DLA Fellows continue to provide support virtually to the campus community
For the campus community, the DLA Fellows program has not changed much due to the pandemic. Fellows continue to consult with faculty, staff, and students, lead open workshops, and support class projects, but they now do so virtually through Zoom. Since March 2020, DLA Fellows have led two virtual workshops on 3D printing and video editing and DLA Apprentices have continued their training as they did before by completing an online training course created in Canvas.
Behind the scenes, however, processes and projects have changed somewhat. Before the pandemic, DLA Fellows worked closely during their office hours with their supervisor, Christine Iannicelli, in a shared office space. This helped facilitate impromptu meetings and troubleshooting sessions. Now, DLA Fellows work independently at home or in their dorms and use Microsoft Teams to check-in with Christine and each other.
While this change could have complicated matters, the end result has been very positive and empowering for the program and those involved.
“DLA Fellows Tiffini Eckenrod and Elijah Ward and DLA Apprentice Jane Walker have taken the initiative this year to manage their own projects and time, develop their own workshops, create videos and marketing materials, and meet independently with faculty and students with little oversight,” Christine Iannicelli explains. “The student workers have really stepped up in these tough times to continue advancing the program and ensuring that their presence on campus is still felt, even in a virtual environment. They have proven themselves to be responsible, creative, and dedicated to the program.”
As the digital liberal arts at Ursinus continues to evolve, so too will the DLA Fellows program. The digital studies minor provides additional opportunities for DLA Fellows to embed in classes that have digital components and Fellows plan on starting a podcast in the near future where they will discuss digital tools and the role of technology in higher education.
To learn more about the DLA Fellows and/or make an appointment to meet with them virtually, consult this website.