UNO Strategic Planning Forum: Goals, Opportunities During Remote Teaching, Learning, Working

A capacity crowd met virtually on Thursday, May 14, for a timely and vital discussion on how the campus can and will move forward as the world continues to adapt to the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Hope is not a plan — hope is important," Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. said during the forum. "I have never been more proud of UNO for leaning in, for taking aggressive postures, and ... your willingness to participate and better understand the lessons we have learned over the last several months and how we apply those lessons to the future."

Under the theme of "Uncharted Territory: Capitalizing on Lessons Learned As We Plan for the Future," the May 2020 Strategic Planning Forum was broken into three key areas:

• Remote Teaching & Learning: Continuum of Effective Practices and Case Studies
• Learning About Student Success in Remote Times
• What Should Fall Semester Look Like?

A description of each of these topic areas is included below.

Those looking to provide their feedback, can do so at plan.unomaha.edu/input. 

Additionally, many members of campus asked important questions of Chancellor Gold and Senior Vice Chancellor Sacha Kopp during the forum. Those questions and answers can be found here (PDF).

Questions about access to forum information or about providing feedback can be sent to Keristiena Dodge, project specialist for the Office of Academic Affairs, at kshenouda@unomaha.edu.

Additionally, members of campus are encouraged to continue to check the UNO COVID-19 Resources page and the UNO News Center daily for the most up-to-date information about planning and campus operations impacted by the pandemic.

Remote Teaching & Learning: Continuum of Effective Practices and Case Studies

Led by Jaci Lindburg, assistant vice president of NU ITS and UNO director of digital learning, this portion of the forum highlighted the decades-long investment and commitment to distance learning that helped UNO quickly pivot and rise to the challenge created by COVID-19.

"Some may view this as temporary," Lindburg said. "However, as classroom delivery and fully-online courses merge the work we are doing now is critical."

Lindburg was able to highlight some key successes that occurred along the continuum of in-person and fully-online utilizing services such as ZOOM, VidGrid, Canvas, and more.

Using these examples as inspiration points, participants at the forum were asked to provide their feedback, through group discussion, in response to three central questions:

• What do you think are the most promising remote teaching and learning ideas?
• What could UNO do to provide better support to faculty for teaching and learning?
• What have you heard from students about what worked well or what didn't work well this semester?
  
  

Those who wish to provide thier own, anonymous, feedback and resposes to these questions can do so here: Provide Your Feedback

Learning About Student Success in Remote Times

Led by Dan Shipp, vice chancellor for Student Success; Cathy Pettid, assistant vice chancellor for Student Success and dean of students; Jen Papproth, director of accessibility services; and Andy Barritt, a junior mathematics major, this portion of the forum focused on how students responded to the move to remote learning.

Shipp, Pettid, and Papproth credited the amazing work being done by the UNO community to support students, and be flexible, during this difficult time.

"None of this is normal for any of us," Pettid said. "Our best right now may not be perfect, but I look at how we were when we were first talking about going remote to what we have now - I get more confident that we’ll have new iterations that get this right."

Barritt, a student who experienced his own accomodation needs this semester also spoke to the importance of perserverence and understanding in times of crisis.

"It’s life. It’s never easy," he said. "Whatever it may be in life, you can’t give up."

Participants at the forum also addressed several questions regarding student success through group discussion:

• What issues, concerns, or challenges did you hear from your students this semester as they navigated UNO remotely?
• What enhancements to student services are needed to position UNO as a national leader in remote student support?

Those who wish to provide thier own, anonymous, feedback and resposes to these questions can do so here: Provide Your Feedback

What Should Fall Semester Look Like?

Led by Sacha Kopp, senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, this portion of the forum looked ahead to the planning and flexibility that will be needed as the campus looks to return, in some capacity, to on-campus delivery of classes and on-campus operations to support the needs of students.

Among the important details shared by Kopp were the five guiding principles, the "Five S's," that would shape the university's planning for Fall 2020: Staying Safe; Keeping it Simple, Being Smart, Being Successful and Building on Existing Systems

"A lot of universities are facing the same situation," Kopp said. "But as a metropolitan university we have some extraordinary opportunities and advantages."

Participants were able to address questions related to the Fall 2020 semester as part of their group discussions, as well:

• What lessons from this Spring can guide us for Fall?
• What concerns and questions do you have?
• What resources will be helpful to you in your role?
• How best do we foster communication this summer?

Those who wish to provide thier own, anonymous, feedback and resposes to these questions can do so here: Provide Your Feedback