Approaching the End of 2020

The monitoring, updating and revising of policy and administrative procedures is a deliberative process requiring significant time to decipher law, collaborate with the appropriate parties, draft, vet and finalize for presidential and Board of Trustees approval. For some policies and procedures, the pandemic has taken the normal expected sequencing and placed it on steroids, accelerating the process.

By the first week of March 2020, the college’s cabinet began to meet for conference calls with state government officials to discuss an imminent pandemic heading our way. During the second week, a campus Coronavirus (COVID-19) medical taskforce was established. In addition, a credentialed medical director to co-chair the taskforce was soon installed to facilitate college communications and practices, as well as to collaborate with state and local health departments to track the scientific details on COVID-19, including medical statistics showing the virus’ insidious trajectory. By week three, faculty and staff were thrust into working from home by a state stay-at-home executive order, while simultaneously tasked with flipping all classes to an online delivery during the very same week that students were off campus on spring break, with the aim of being ready to begin the new semester upon their return.

After all these operational challenges unfolded, there was catch-up work to be done in order to get policy and administrative procedures appropriately revised within the areas of operations, academics, student services and human resources. Everything needed to align with state issued executive orders that seemed to emerge almost on a weekly basis. Once the stay-at-home executive order eased to a lower level phase, the college was able to bring faculty, staff and students back to campus. The number of individuals allowed back was limited with strict mandated medical protocols implemented. This action spurred yet another round of fast-tracked policy and administrative procedure revisions in the areas listed above. This in turn triggered the issuance of communication plan updates to the college community and local governmental authorities, and additional restart plan submissions to the state. With each state executive order issued, there may have been and, in many cases, most did impact some aspect of standing policy and procedure practices. This has resulted in our new normal of a rapid-fire, expedient policy process – at least for now.

As the month of December wanes, from a human resources policy perspective, it is necessary to keep an eye on the federal mandate regarding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which has been in effective since April 1, 2020, ending December 31, 2020. The question - will this mandate be extended or will it lapse? The answer will dictate policy revision. Time will tell; uncertainty prevails.

Professionally, 2020 has proceeded with the most frenetic momentum and I am ready, more than ready, to have this aspect of the higher education realm return to what I once considered its mind-boggling glacial pace – I miss those days; really, what was I thinking – glacial pace!

The good news is a COVID-19 vaccine is on the horizon. Better days will come. I wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.