On Tuesday April 28, 2020, Quinnipiac President Judy Olian sent a letter to faculty and staff outlining a plan for how the university is looking to move forward post COVID-19. Four groups have been formed to prepare for students returning back to campus this fall and other scenarios if on-ground classes aren’t possible. 

“Four planning groups are guiding us through the phases of the coronavirus crisis, from response, to recovery, to thriving in the post-COVID world,” Olian said.

The four planning groups are:

• The COVID-19 Task Force, chaired by Associate Vice President for Facilities Operations Keith Woodward
• The Fall 2020 Planning Group, chaired by Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Don Sawyer
• The Faculty Senate ad-hoc COVID-19 response committee, chaired by, Professor Stephen Straub
• The Reimagining Task Force, chaired by School of Communications Dean Chris Roush

The COVID-19 Task Force, chaired by Keith Woodard, has been meeting daily since January and they are focusing on immediate needs and other actions related to COVID-19. 

This group is solely focusing on public health, safety, and communications. According to the letter, this force also advises “university policies, services and operations, and health recommendations, working in collaboration with state and federal health officials.”  

The Fall 2020 Planning Group, chaired by Don Sawyer, has been working on different options regarding the 2020-2021academic year. This group has been working on a series of options and plans for the upcoming school year. 

“The planning horizon is roughly four to eight months, with an emphasis on academics, student affairs, athletics and university operations needed to support both our academic and student mission,” Olian said.

The planning group will launch their planning scenarios by the beginning of May according to the letter. 

Professor Stephen Straub is the chair of the Faculty Senate ad-hoc COVID-19 response committee, which was formed to oversee “instruction and maintenance of curricular standards under multiple COVID-19 scenarios.”

The response committee was formed by the Faculty Senate to ensure and advise the quality of instruction and maintenance. According to the letter, the committee will deliver its initial brief by mid-May.

The Reimagining Task Force is chaired by the School of Communications Dean Chris Roush. It consists of two subgroups to look at academic issues and operations. The task force will “continue advancing our strategic plan while exploiting what we’ve learned from COVID-19 about academic, operating and service models.”

The Quinnipiac community can expect more details and updates from the planning groups in the near future. 

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