During Summer Session II, all incoming students were pre-enrolled in an optional, free, online course to help them understand the historical, biological and societal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The free course, “Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions,” uses the online platform Moodle to educate the incoming class about global pandemics and broaden their understanding of multidisciplinary problem-solving by connecting over 50 faculty members from various disciplines to educate students on the past, present and future impacts of pandemics. Students who complete the course will earn two interdisciplinary GEP credits.

Associate Department Head of NC State’s Biological Sciences Jane Lubischer is the lead instructor of “Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions.” 

According to Lubischer, the goal of this course is to help the incoming class understand the origin and long-term impacts of COVID-19. However, the course also brings incoming students together in a virtual learning environment before they start coursework in the fall.

“We know this is a really tough time to graduate from high school and start college. Things are so weird and uncertain and we really wanted to try to do something to bring the whole incoming class together, even if it is virtual,” Lubischer said. 

Lubischer said that university faculty wanted to give the incoming class a common experience that would allow them to connect with their peers as well as NC State faculty. 

A final goal of “Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions,” according to Lubischer, is to help incoming students understand the importance of diverse, interdisciplinary thinking when handling adverse situations such as COVID-19. By introducing incoming freshmen to the connection between different disciplines, the University is hoping to inspire their students to “Think” about wicked problems from various angles and “Do” the impossible job of finding a solution. 

Bryan Wilson, an incoming first-year studying mechanical engineering, is participating in the course this summer.

“The only way you can really solve a quote-unquote ‘wicked problem’ is to be willing to look at it from different perspectives and approaches,” Wilson said.

Wilson also said he was surprised how many disciplines, including archeology, ecology, history, microbiology and statistics, were involved in understanding COVID-19 and similar complex problems.

Wilson said he was surprised by what he learned about NC State’s response to the pandemic while working through this course. 

“I never thought that, collectively, the staff was trying to and prioritizing researching it and trying to stop it rather than staying away from it.” Wilson said. “I like the fact that they aren’t shying away from it and not only trying to understand what is going on, but that they want their students to understand what exactly is going on from these diverse perspectives.” 

Currently, the University has made the “Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions” course available to only the approximately 5,000 incoming first-year students, according to Lubischer.

“It’s really hard to target a course for a first-year student and a senior,” Lubischer said. 

She also said the University targeted first-year students instead of upperclassmen because they felt that first-year students would benefit from it the most while they try to adapt to college classes in the fall.

“Your success in college really depends on your experience in your first year,” Lubischer said. “I think every incoming class should have this common experience and this exposure to all sorts of faculty and disciplines all across the spectrum because really, when you come to college, it’s about discovering new things and kind of having your mind blown about what’s all out there.”

Although only first-year students can participate in this course, Lubischer encourages all students to go to the NCSU COVID-19 response website and explore the resources there. 

For any first-year student interested in participating in the free course, visit the NCSU “Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solution” website.