DOMINICAN/COVID
Reflections in a Time of Crisis By President Mary B. Marcy Christiansen, our students were paired with WMSS clients on regular calls addressing nursing, health and social issues. In our Occupational Therapy Department, Dr. Gina Tucker-Roghi adapted a course to allow her students to work with clients of the local nonprofit organization Marin Villages. Students and clients created “Personal Life Profiles” that will help personalize care should their clients become unable to speak for themselves. In our Education Department, Dr. Katie Lewis and Dr. Rebecca Birch provided resources on ways parents can work with their children during remote access.
In the months since our world suddenly changed, the Dominican community has pulled together in ways that highlight both our strength and our humanity. If we were to adopt a fifth pillar to sit alongside our enduring values of community, service, study and reflection, it surely would be resilience. As we end an academic year like no other, there is value in the tradition of taking stock. I am fortunate to lead a campus with a strong mission and a community of faculty and staff that share a deep commitment to student success. Our work creating a “new normal” this spring was focused on one thing: helping our students continue to reach their educational goals in as safe and equitable an environment as possible. The creativity, adaptability, and yes, the resilience of our faculty and staff has been remarkable.
A few highlights from an unusual spring semester: Our health sciences students were faced with limits on their ability to complete their clinical work and graduate on time. In response, our Department of Nursing secured approval for senior nursing students to meet clinical requirements by providing one-on-one telehealth support to elderly and at-risk clients through our ongoing partnership with West Marin Senior Services (WMSS). Led by Dr. Ellen
In the Barowsky School of Business, Dr. Jacob Massoud engaged his Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management students by providing real-time feedback on student business plans and simulation projects using cloud-based software platforms. A newly established Student Success Working Group — staffed by personnel in the Student Success Center and Student Life — began working online and remotely to provide support and guidance to students. In addition to academic guidance and support, we developed opportunities for students to engage with their peers and communities — albeit virtually — to foster interaction and promote well-being. Of course, this being Dominican, our campus community was quick to respond to the needs of our greater community. When we heard that local hospitals needed vital PPE equipment, we donated more than 750 masks and other PPE supplies to Marin Public Health to distribute where the need was greatest. We also donated more than 1,000 test tubes and swabs urgently needed for COVID testing. Within hours of Governor Gavin Newsom announcing the California Healthcare Corps, more than 100 of our nursing students signed up to volunteer in our county hospitals.
When the Red Cross asked if they could hold a blood drive on campus, we gave them full access to the Conlan Center for a day-long blood drive. Appointment slots filled within hours. We are providing housing support for our community partners — mainly first responders and medical staff who have a need for temporary housing.
Of course, this being Dominican, our campus community was quick to respond to the needs of our greater community. Together, our campus community continues to learn how to live out our Dominican Values in a new way. Our online and remote work does not change the nature of our community, or lessen the value of our mission. Our work remains guided by our commitment to the Dominican Experience, our transformative educational model that prepares every student for a complex, diverse, and rapidly changing world. Dominican was founded 130 years ago on little more than faith, a belief in education, and a good eye for real estate. It was decades before we conferred our first degree. We have conferred thousands of degrees since, and we will confer thousands in future years. We will work through this challenge together. I have tremendous confidence in the values, integrity, and significance of the Dominican community. Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones, and know that, although it is temporarily in a virtual space, our community and our work continues.
In partnership with the Marin County Office of Education, our Education Department has developed free programs to help K-12 teachers improve their online teaching skills, which have now reached hundreds of teachers.
THE TORCH | SPRING 2020
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