Pivoting to Address Current Issues

Alexandrea Ravenelle, assistant professor of sociology within UNC’s College of Arts & Sciences and expert on the gig economy, is adapting her course content to incorporate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, in Ravenelle’s “Labor Force” class, she has featured guest speakers in her Zoom lectures to touch on how a pandemic-generated economic downturn could affect job search strategies. 

“I’m hoping their advice will help provide a bit of a morale boost to our seniors, who are graduating into a very different labor market,” said Ravenelle. 

Additionally, in Ravenelle’s “Fieldwork in Entrepreneurship” class, her students have been working on research and development of new services or products throughout the semester. In light of current events, many of her students have pivoted their projects to address COVID-19 through their work and are now conducting research to understand the impact of the virus on the local community.

“Typically the world doesn’t change this rapidly, but this gives them invaluable, active-learning experience in thinking on their feet,” said Ravenelle.

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