Message from the Dean
Two weeks ago, our students returned to campus. The building is filled with classes and buzzing with conversation; many are concerned
how their fellow students spent the end of spring and summer. It’s almost as if things are back to normal.
Perhaps a better way to put it is that things are back to the "new normal". For example, our "Doughnuts with the Dean" days (MCOB t-shirts and Krispy Kreme doughnuts) that kick off the semester were retitled to "No Doughnuts or Dean but T-Shirts and Breakfast Bars". Our Mitchell Ambassadors stuffed MCOB t-shirts, neck gaiters (for off campus use), and breakfast bars into zip-lock bags, two weeks before classes started. The bags were given out to socially distanced students by Ambassadors wearing masks and face shields.
I applaud our students for embracing the socially distanced, mask required classroom. Students and faculty wear masks when inside the building and are reminded to maintain social distance when transitioning between classes. Seating in the College classrooms, Mitchell Learning Resource Center, offices, and common areas have been arranged with at least six feet spacing.
Our faculty are also to be applauded; they have been asked to make an extra effort to engage students during this unusual time. Our faculty with underlying health conditions or caregiver responsibilities are teaching their classes online. For those teaching on campus, the pandemic has necessitated changes in the traditional classroom. Due to social distance requirements, classroom capacity has been limited. Some classes have been divided into teams with students attending lectures in person on one scheduled day and virtually on another. All lectures are live-streamed for students unable to attend; these lectures are recorded and available for all students to review.
The University worked tirelessly over the summer to allow students to return to campus in a safe manner. Student move-ins were staggered over the week before the start of classes and all students were given mandatory health checks and COVID-19 testing before entering campus. In addition, an app was developed to monitor student, faculty and staff health on an on-going basis. There were also changes made to the fall class schedule. The traditional Convocation for freshman was done virtually. Fall break was eliminated and classes will end the week of Thanksgiving with finals to follow online the following week.
All campus faculty, student committee and organization meetings are being held virtually. Our planned Executive Leadership Speaker series, our Ethics Lecture, and Senior Seminar will also take place via Zoom. The annual recognition of National Business Women’s Week in October will consist of live-streamed and recorded sessions. If you are interested in participating in the NBWW activities, please let me know.
It’s week three and things are moving forward. The speed and smoothness of adapting to the changes is remarkable. With everyone working together, we will get past these challenges and move forward.
Bob