The Impact of the Pandemic on MoGen grad students: What the GSA survey results say

At this point in the pandemic, it's clear that one of the most impacted demographics throughout this entire ordeal has been students. During the early stages, a group of Molecular Genetics Graduate Student's Association (GSA) members realized a need to aid grad students in the Department of Molecular Genetics in this unanticipated event. Two of these members, current co-president Michelle Harwood and previous president Laura Hergott, agreed to sit down and discuss how the GSA gathered and addressed students' concerns throughout the pandemic." The GSA […] frequently utilizes surveys to gather data representing the students' perspective, rather than the perspective of only a few individuals in executive positions. […] By understanding how different students were coping and what their individual needs were, the GSA could better advocate for them, as well as to try to meet their needs as best as possible." notes Hergott. They recognized this event affected both the academic and personal lives of students in different ways. The GSA corresponds closely with faculty, which also helps address specific student concerns, allowing them to be dealt with one by one. It was also tricky to gauge student feelings during quarantine and isolation, which would otherwise normally come naturally from the conversation. As a result, with faculty support, the GSA launched two surveys examining the impact of COVID-19 on grad students. The surveys helped determine the various ways students coped and their needs so the GSA may advocate and support them during these trying times.  

Hergott wrote the first survey conducted a month after COVID emerged, while Harwood and co-president Nicola Case updated the second and launched after a year. They modelled the questions to inform the GSA to develop specific actions to relieve student stressors and how the organization can improve in their response rather than mere ratings. The first survey included inquiries about students' degree progress and levels of different types of stress (e.g. academic, financial, mental etc.). It also asked which resources are lacking due to being away from their lab or research node, how well informed they feel and what the department can do to improve that. The second survey asked the same questions, alongside how students' felt returning to lab and how their supervisor relationships were in these altered work environments. Notably, both had one of the highest response rates of any GSA survey. With 113 students filling it out in 2021 and 84 in 2020, Harwood noted, "This is considered a good response rate, compared to other surveys we’ve run on different topics."  

Generally, the results suggested issues with transparency and clarity during the different stages of the pandemic, with Harwood stating: "Overall, students are looking for more transparency." In the first survey, the main issues were the need for recognition by the Department and PIs that this is an unexpected situation and that students may not be at peak productivity during this time. The second survey revealed feelings that vaccine rollout was unequal between research nodes, with some institutes receiving them earlier than others. Although the Department did not have a direct role in the vaccine rollout, students wished for more clarity and updates during the process. Another noteworthy finding revealed financial concerns, highlighting that stipend amounts are usually not enough to support a comfortable working from home environment. In addition, students lack sufficient insurance coverage for mental health resources.

The main differences between the two surveys were the main stressors for students. The first survey highlighted primarily academic and health-related concerns due to lab closures and the uncertainty of the pandemic. Furthermore, the second survey emphasized mental and social stress due to isolation, lack of motivation, and pandemic burnout. One meaningful takeaway was that while difficulties in navigating and maintaining supervisor relationships and mental health have always been the mainstays of grad school, the pandemic has exacerbated it even further. 

When it came to the impact on research projects, it varies from lab to lab and depends on the nature of the work. For instance, while computational and bioinformatics work and collaborating with others abroad may have remained relatively consistent, operations involving direct lab and animal work had stalled and slowed in progress. Some research didn't completely stop, but many students had to extend their projects and, by proxy, their graduation date. People couldn't just walk into other labs due to capacity and scheduling limits. Some labs even switched to COVID-19 research and either delayed or incorporated it into their initial projects.   

What motivated both Harwood, Hergott, and others to join the GSA and make these surveys was making tangible change and positive impacts in students' lives. The productive relationship maintained with the faculty facilitates this change, which allowed the GSA to roll out their measures. After the first release, the GSA facilitated online social engagement such as trivia events, dream team coffee times, and sustaining the annual Career Alumni Symposiums and Retreats. The retreats in 2020 and 2021 included wellness workshops, engaging all department members in a conversation about mental health. In addition, the Department and faculty members took more measures to ensure the maintenance of healthy faculty-student relationships. Examples include providing SGS-encouraged student-PI meetings, filling out the Individual Development Plan (IDP) annually, and addressing mentor relationship concerns and differing expectations within the Department. Furthermore, they created a centralized location for COVID-19 resources and information to direct students towards. Although more progress is needed, says Harwood and Hergott, these measures are a step in the right direction.  

As seen above, the GSA worked with faculty and the department to alleviate student concerns, especially when it comes to mental health. Due to this, students need to engage with the GSA channels and surveys to best advocate for their members. The tribulation of completing a graduate degree only emphasizes the importance of good social relationships and mental health. Part of that is staying updated on and participating in MoGen departmental and GSA news and events; students can view these on their respective websites and social media channels listed below. Even with the prospects of the pandemic calming down due to the increased vaccination rate, the topics covered here won't lose relevancy but rather, hopefully, will become more destigmatized.   

*Visit the GSA website for more details and to catch up with grad student-related news and updates!