Emergency Remote Learning (ERL)
The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic created unprecedented levels of stress and instability for students and professors alike. With growing financial fears, supply issues, and overall chaos, students' emotional needs were changing. Dr. Whiteside and Ensmann examine that in this study and employ the Social Presence Model (SPM) as a guiding framework. By focusing on the student experience of remote learning, the importance of connectedness, adaptability, and relationship cultivation became quite clear in the face of students deep anxieties. Ultimately, compassion, empathy, and flexibility will be ever more important to the academic system.