By Jeff L. Pittman
STLCC chancellor
Over the last few weeks, it has been proven to me that uncertainty can spark innovation. When challenged, the human spirit can more than meet the demand.
As the world is in the grips of COVID-19, we at St. Louis Community College have had to think differently about how we interact with each other, conduct our business, and most importantly, teach our students. This has not been easy for any of us – and although we’re in an uncertain space, we do have a strong sense of community, of togetherness. That’s the only way we’ll get through this.
The effects of this pandemic will change the way we all work, learn and live. At STLCC, we’ve had to quickly educate ourselves and think of new ways to continue our work. Even during a pandemic, the College cannot go missing – too many people depend on us – from our internal community of students, faculty and staff, to the wider St. Louis region. We stand in a unique position to not only educate St. Louisans, but to also develop education and workforce solutions for a community in need.
Each day brings a new, more serious challenge and the College is moving fast to address those needs.
LEARNING
STLCC moved to an online learning format (on March 30). The decision was made to protect the health and safety of all members of our community and to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Additionally, many of our support services dedicated to students moved online (the week before). We wanted this to be a quick, yet seamless transition as we support our students in all their educational endeavors. Knowing that supporting our students goes further than the classroom, we created a list of internal and external resources for their own personal well-being.
We are offering technical solutions for our students. STLCC’s information technology department has worked tirelessly to make laptops available for students in need.
WORKING
The College developed processes for employees to work from home to maintain College operations while trying to reduce the number of employees required to be physically present at work. This situation is incredibly fluid and the College will continue to evaluate and update faculty and staff as more information is available.
Academic Affairs and IT have partnered to assist faculty in delivering coursework online. Through their work, faculty have received training and solutions all meant to underscore a seamless transition during this time.
WELL-BEING AND SAFETY
I cannot stress to you enough how important it is to practice and follow social distancing guidelines. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization websites for more information.
As part of its pandemic response plan, the College established a COVID-19 Incident Response Team (IRT). The IRT’s role is to help ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff by monitoring potential COVID-19 cases in our facilities and providing that information to the City and County Departments of Public Health as appropriate.
The IRT is also assisting with risk assessment as per CDC guidelines to provide guidance to employees who are symptomatic, may have been exposed to COVID-19 or who have traveled in areas with widespread ongoing transmission of COVID-19.
Our housekeeping and facilities staff and campus police are doing a wonderful job and taking special precautions to ensure our facilities are safe for everyone. They are essential to the success of the College.
Please check in with your family, friends and co-workers. As we’re all following social distancing practices, we cannot forget to pick up the phone to check in; a few words can make the difference. And, it can address all of our needs for connection in lieu of contact. The pandemic has brought forth feelings of anxiety, panic and worry – all very valid reactions. But I implore you to take a few minutes to check in with family and friends.
HELPING
As I mentioned before, the College has to be present during this pandemic. To that end, we gathered supplies and equipment and provided them to BJC and their partner health care institutions. Items such as respirators, N-95 masks, thermometers, disposable gowns and other supplies were gathered and inventoried quickly by faculty and staff.
According to recent data shared by the St. Louis Business Journal, unemployment went up 962% since (the week of March 23) with more than 42,000 claims for unemployment benefits in Missouri for the week ending March 21; the previous week, there were 3,976 claims. To address what will become a region-wide issue, I have assembled a team to develop additional short-term training to assist in putting people into pathways leading to high-need jobs as quickly as we can. We will also focus on making such programming stackable so they can articulate into associate degrees and beyond.
As I finish this note, I realize that as I type the last period, things could change again. That is the mark of the time that we live in – we are being conditioned to adapt to constant change. For 58 years, St. Louis Community College has adapted to constant change – how we deliver courses, the evolving needs of our students and the demands of the workforce in our region. We are ready to evolve and change again.
But, we’ve never been in this space before, a time when we have so many questions but very few answers about COVID-19 and how it will impact our today, our tomorrow and our future. Like the rest of you, I’ve been following the news and I’m seeing the country’s overwhelmingly positive response to this pandemic and it is heartening. The tenacity of the human spirit knows no bounds.
Let’s continue our commitment to expand minds and change lives; the St. Louis region needs us now more than ever. Continue to stay connected and to commit to a sense of togetherness even though we may be distanced for our safety and health. I am confident that we can get through this situation and come out stronger for our students and the region.