To: Dr. Erika Paterson
From: Anusha Saleem
Date: 14th October 2020
Subject: Proposal for improving the Quality of Social Life among Returning UBC Students
Introduction
In the unique setting of a university, students learn to interact with and befriend other students from different countries, with varying customs and viewpoints of the world. These interactions shape the formative years of a student’s life and provide them with an experience that they can translate into their professional lives when interacting with members of the society.
As the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges worldwide, all the educational institutions (including universities) have transferred their medium of instruction to online platforms. Although this resolves the issue of gaining an education, it does present a hindrance to students in regards to forming and flourishing new social connections in the academic year of 2020-2021.
Statement of Problem
Due to COVID-19, all university classes are online, and many students aren’t present on campus. Hence, returning UBC students are likely to experience a drastic change in their previous year at UBC as opposed to the current year in regards to opportunities for social interactions and extracurricular activities, which are a vital part of the university experience.
Proposed Solution
A feasible solution to improve the quality of social life among returning UBC students is to offer a combination of opportunities that include in-person meetings while keeping in line with the current BC guidelines for COVID-19 safety. Also, a social media platform can launch that can allow for discussions amongst students in a space separate from UBC and include activities that are voted and monitored by students.
Scope
To assess the feasibility of improving the quality of social life among returning UBC students, I plan to look into the following areas of inquiry:
1) What is the magnitude of the impact which transitioning to online classes has on the social lives of returning students?
2) What is the percentage of students who are willing to utilize their time for improving their social lives and networking?
3) Is it feasible to host small events physically while keeping up with the current BC guidelines for COVID-19?
4) How many students are willing to put in the effort required to socialize in an online space versus in a physical space?
5) Do students consider online social interactions to be as meaningful as in-person social interactions?
Methods
For my primary resource, I will reach out to interview returning UBC students. I will also conduct surveys that will allow me to collect opinions and information regarding my areas of inquiry.
My Qualifications
I am a current BCS student who is new to Canada. I have spent the last year attending UBC, making friends and increasing interactions with other students who I got to meet due to sharing some form of an extracurricular activity. Because COVID-19 moved the university experience to an online space, I have personally seen a decline in the quality of my social life. I know that I am not alone in feeling this way, and I hope to help all students with what is a vital part of their university experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I aim to help my fellow students in getting through this pandemic without compromising on new and exciting networking opportunities.
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