COVID-19 RESPONSE
VSB worked tirelessly to respond to the changing needs of our community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since mid-March when we suspended on-campus operations, VSB’s leadership team continuously met virtually to solve issues and proactively plan for the impacts of COVID-19 as well as identify opportunities for us to further our mission. Some high-level accomplishments include:
ONLINE TRANSITION
COMMUNITY ADAPTATION
WORK PLACEMENT SECURITY
They include the following, and we continue to launch new virtual events and content every week.
Dean Russell appointed Julie Pirsch, PhD, associate dean of teaching and learning, as VSB’s point person to offer detailed guidance during the transition to online instruction, which ensured all students had the best possible experience. Dr. Pirsch and her committee also devised innovative solutions for course delivery under all potential scenarios during the 2020-21 academic year.
We anticipated that many VSB students might have internships or jobs lost or reduced due to COVID-19. Brenda Stover, assistant dean of the O’Donnell Center for Professional Development, and her staff worked closely with the VU Career Center to help secure jobs, internships and externships for our VSB students.
SUMMER BUSINESS INSTITUTE
Many non-business students lost internships and jobs this summer due to COVID-19, so we expanded Summer Business Institute to provide an alternative way for them to spend the summer. We enrolled an all-time high number of students in our Summer Business Institute, with 157 students, in six sections, who earned a business minor or certificate in business from VSB.
18 VILLANOVA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Dean Russell worked with the VSB Communication & Marketing team to continue to keep our students, faculty, staff and incoming students connected, feeling supported and in community. Knowing that many touch points would be virtual, we developed innovative ways to reach and engage with our audiences.
• I mmediately established a COVID-19 web presence that highlighted how our community was responding to positively impact the world. •P artnered with VSB faculty experts to share their perspectives and knowledge about the economic and business impact of COVID-19. This crossed all disciplines from finance to international business to supply chain management to marketing. •F eatured stories of VSB students and alumni who are making a positive difference during the crisis. •C reated and promoted special virtual events, like VSB Spirit Day, to engage our community and keep VSB top-of-mind while we are not physically together.
