December 10, 2020
Spring Term to Blend Virtual Instruction and In-Person Classes; and House Students on Campus in De-Densified Residence Halls
It was not the fall semester that first-year students alongside sophomores, juniors and seniors hoped would happen just a few months ago. The same could also be said of faculty, staff and even parents of students. But as final exams and a term gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic come to an end, leaders at the University of Portland have positive reflections and an optimistic outlook heading into the Christmas holidays and beyond.
Technically-speaking, the campus has been quiet since last March when the COVID-19 virus first exploded into a wave that sickened millions worldwide, and caused nearly 300,000 deaths in the United States alone. UP faculty and students pivoted to an entirely virtual curriculum; most staff began teleworking; and the beautiful campus on The Bluff emptied of nearly all activity. These challenges, though, triggered a response that UP President Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., says was inspiring.
“I have deep admiration for how our community members responded when unprecedented difficulties redefined our University’s operations,” said Poorman. “Despite the challenges we faced, a spirit of perseverance, optimism and shared responsibility arose within the UP community. We focused energy and resources on all that we could accomplish, rather than the obstacles that stood in our way.”
Poorman continued, “Our successes are the result of working together and caring for one another. We’ll use all that we’ve learned as we prepare for what we anticipate will be a slightly more normal spring term. I’m deeply grateful to our students, faculty, staff and families for their flexibility, creativity and dedication to our University and its mission.”
UP is preparing to welcome more than 900 undergraduate students to its residence halls in late January with a tightly-managed arrival schedule. Classes for the entire enrollment of more than 4,000 students will still be primarily virtual, but some in-person courses taught by dozens of faculty members who volunteered to teach on campus will be offered to first-year students.
Robust COVID-19 prevention efforts are in place, including a campus health awareness campaign, screenings, surveillance testing and contact tracing. UP campus operations are reconfigured to meet federal guidelines, and state and local mandates for pandemic safety. Separate residence hall spaces have also been set aside for any isolation or quarantine needs.
“We have a lot of momentum coming out of this successful fall term and that sets the stage for an even more successful—and at the same time more challenging—spring semester. Our faculty members are embracing this direction, and returning students are excited,” said Provost Dr. Herbert Medina. “Certainly, we would have preferred to have a more normal campus experience for all enrolled students regardless of academic classification. But several hundred first-year students will finally get a small taste of what a true collegiate experience is like.”
Both Poorman and Medina highlighted the many success stories that surfaced this fall, especially faculty members who maximized technology and virtual instruction with their own creative ideas. The lack of mass numbers of students living on campus along with no in-person fall classes recalibrated virtually all administrative and operational roles. But thanks to collaboration among essential and furloughed employees, UP maintained near-optimum daily campus function, which has proven vital to all planning for next year.
Examples of some of the academic successes include:
Final exams will end this week. UP will close administrative operations for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays from December 24 through January 1. Classes for the Spring 2021 term will begin on Monday, January 25.
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