This is a comparative analysis of responses of three disparate Universities with similar nomenclature (Northcentral University Onlinew; North Central University, a traditionalist; and North Central College, a small traditionalist) to COVID-19. The first used internal mechanisms to succeed; the second, external mechanisms; the third had difficulties. But all showed resilience.
A Rose by Any Other Name....Comparative Analysis of Response Strategies of Three Disparate University Systems in Dealing With COVID-19
The effects of the COVID-19 virus have profoundly impacted all walks of life on both personal and professional levels since the spread of this pandemic began in March 2020. All levels of traditional education have been subsequently affected with the closing of face-to-face platform instruction in transitioning to online delivery. But what other strategies have been implemented, specifically in the field of Higher Education, to cope with both the internal and external exigencies that have developed? This practice paper examines the strategies of three disparate University systems, comparing and contrasting the coping mechanisms utilized to deal with the tragic effects of the pandemic. By chance, the three systems examined have similar designations: a) Northcentral University (NCU), priding itself on 100% online delivery of undergraduate and graduate students since 1996 (History, 2020, para.3) and boasting a student complement of 10,000; b) North Central University (NU), a traditional Christian undergraduate institution with a small distance education complement, founded in 1930 as a bible school with current enrollment of 1,500 students (About/History, 2020, para.2,7); and c) North Central College (NCC), a traditional undergraduate institution with a small graduate school component, founded in 1861 and currently having an enrollment of 3,000 students (Our History, Our Future, 2019, para.1,2,5). A literature review performed to discover similar studies in this area reveals four journal articles describing recommendations and proposals for coping strategies. While these studies enumerate what should be done very nicely, there is nothing in the literature yet describing what has been done.
Discussion
University #1: Northcentral University (NCU)
A review of NCU’s response to the pandemic shows a concentrated effort on the part of their Administration in proactively focusing on anticipated outcomes. On March 12th, contact was first made with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C.) to keep abreast of the developing situation. In-person events such as their Dissertation Boot Camp and Intensive Pathway program were cancelled; other events were moved to virtual presentations (Coronavirus Updates, 2020, para. 28, 29). The school, however, already had the virtual equipment to deal with these issues more quickly than traditional schools that were not so equipped.
As the pandemic situation progressed, the school recommended that students with face-to-face Institutional Review Board (IRB) interviews concerning their dissertations transition them to online data collection without having to request this formally. Online presentations by CNN and NPR were included on the NCU website, and caution regarding stigma allegations against inappropriate associations between Asians and COVID-19 were recommended. Offices of the President and Provost assured the NCU Community of frequent online updates. (Coronavirus Updates, 2020, para. 21).
On March 26, the first of two live online one hour presentations was presented to anybody in the entire NCU community who wished to attend. The President, Provost, Director of Financial Aid, and the Deans of all the schools were present to make their own presentations and then answer chat questions (NCU Community Gathering, 2020). Among many issues discussed, David Harpool, Ph.D., J.D, and President of NCU, assured the gathering that the school was able to do business as usual because of their online component.
University #2-North Central University (NU)
NU has been forced to cancel traditional classes this Spring, although they expect to go back to traditional instruction in the fall. (Group Virtual Visits, 2020, para.1). Other virtual appointments were offered in April and May for transfer students, newly admitted students, and families (Group Virtual Visits, 2020, para. 3-5). NU has successfully transitioned to online instruction for the remainder of the semester, and their online programs already in place are continuing as usual (NU, COVID-19 Student Information, 2020, para. 10). In-person visits to the campus upon making an appointment have been replaced with a virtual tour, consisting of a video giving campus highlights (Group Virtual Visits, 2020, para 1.) Other special virtual events were offered in May for admitted students, transfer students, and parents (Group Virtual Visits, 2020, para. 2-4).
Of special interest, however, are the reach-out attempts NU alumni are extending during the pandemic. This includes, but may not be limited to: a) a business owned by a recently graduated alumna transitioning to producing masks for the healthcare responders; b) a newly graduated alumnus reaching out to his church as well as others to assist with communications and outreach to the community; and c) the current CEO of Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission in Philadelphia, Pa, also an alumnus, in providing essential services to homeless men during the pandemic, thus resulting in a TV media interview documenting his efforts (Our Community Response, 2020, para.1,3,4). The Director of the School of Technology has worked with his students to build computers from the ground up and then donate them at no cost to families who do not have the hardware in their homes. (Our Community Response, 2020, para.2).
University #3- North Central College (NCC)
NCC started reporting news of COVID-19 on its website as early as January 28th, 2020, when the virus was first discovered to have migrated from China to the U.S. before the pandemic was officially designated as such. After one update in late February, updates were posted every few days starting in March regarding general news and international travel bans by President Troy D. Hammond. The college officially closed traditional instruction and transitioned to online delivery on March 18th, while certain areas of the University remained open (Coronavirus Updates, 2020, para.17-20). On March 21, tragedy struck the University when it was reported that one of its employees had tested positive for COVID-19 (Coronavirus Updates, 2020, para.9).
Although it was subsequently decided to have a virtual commencement ceremony in May, due to revenue loss budget cuts were implemented and announced by President Hammond on May 6th. These actions included the furlough of 33 non-essential employees, 13 vacancies that would not be filled, cancellation of temporary 6 month and one year contracts with faculty, and the suspension of matching retirement contributions by the University for certain employees (Coronavirus Updates, 2020, para. 2). The University intends to reopen in the Fall of this year, as demonstrated by an extremely comprehensive Institutional Planning document draft released on May 18 (Coronavirus updates, 2020, para.1).
Conclusion
From the comparative investigative analysis performed above, it can be seen that Northcentral University (NCU) online was best prepared to handle the pandemic situation both internally and externally simply because they had the competitive advantage of doing online instruction for over 24 years. They were at liberty, therefore, to offer students substantial temporary relaxation of academic and financial requirements in order to decrease the added stress imposed on the NCU Community (q.v.). They were able to keep their faculty complement intact without any thought to Reduction-In-Force (RIF). As their faculty already had online delivery experience, they did not have to cope with stressors involved in transitioning to same. They did not appear to have specific external support from their outside community, but because of their global online status this is difficult to compartmentalize. What is remarkable, however, is the degree to which they were able to utilize their internal resources to cope. Also, their two online Community meetings between top Administration and the online student body appears to be groundbreaking.
North Central University (NU) as a traditional institution was (as other traditional institutions were) more unprepared to deal with the pandemic. Their moving over to online instruction certainly must have been stressful to both faculty and students. However, their Christian religious orientation may very well have been providential for them, as seen by the stories of alumni who increased the institution’s reputation in view of their beneficence in helping others get through the crisis. Additionally, their students building and disseminating computers to needy individuals was a stroke of genius, in this author’s opinion.
The institution suffering the worst from the pandemic was obviously North Central College (NCC), which had to undergo financial austerity measures including RIFs and suspending matching retirement contributions to recent employees. Also, this was the only institution studied that had an employee test positive for COVID-19. Such an occurrence certainly did not help their reputation. Conversely, this analysis shows that they demonstrated the most due diligence in constantly updating their website to reflect current events.
The implications as demonstrated above are very profound, not only for the Universities that strategized the way they did, but for other Higher Education institutions that are currently coping with pandemic effects. Other traditional Universities may very well have to reconsider putting online education as a more permanent option to their offerings, or perhaps transition to online education altogether. In doing so, they will be able to proactively deal with future situations. Coupled with the possibility of annual flu also appearing at the same time, and the possibility of the two strains mutating to form a super-virus, Universities would do well in this author’s opinion to take a second look at online education and how NCU was able to proactively use this to sustain competitive advantage now. It appears that online education is now here to stay-and Higher Education should consider this as a permanent viable alternative to current instructional delivery at the very least. In closing, the above study certainly is emblematic of the fact that in view of the similarities of their names despite their disparate origins, organizational constructs, and strategies for coping with the pandemic, Shakespeare's popular witticism from “Romeo and Juliet” indeed applies here, to wit-A rose by any other name would smell as sweet“ ( A Rose by, 2020, para.1).
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