Member Stories, COVID-19 Pandemic: Kirsten Herold

“I think it is important to be empathetic with each other and the students.”

On the left is LEO Vice-President Kirsten Herold, on the right is Ann Arbor Campus Co-Chair Erin Lavin, pictured at UM-Dearborn Campus.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who are you? What classes do you teach? At which campus?

I’m Kirsten Herold, an LIV in the School of Public Health, Ann Arbor. I run a one-person writing lab. I don't teach classes, although I occasionally visit classes to conduct workshops. So my work is essentially one-on-one appointments. In addition, I am the chief administrator of the LEO contract for the union, so I have been insanely busy talking to lecturers and HR, communicating concerns to HR, writing FAQs for members, and generally trying to make sure we provide as much information and support as we possibly can during this difficult and scary time.

What has been your experience with transitioning to online instruction during the COVID-19 crisis?

So I have moved all appointments to phone and google doc. I have used phone appointments in the past, sparingly, when the student was out of town. I will say it is a lot harder to do so many in a row, and also to do appointments with folks you have never met or don't know well. It can be disorienting not to see their faces. On the other hand, it is distracting work in google docs and see your own face!

How has the university wide-transition to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted you personally?

Well, I am home a lot, and there are challenges with family and dogs having to understand that although I am here, I am really not very available for them when I am working. I am glad I have dogs though because they force me to get out of the house, even if that time is spent talking to members and admin on the phone.

What have you learned in this process that you’d like to share with others?

How important it is to be flexible. It is probably not possible to have the same learning outcomes as before or to craft a perfect class. Maybe that is OK. And I think it is important to be empathetic with each other and the students. We are all facing challenges, but for us adults, it is (hopefully) just a f*%&d up few months of life. Many of our students are losing once in a lifetime experiences, like graduation, or their senior recital. I also worry about their summer internships, things like that. Their education may really be impacted if this continues.

I also think it is really important we as lecturers have a voice, and that we are partners at the table -- to me the decision to give us TWO DAYS to move classes online was made with tenure-track folks in mind, who only teach one or at most two classes. But our members teach three or four! Maybe they should have asked us!!! Finally, it is important to keep a sense of perspective. Some of the complaints I am hearing now may end up seeming like small potatoes if we get to a point where loved ones are sick, even dying, can't get care, etc. Of course, if we get this right, we won't get to that point, but that does seem a bit like wishful thinking. Still, I am generally known as an optimist (the highest form of denial) so hopefully I will be wrong.

If you are a LEO member who would like to share your story during this major transition period, please fill out this long-answer questionnaire: https://forms.gle/D4tP75CPZ5oXsvLdA