In early March 2020, as the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, the University of Missouri (UM) System, like many universities across the U.S., made the swift decision to suspend in-person classes. Within a week, all four UM System campuses had transitioned to remote courses, marking a significant shift in the approach to online learning.
As the university system pivoted to online learning, MU Health Care took on the challenge of providing a safe healthcare environment for both COVID-19 patients and those seeking treatment for other conditions. “We set up telemed in record speed,” stated Stevan Whitt, Chief Medical Officer at MU Health Care, who led the hospital’s COVID-19 response. He noted that within a week, the healthcare system could conduct outpatient visits via telemedicine.
Danna Wren, Senior Director for academic technology, recruitment, and student support at Missouri Online, began her role in March 2020. Her team played a critical role in rapidly deploying Zoom, initially slated for May 2020, and offered support to instructors as they navigated the new world of online teaching. Wren observed that the pandemic, despite its challenges, encouraged faculty to experiment with new technologies, ultimately increasing their comfort levels. “I see a lot more instructors now who are willing to try different things and just look at different technologies more than they were before,” Wren explained.
Wren also highlighted the advancements in digital learning platforms, such as Canvas, since the pandemic. “Now we can have options to teach in many different ways,” she said. “And there’s almost very few classes that we can’t get online.” Missouri Online continues to support all four UM System campuses through design services, marketing support, and academic technologies, including Panopto, Turnitin, and AI tools.
Following the end of the 2020 spring semester, MU faced the important decision of whether to resume in-person classes in the upcoming academic year. Whitt, in his role as MU’s chief medical officer, provided guidance to university leadership on critical health matters, including contact tracing, infection prevention, mask policies, and quarantine housing. He emphasized the crucial collaboration between MU Health Care and the university, particularly in vaccination research and its rollout. “One of the things that became really clear to me is that the University of Missouri and MU Health Care is a core piece of this state,” he said.
While the impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt in the healthcare sector, Whitt noted that the university environment has largely returned to its pre-pandemic state. Reflecting on the past five years, Whitt observed, “Students are temporary…and now that last group of students who were here during COVID is gone. And so it feels like there’s nobody on campus who even remembers it.”
