Exploring faculties' teaching approaches within higher education dietetics programs during COVID ‐19

The COVID‐19 pandemic caused nutrition faculty in higher education to face unprecedented challenges balancing rigorous academic standards with providing grace for outside circumstances. An online, observational cross‐sectional survey determined how nutrition faculty explored approaches to balancing these concepts and gauged perceived impacts on students' educational experience. Faculty defined rigor and grace as engaging students with challenging standards while also using a flexible, human‐first approach. However, they received little guidance on how to maintain rigorous course standards. As educators navigate a post‐pandemic world, an institutional response is needed to empower instructors to balance rigor and grace in ways that maximize student outcomes.