semester. (See I need help adapting my academic workflow to the COVID-19/coronavirus crisis – where do I start? for ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Missed Assignment due to Covid-19 [closed]
I was flying from Canada back home, after all the in-person classes and tests were canceled.
So my country(Kazakhstan) has strict laws that were enforced in regard of the new pandemic. They include ...
53
votes
8answers
14k views
Avoiding “Zoom bombing” in virtual conferences and seminars
With travel restricted by the COVID-19 pandemic, many academics are organizing online seminars and conferences as a substitute for regular in-person university seminars, colloquia, and research ...
2
votes
1answer
96 views
Efficiency techniques for recording screencast lectures
I use notetaking software on my tablet to write lecture notes, and then I record myself reading and explaining my lecture notes. I use those recordings as teaching.
However, I find it very time ...
2
votes
2answers
321 views
Cancelled Summer Program due to COVID-19
I am sure this question has been asked in some capacity on this site. I am a first year graduate student. I was contracted for a summer program that would have looked very good on my CV about 6 weeks ...
1
vote
2answers
662 views
COVID-19 Pass/Fail Option [duplicate]
I am currently an undergraduate student, and looking to apply to grad schools in the future. In response to COVID-19, my school is offering the ability between choosing the letter grade earned to ...
6
votes
1answer
413 views
Progress to Ph.D. delayed due to COVID-19: How to convince advisor to let me finish degree without taking an extra year?
I’m doing my Ph.D. research in cognitive development using in-person experiments with children, which has stopped indefinitely due to COVID-19. I passed my preliminary exam last month, so I only need ...
2
votes
0answers
102 views
Tools for Asynchronous Virtual Conferences in COVID-19 Aera
Due to COVID-19, we decided to move our conference to a virtual event. Since we have a problem in our community with different timezones we want to have not a synchronous event (i.e. a big telco with ...
1
vote
0answers
112 views
Can admission/funding (PhD) of international student be cancelled due to corona virus situation?
Is it possible that a school cancel the admission and/or funding of an international student because he/she cannot travel because of the current travel bans? What are the possible scenarios for the ...
1
vote
2answers
537 views
Should I be worried about low undergraduate grades during the COVID-19 crisis affecting grad school admission chances?
I'm currently in my undergraduate junior year studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Waterloo in Canada. I'm hoping to apply for Top 10 US grad schools in mechanical engineering in about ...
12
votes
2answers
3k views
How can I tell if I'm making enough progress when working remotely?
I am starting a PhD abroad, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic I cannot leave my country at the moment. My advisor has agreed that I can work remotely (starting later is not an option). While we can ...
6
votes
2answers
924 views
Who might lose a job in academia due to covid19? [closed]
With covid19 continues to spread, this might affect the universities in the next semesters as the number of students might drop and many universities are offering cheap online degrees compared with ...
