Southwestern University 2020 Annual Report

16 New Look, Same Spirit When the Southwestern University campus closed down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, administrators did not pause long to mourn what might have been. Instead, they quickly formed the Southwestern University Campus Readiness Task Force to help determine when and how the University would resume face-to-face learning and residential life in the fall. Led by Dean of Faculty and Professor of Political Science Alisa Gaunder, Vice President for Student Life Jaime Woody, and Vice President for Finance and Administration Craig Erwin, the task force included staff representing key offices and faculty with expertise relevant to the ongoing crisis. Over the summer, the members of the task force met with medical practitioners, immunologists, and public-health specialists to determine how the Southwestern community could live, learn, teach, and work together safely in the fall. The University’s Facilities Management team spent the summer working overtime to assess classrooms and residence halls and determine how many students could occupy public spaces while remaining six feet from one another. The team mapped pedestrian traffic flow, installed signage, and laid out furniture in classrooms and common areas, including new outdoor seating provided by generous donors, to promote physical distancing. Dining options changed to facilitate socializing while physical distancing and to accommodate students who preferred to eat alfresco or in the comfort of their rooms and apartments. While students can enjoy meals together in the Commons, with plexiglass barriers taking the place of masks to block respiratory droplets, they also can choose grab-and-go options. All students, faculty, and staff were asked to sign the Pirate Pledge, in which they agreed to properly wear clean masks, adhere to physical distancing, wash their hands frequently and thoroughly, clean and disinfect their study and work spaces, monitor their health, and respect the health and well-being of others. Face coverings are required on campus; the only exceptions are when individuals are in their residence-hall rooms, working in single-person offices, or dining. Our students’ smiles may be hidden, but their eyes are full of hope for the future.