An undergraduate philosophy major writes:
As somebody with serious intentions to apply to PhD programs in philosophy in the coming year or two, depending on how "gap year" plans pan out, and who will almost certainly be applying to JD programs, I have a question that I suspect many younger readers of the blog share.
The transition to online courses will, of course, be disastrous, especially for those disciplines (namely, philosophy) that value and require classroom discussion. All-around, this is going to be a logistical nightmare -- especially for graduating seniors, with thesis defenses and such -- and I, alongside many others, am searching for ways to best streamline the process of finishing degree requirements, while also juggling other exigencies--personal and academic--of the moment.
In my case, that (potentially) means doing away with courses that are, in relation to degree requirements, entirely supererogatory. I am, for instance, currently enrolled in an advanced course on Early Analytic Philosophy that, while of immense interest, doesn't at this point make much sense to pursue in the digital format, if I don't have to.
This will mean--at least on our academic calendar, post-Add/Drop--opting for one of those forbidden "W's" on the transcript, and therefore requiring elaboration/justification on future applications.
My question, then, is whether citing coronavirus turmoil will, in the eyes of admissions committees, be sufficient justification for a withdrawal or related changes in enrollment.
I would personally hope and suspect so, but I also worry that, because this problem is a universal one, the expectation is that all students simply deal with it.
A couple of thoughts, and then I'll open it for comments from other faculty. First, a "W" is not that big a deal, even in ordinary circumstances, and certainly not now: everyone knows that the Spring of 2020 (and maybe the fall of 2021?) are world-historic times and tons of transcripts everywhere will reflect that. Second, the transition to online courses, even in philosophy, will not be "disastrous," even if it is inferior to the more casual back-and-forth that is possible in a seminar setting. One of my kids is in a philosophy course right now, and the instructor is pre-recording some lectures on the readings, which students will watch on their own time, and then they will meet via Zoom for a virtual discussion section once per week. That sounds like a sensible plan and should work decently. The bottom line is that I wouldn't worry: focus on your work, drop the courses that you can't complete under the circumstances, and rest assured everyone knows that these are singular times.
