We, students, parents and supporters of East Carolina University, understand that the COVID-19 pandemic threw the University into a very difficult position, requiring the rapid development of an online curriculum. We have been patient as we are all aware of how difficult this has been for everyone, however, it is time for East Carolina University to require professors to do their jobs and ACTUALLY TEACH CLASSES.

Many of the Undergraduate courses being offered at ECU are simply not providing a single bit of instruction. The assignments are posted and expected to be turned in by the due date, and then exams are given. Some professors have never seen the faces of their students! And many do not interact in any way with us-- including not responding to emails or voice mails. 

We think ECU is better than this. Teaching is an interactive process, and without the interaction, it is merely SELF-INSTRUCTION, which is simply not going to be successful for many young people. Students with learning differences especially get lost in these kind of independent-learning scenarios, and at a certain point, the only option becomes to drop a class due to failure. Well, the University is being PAID TO INSTRUCT THE STUDENTS. These failures must be addressed and not just swept under the rug. If the University is going to operate during a pandemic, it must ADJUST, to continue to provide the high quality education that ECU is known for, while being as safe as possible. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the overwhelming number of students who have had to take classes on a P/F basis, drop classes due to failure, and overall low grade point averages is real, measurable evidence of the fact that ACTUAL LEARNING IS SIMPLY NOT HAPPENING HERE. We are asking East Carolina University to take some responsibility for this failure by making some crucial changes.

We propose that the university develop some minimum guidelines for interaction between professors and students during the COVID-19 pandemic, so that students can count on connecting with the professors if needed. Students should have the option of choosing live, remote classes if this is what they need, and every single course that is a "required class" should be offered live (and recorded/posted for review for those students who may have trouble with internet or just want to be able to re-watch the class again). This would not only offer students the opportunity to process the course content live with the professor, but also to ask questions, and have time to connect with each other -- so important during this period of abject social isolation. 

We request that ECU offer at least 50% of their classes as "Live" remote learning classes, meaning the courses are interactive and taught live on a platform such as Zoom -- not prerecorded, and not just assignments and exams pre-posted on a website. Students who would prefer to log in on their own schedule and teach themselves the material could continue to have this option, by watching the course on their own. We are not suggesting that live attendance be mandatory -- just that it be AVAILABLE for those of us who want/need it.

We also propose that professors be required to have virtual office hours when they would be directly reachable by PHONE (not just email), so that students can communicate with them directly. If professors do not want students to have their personal cell phone numbers, the University could provide a way for them to forward their office phones to their home/cells. 

The current do-it-yourself education being offered by East Carolina University is substandard and is robbing our students of the education they are paying for and deserve to receive! It is simply not acceptable to us. We need more than this, and we believe East Carolina University should elevate its standards in this "new normal."