I write to clarify data included in Sept. 8 article “In-person, hybrid or online: How do this semester’s courses break down?” The article stated: “The College of Communication and Information, at 20.52 percent, has the lowest percentage of in-person courses…”

The data point referenced is the percentage of our course sections coded as “traditional” by the university. Our college also offered 31.27 percent of our sections as “hybrid,” which also includes in-person instruction. Hybrid sections split students into groups that attend on alternating days to accommodate CDC-recommended classroom spacing. In total, 51.79 percent of CI’s sections for Fall 2020 have an in-person instructional component, most meeting at least once a week. 

Our peer colleges also cited in the article as having low “in-person” instruction similarly use a combination of traditional and hybrid delivery. Arts and Sciences (48.16 percent) and Health Sciences (43.42 percent) offered a strong mix of sections using traditional and hybrid in-person approaches. Combining traditional and hybrid classifications, 56.27 percent of UK’s 4,987 course sections include some in-person instruction this semester. 

While the College of Communication and Information is slightly below that percentage, we are home to one of the largest and oldest fully online programs, Library Science, as well as a newer online graduate degree in Information Communication Technology. Removing 33 sections in those fully online graduate programs, the college has 58.03 percent of sections featuring in-person instruction.

Each UK college worked to provide a blend of modalities right for its students, and each could offer its own context for the data presented. I commend the Kernel working to make sense of complex data and helping document an unprecedented semester.

When President Eli Capilouto promised a robust residential experience for Fall 2020, the College of Communication and Information, like our peer colleges, rose to the challenge. I could not be more proud of our faculty and staff in delivering to students a choice of learning wholly online or face to face on the beautiful UK campus. 

Sincerely, 

Jennifer Greer, Dean, Communication and Information  

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