Making a Positive Impact
5 Pandemic success stories 1
Delaware-proud social media grad provides free assistance
When many businesses stopped using the social media and web design services provided by Heather Cox after the COVID-19 pandemic hit this region, Cox drew on her UD PCS Advanced Social Media Marketing for Business Certificate program lessons as she provided her customers with free support. “I was born and raised Delawarean, and we are all in this together,” said Cox. “My clients are my friends and I was not going to let them down. I was able to take the skills I learned to help them pivot and market accordingly about the new services they were offering, such as curbside pickup, takeout or a marketplace.” Her dedication was recognized by being named to the lists of Top Women in Business 2020 by Delaware Today and the Delaware Business Times and Most Influential Delawareans 2020 by Delaware Online and The News Journal.
2
Near and far educational outreach, counseling and support
Working remotely did not stop UD PCS ACCESS Center team members from advising 1,021 undergraduate, graduate and high school students, processing 2,663 enrollments, and helping 179 academically dismissed undergraduates work toward reentry to UD as full-time matriculated students in 2021. Further extending its reach to the larger UD community, the ACCESS Center provided administrative and student services assistance to UD’s Additional Certification for English Learners/Bilingual Teachers, Inside-Out (criminal justice credit course offerings for incarcerated individuals), Dual Enrollment, and Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification programs. It also worked closely with the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics to provide similar support to 173 students from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu, China, who were enrolled in the SWUFE-UD Institute of Data Science, a joint program in which UD offers bachelor of science programs in management information systems, finance and operations.
