SIDE EFFECTS

A LOOK AT HOW THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC CREATED A NEW NORMAL AT CENTRAL

WRITTEN BY SARAH NEESE, PHOTOS BY LAUREN BIERI, TANNER LAWS AND KT KING

IN FEBRUARY 2020, NEWS BEGAN CIRCLING the globe about a new virus – one that was spreading rapidly and disrupting daily life for millions of people. As the country and the campus began to feel the impact of the virus, UCO convened the COVID-19 Task Force, a group of administrators, faculty and staff tasked with managing the university’s response to what was soon to be named a pandemic. The situation rapidly evolved while Central’s faculty, staff and students were in the midst of spring break. Central was the first university in the state to announce an extension of spring break, in an effort to examine how best to prepare faculty and staff to potentially shift their classes to alternative delivery.

Following the extension of spring break, it became clear that more serious measures were needed to ensure the safety of the campus at large. On March 18, UCO President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar announced that classes would resume with alternative delivery methods for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester. While faculty and staff temporarily returned to work March 23, changes in state and city mandates, as well as guidelines put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, made it clear that all UCO nonessential employees would need to transition to telework.

As a result, President Neuhold-Ravikumar announced that, beginning March 26, the physical campus would close, and classes and services would transition online.

“As a Broncho parent myself, I would want to know that my child’s university is taking this crisis seriously,” Neuhold-Ravikumar said, in a letter to the Central community. “I am confident in telling you today that there is a groundswell of dedication and support on this campus to put the health and well-being of the members of the Broncho family at the forefront of our decisions.”

And through this same dedication and support, the UCO virtual campus opened, and classes, along with the majority of Central’s services, moved to alternative delivery.

As COVID-19 ramped up within the state, Neuhold-Ravikumar and the UCO Cabinet announced the extension of the campus closure through May 31, as well as the transition of May intersession classes and summer block I and II classes to online delivery.

“While working and taking classes from home may be extremely challenging for some of us due to circumstance, the projected statistics are a powerful reminder of why we took this step in the first place. Protecting you as you protect your families is of the utmost importance to us,” Neuhold-Ravikumar said, in a follow-up message to the UCO community.

“You continue to amaze me with your spirit and dedication despite the circumstances. We are so fortunate to be part of this caring community.”