AMU’S CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | s u m m e r 2020
OUR UNIQUE ABILITY TO W E AT H E R T H E S T O R M
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ve Maria University faculty and staff have been working diligently to prepare for a return to in-person, on-campus classes. For months, working groups comprised of staff from various departments, assisted by a newly-created Healthcare Advisory group, have been meeting to consider the best and safest way to facilitate campus life both in and out of the classroom.
We recognize AMU has a bit of an advantage over other schools in understanding what campus life looks like during a pandemic, as we never closed our campus entirely. We had students, faculty, and staff on campus for the entire semester, albeit in smaller numbers. When AMU made the switch from in-person to online coursework, we did so without missing a single day of classes. While we know the transition back to campus may be different than what we’ve experienced in the past, we
expect the transition to be a smooth one. When the coronavirus first hit the United States, AMU students had already returned from spring break. While churches and schools across the country shut down completely, our community was uniquely blessed in that after a six-day hiatus, we returned to receiving our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. Mass was live-streamed daily out of our St. Sebastian Hall Chapel, and communion was distributed outside, with the added protection of hand sanitizing
