ABSTRACT
Despite vacillating national discourses on immigration policy and complications of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a growing number of cities continue affiliating with the international "welcoming movement.” The welcoming movement consists of a transnational network of municipalities in partnership with nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and other sectors of society that are implementing receptivity plans, policies, practices, and branding initiatives. Within this context, how are welcoming cities responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as one example of their place branding practices? Through a qualitative scan of municipalities' primary documents, policies, plans, websites, and municipal leaders' public pronouncements, this study contributes to understanding of immigrant receptivity processes and intersections with municipal place branding practices amid a pandemic by assessing their pandemic responses within a nationwide network of Welcoming Cities in the United States. Although there are burgeoning welcoming cities networks in other immigrant-receiving societies, this network was selected because they are the first, most established and comprehensive national network of cities with over 100 municipal affiliates. The findings offer scholarly and applied insights regarding place branding practices for immigrant and refugee integration and receptivity. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.
ABSTRACT
The online pivot has opened many people's eyes to new possibilities and challenges in the postpandemic world. This article describes what five geographers in three different countries learned from the experiment and assesses how the lessons can be carried forward. One of the big surprises for some of us was the extent to which students were open to different ways of learning during the 2020–2021 academic year. It is clear that some students wish to continue their programs either partially or completely online, although it is also clear that students continue to enjoy field work. The online pivot also showed us that assessment needs to be reexamined, student stress levels need to be lowered, and inequities among students need to be addressed. There are challenges associated with online education across international borders. From a faculty perspective, we have found that nobody needs to be isolated from research opportunities and collaboration, but there are also limits on what we can do. There are growing threats to academic freedom, and we need to move faculty away from precarious employment. Finally, some of us learned the importance of work–life balance. © 2022 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
ABSTRACT
The online pivot has opened many people's eyes to new possibilities and challenges in the postpandemic world. This article describes what five geographers in three different countries learned from the experiment and assesses how the lessons can be carried forward. One of the big surprises for some of us was the extent to which students were open to different ways of learning during the 2020-2021 academic year. It is clear that some students wish to continue their programs either partially or completely online, although it is also clear that students continue to enjoy field work. The online pivot also showed us that assessment needs to be reexamined, student stress levels need to be lowered, and inequities among students need to be addressed. There are challenges associated with online education across international borders. From a faculty perspective, we have found that nobody needs to be isolated from research opportunities and collaboration, but there are also limits on what we can do. There are growing threats to academic freedom, and we need to move faculty away from precarious employment. Finally, some of us learned the importance of work-life balance.