Employee Challenges and Opportunities

By Lisa Jane Laird

No matter the situation, Snow College employees do what they always do – spark imagination in students and offer help wherever needed. However, when state and college leaders asked students to stay home to slow the growth of coronavirus, faculty and staff became extra creative in their efforts.

The sudden turn of events resulted in creative teaching across many electronic platforms and through different methodologies. Live video classes, recorded classes, home lab kits, YouTube tutorials, and more became the norm after a break to retool coursework before commencing remote learning.

Faculty remained resilient and were ready to pivot and use the tools they had, said Chase Mitchell, director of the Teaching and Technology Center. “In the beginning, everyone came through the office. We saw over 300 unique people in the first month as they came for technology training, to add content onto Canvas [an online course management system], or add conferencing software to their courses.”

For those already using Canvas, it was an easy switch, said Mitchell. These tech-savvy “faculty champions” stepped forward to assist their colleagues with the technology and methods.

Kevin Sorensen, dean of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, said communication was key. “I’ve got good people and they definitely want to do what is best for the students. It was tough on all of us, and they rose to the challenge of remote learning.”

Stacee McIff, Interim Vice President for Technical Education and Workforce Development.

Nick Marsing, Department of Psychology.

Craig Dunn, assistant professor of biology, created many short videos and placed them on YouTube. Students from other schools discovered the videos and used them as tutorials. Several universities have reached out to Dunn and Snow College to use his videos.

Jonathan Bodrero, associate professor of mathematics, created 102 short videos on YouTube to retool his courses. The videos proved to be good tutorials and a practical resource outside of his live Zoom lectures. Student Aubrey Hjorth (pre-engineering, ’20) said Bodrero was flexible and understanding. “He made his Linear Algebra (Math 2250) feel doable and understandable even though we’re dealing with higher-level mathematics. I didn’t have to worry about anything even after the COVID stuff happened.”

Chemistry professors rewrote labs to emulate “chemistry in the kitchen” with materials that students would commonly find in their homes. A few weeks in, professors updated again, Sorensen said, when stores ran out of rubbing alcohol and other common cleaning agents.

Teri Mason, services technology chair, said her faculty quickly assembled homework kits for cosmetology and nail students to complete labs at home. Cosmetology returned to the classroom and salon on June 1, with distancing and cleaning measures in place. Mason said she was happy to see students and clients back: “I am really proud of the resiliency of the students and their patience in the whole situation. They came back to do their best to accommodate clients and keep everyone safe.”

For the registered nursing program, Amber Epling, department chair, said nine students were short on their 135-hour capstone requirement when hospitals stopped onsite student training. Epling was able to pivot and get the final nine into the Gunnison Valley Hospital to finish hours.

Kami Tyler, practical nursing instructor, stopped the onsite training and switched to high-fidelity simulation mannequins to finish out lab hours for the practical nursing students. “[The mannequins] do everything – talk, blink, cry, show heart rate, respiration rate, and other functions,” she said.

Snow College staff also adapted to the early switch to spring remote courses and cancelled activities.

“We stayed busy,” said Donna Birk, director of Snow Fun, which hosts 1,000 or more campus guests each week for summer workshops, outdoor activities, and guest speakers. This year, that changed. Birk and her

Left: Adrian Peterson, Department of Biology. Right: Vikki Masters, Department of Home and Family Studies.

colleagues from across campus jumped in to help with any COVID-related need.

Personnel from athletics, student services, the campus store, food services, and more took on a variety of projects. Staff helped ensure that students successfully completed spring classes, they deep-cleaned campus housing and common areas, and made hundreds of cloth masks for the fall semester.

Staffers on the Snow Cares phone project ensured student needs were met during the switch to remote learning. Organized by Dean of Students Jason Springer and Office Manager Sam Holder, staff made thousands of phone calls to check on student progress, inquire about technical needs, or refer students to campus wellness or other services.

Some staff members taught international students, who remained in Ephraim for the summer, how to sew. They made masks for the jail, the Sheriff ’s Office, and 500 Snow employees. They later made another 500 masks to ensure that student employees also have masks at work. For many of the international students, it was their first job, and they enjoyed the opportunity to learn and serve.

The Wellness Committee, the Staff Awards and Recognition Committee, and others reached out to Snow employees during the spring and early summer. They went directly to employees’ homes to deliver small gifts, treats, and messages of support.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have shown their willingness to step up and do what needs to be done. “We care about our students and employees. That filters down from the President to the rest of us,” said Birk. “Whatever we need to do, we will do it well and cheerfully.”

From left to right: Donna Birk, Carol Green, Ty McKenzie, and Denise Tippets make masks for employees and students.