1/ In discussions about onsite #highered classes for Fall 2020, it’s helpful to distinguish between different questions — Can? Should? Will? How? (Oversimplifications/generalizations ahead. I blame character limits.)

2/ “CAN we hold F20 classes onsite?” Seems like admins nationwide are approaching this chiefly as a facilities and process puzzle where the criterion is mainly contagion mitigation.

3a/ “SHOULD we hold F20 classes onsite?” Folks who disagree on the answer seem to be answering from different criteria.

3b/ Emphasizing enrollment, retention, tuition revenue, and residential-community ethos draw some toward “We SHOULD.” Pedagogical and health-risk considerations draw others toward “We SHOULD NOT.”

3c/ Every #highered institution will witness a variety of judgments among admins, faculty, staff, students, parents about whether we SHOULD.

4a/ “WILL we hold F20 classes onsite?” At most schools, the administration holds the power to answer this question. Admins who think we CAN and SHOULD will likely decide that we WILL.

4b/ The degree to which faculty members individually and in organized groups (associations, senates, unions) can influence the WILL decision varies from school to school, even from administrator to administrator.

5a/ “HOW will we teach F20 classes onsite?” is a question faculty must answer at schools where admins have said that we WILL, even if the faculty believe that we SHOULD NOT.

5b/ Most individual faculty have limited ability to change the WILL question once it’s been answered by admins. But we have the responsibility and the power to answer HOW.

6a/ If your admins have decided that you WILL offer onsite F20 classes in the fall, and you ask HOW, it’s not really helpful to have peers answer, “you SHOULDN’T,” even if you agree that they’re correct.

6b/ So what I’m really pleading for here is: can we please be clear about what conversation we’re having at any given time, and try to advance each conversation helpfully?

7/ Footnote: I realize this thread may sound a little grumpy or even defensive. But hey, if you can’t be grumpy and defensive on Twitter, why does it even exist? LOL.