Keeping up with Arizona State’s “Sync” Hybrid Class Model

It’s likely that nobody had seen the United States getting put on hold this past March, but it happened.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, nothing was the same. Travel restrictions, lockdowns, and mask mandates are just a few consequences that have come with this new world.

A group of people most affected by this pandemic are college students, who saw their semesters finishing with online remote instruction.

At Arizona State, University President Michael Crow decided to go with a hybrid class model for the 2020–2021 school year.

It’s called “ASU Sync.” It allows for classes to be held in-person, for half the class each class period. On the next class meeting, the other half attends in-person. The opposite half of each class awaits their in-person day by attending the classes online via Zoom.

Very few classes are all in-person at ASU this year, and some are fully remote. If students wish to never come to class in-person in an “ASU Sync” hybrid class, they are granted their wish.

Many other schools across the country aren’t handling classes this way. Most are just going full-remote. Holliday Moore, an adjunct professor at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, believes that ASU Sync may simply be the only resort for the college.

Holliday Moore, a former journalism student at Arizona State, has come back to teach after working for many different TV and radio publications as a professional reporter. She’s also still working as a reporter for Phoenix, AZ’s NPR station, KJZZ.

“It has its benefits and its deterrents,” said Moore. “I do think it is working under the circumstances. It has to work…If you think about it, if we decided ‘No it won’t work,’ and we don’t go to school, that would be a brain drain to a magnificent degree.”

While this may be true, the vibe around campus still has an empty feel. In fact, the campus looks more desolate than ever.

At 6:15 pm, the First Amendment Forum at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism is usually full of students finishing up class prep, getting going on homework or having their eyes glued to their computers studying. In pandemic times, it’s empty, with just a few students in the back library as well.

Only one student is present in between the second and third floor of the Cronkite building despite all the seating set up for students to study. Even on a Tuesday, with classes the next day, the campus is about empty.

It’s the same deal on the third floor. The study spaces are vacant, despite typically being a draw of the Cronkite building after normal class time hours.

The 3rd floor computer lab at Cronkite is completely empty on Tuesday evening, a rare sight to see during Finals week. Students aren’t coming to campus these days.

Another view of the First Amendment Forum, where students are absent during what’s usually one of the busiest times of year for the Arizona State downtown Phoenix campus.

Many students are choosing to stay home instead of attending classes in-person even when given the option with Sync. Moore’s Advanced Radio Reporting class had just one student consistently come to class in-person.

There are many different theories and truths as to why this is happening, but one may be a flaw in the system.

“This semester, I basically was online,” said Spencer Cihak, an ASU Cronkite journalism student. “I tried going into the hybrid classes a couple of times, but I just realized my time would be better spent at my apartment doing the online option, than walking to class and either seeing a teacher basically talk to a computer, or even — I had a class where the teacher was also online. So going into class would’ve meant looking at a bigger screen than I would’ve already been looking at.”

Spencer Cihak is a sophomore at the Cronkite School. He has yet to have experienced a full year of all in-person classes in college due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s worth noting that students are still paying full tuition despite half (or all) of their classes not being even available in person.

Cihak sees the Sync model as more productive in some classes than in others. College in 2020 is complicated.

The COVID-19 Situation at Arizona State University since August 1st, including current active cases.

“I think in the sense of ‘Is it working?’ Yes,” said Cihak.

“I don’t think it’s anything like being in the classroom. I do think that, especially for classes that are more lecture-based, I think it was perfectly acceptable. I think it’s more of the hands-on classes that are the ones that are really hurting with the hybrid, online type of experience.”

Cihak interned with Sports Illustrated’s Arizona State athletics publication. Sports Illustrated had to shut down 86 publications due to problems that came up with COVID-19. ASU’s publication was one of the 86.

Therefore, his time with the publication was cut about a month short.

“I was super grateful to get the experience,” said Cihak. As for the publication suddenly going under, he admits to not necessarily seeing it coming.

“I think that it’s odd that they would only keep one PAC-12 affiliate (USC). ASU of course has one of the largest student bodies in the country. It really is a bummer that that’s the result; just not being able to continue.”

ASU will continue with this hybrid approach next semester. The university decided to have all classes be virtual this week — Finals week — to prevent students from travel after Thanksgiving.

Something else Arizona State did to try to limit COVID on campus was cancel fall break to avoid more travel and therefore accelerate the semester. They also shortened the semester by a full week in the process. They did this so that they could align the online Finals week with the week after Thanksgiving, and complete the acceleration and travel limitation.

These moves put a lot of stress on students, and weren’t well-received by many of them.

The University also has reported close to 3,250 coronavirus cases since the start of August.

Even with vaccines potentially on the way, it’s still unclear as to when the situation will get better, or when students will be interested in coming back to class.

As long as the hybrid model is in play, it will at least be a much different experience than any student ever imagined they would have to go through just a year ago.

ASU made attempts to create a better experience than the schools that just decided to go all-virtual.

It can be argued, however, that the amenities it sought to provide haven’t been as effective as planned.