Keeping Community During a Pandemic
A COVID Journal President Michael Schneider has chronicled the rapid changes caused by COVID-19 in a journal. The entries describe actions
taken to manage the college through the pandemic as well as insights from President Schneider.
Here are some highlights from the past several months.
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Sent first email to the Board of Trustees just four days after their on-campus spring meetings. We are monitoring the coronavirus situation to ensure campus safety, and regular communication is in place and outbreak protocol is coordinated with McPherson Hospital and the county health department. The Department of Education provided flexible guidelines for institutions affected by the virus so the college can complete the year online without accreditation issues. Kansas Association of Independent Colleges (KICA) and National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) held their first conference calls about the situation. And my cabinet met to process next steps to keep the campus safe.
First email sent to MC campus community regarding COVID-19 and met with faculty to make preparations for finishing the fall semester remotely using online resources. We announced early dismissal for Spring Break with likelihood classes would resume remotely after break on March 30.
MY TAKEAWAY: We need to stay ahead of this and start preparing for the worst case—shutting down the campus.
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MCPHERSON COLLEGE MAGAZINE
MY TAKEAWAY: Day ended with the most donations ever received on MC’s 2020 Power Day; yet, looming crisis and major decisions impacting our campus community forthcoming. It has a name, COVID-19, and it is like a train coming down the tracks. And it isn’t going to stop.
President Schneider, Dr. Becki Bowman and students announce early dismissal for Spring Break.