COVID-19 Response

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

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.

WORK PLACEMENT SECURITY

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.

COMMUNITY ADAPTATION

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.

They include the following, and we continue to launch new virtual events and content every week. • Immediately established a COVID-19 web presence that highlighted how our community was responding to positively impact the world.

• Partnered 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.

• Featured stories of VSB students and alumni who are making a positive difference during the crisis.

• Created 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.

• Hosted a virtual ceremony to celebrate the

VSB Class of 2020.

• Curated additional social media content to remind followers why they love Villanova and VSB to keep our community members engaged and connected.

• Developed an incoming student strategy to help make incoming students in both the undergraduate and graduate programs feel connected and part of our community.

VSB’S COVID-19 TASK FORCE

In mid-March, Dean Russell supported the creation of a special task force to consider short- and long-term implications of COVID-19 and VSB’s response.

The task force created innovative solutions, such as: • Providing a meaningful learning experience for VSB students who had their internships or jobs reduced or cut by launching a summer practicum, Leading

Through Disruption. Using the current COVID-19 challenge as context, the course explored how business corporations and other organizations adapt, respond, adjust and potentially explore new opportunities during periods of extreme uncertainty. • Exploring medium- and long-term impact and opportunity areas for VSB. The team identified several important themes for us to consider as we refine our strategic plan.

The task force had four primary recommendations: • Build additional high quality, market attractive post-graduate and undergraduate certificates.

• Create a comprehensive corporate partner program.

• Create an elite online teaching excellence program.

• Develop a unique, value-based academic experience for the future of work.

Villanova School of Business 800 East Lancaster Avenue Villanova, PA 19085

AS WE LOOK AHEAD…WE REFLECT ON OUR PAST

The work never stops as we continue to deliver on our mission. Please stay in touch with us throughout the year for in-the-moment updates on all that we’re accomplishing at VSB.

Did you know? VSB turns 100 in 2022! Celebrate with us by sharing your favorite photos, memories and outcomes from your VSB days. Please send to: vsbcommunicationsandmarketing@villanova.edu.

@VillanovaSchoolofBusiness @VU_Business | @VSB_Dean @villanovabusiness Villanova School of Business

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS!