English Professor Recognized for Community-Building During the Pandemic

Written by Stephanie Salazar. Cover photo by Richard Feldman.

On April 22, the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence recognized Kate Ozment, assistant professor in the Department of English and Modern Languages, as a Wall of COOL (Celebrating Outstanding Opportunities for Learning) recipient for her community-building work in her Literary Theory and Cultural Studies (ENG 3010) online course in spring 2021.

CAFE recognizes four faculty members or faculty teams every year from any college, department, or unit that effectively use technology in their courses to enhance student learning and success. 

Ozment quickly recognized that although Zoom brought everyone together during the pandemic, it also brought a definitive end to the classroom discussions once the video conference ended. 

With platforms like Discord and Perusall, Ozment was able to drive collaboration and enhance her students learning experiences — but more importantly, she was able to build supportive digital communities and form a deeper connection with her students during a time of profound isolation. 

“A platform is always just a platform. My communities were great because my students were great,” said Ozment. “They took care of each other, and they created a good environment.”

Ozment shared that about two-thirds of her students from her virtual ENG 3010 course went on to take an in-person class with her in fall 2021, where they were able to build off the relationships they formed online. 

“My second semester with those students was one of the best teaching experiences I’ve ever had, and I truly credit that to the community we built through small, everyday things like sharing our dogs, our snacks, our games, and our lives,” said Ozment. 

To learn more about CAFE’s Wall of COOL recipients, visit www.cpp.edu/cafe/cool.