The past year has been unlike any other and for obvious reasons. Not only has the scope of roles in supporting the online teaching and learning enterprise radically changed, but so also the environment and mode in which we’ve been working. Prior to the pandemic, much of higher ed required in-person work, my institution being no exception.
In March 2020 we were thrust not only into needing to support our faculty and students in an emergency shift to remote instruction but to do so from our own remote work locations. Across higher education, our teaching and learning as well as online and distance learning centers rose to the challenge and moved operations to work from home. Each of our units has a story to tell in how we were able to make the shift to remote work over the last year and how we’ve made operational changes that will permanently impact, and I contend vastly improve, the service and support we provide.
But where do we go from here? As COVID-19 vaccinations become widely available and we see an end to the pandemic on the horizon, our institutions are making plans to resume “new normal” operations for fall. Many questions remain as to what that “new normal” will look like as we move forward, among those being what our work environment will be on our campuses.
Many institutions are forming task forces to look at the future of flexible/remote work on our campuses. At my institution prior to the pandemic, remote work was frowned upon and only permitted on rare occasions under special circumstances and for a limited amount of time. I’ve personally been a proponent of flexible working arrangements long before the events of this past year and done everything I possibly can to promote a flexible and accommodating work environment for my team. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the technology tools available today can allow us to dynamically communicate and connect in new ways, ultimately enhancing our productivity. Among the lasting impacts of the pandemic upon higher education will be an even more flexible and accommodating work environment.
Resources
Craig, R. (2020, September 18). What the work from home revolution means for higher education. Forbes.
EAB. How the teleworking trend will transform college campuses. Office Hours with EAB Podcast.
Eikenberry, K. & Turmel, W. (2021). The long-distance teammate: Stay engaged and connected while working anywhere. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Eikenberry, K. & Turmel, W. (2018). The long-distance leader: Rules for remarkable remote leadership. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Govindarajan, V. and Srivastava, A. (2020, March 31). What the shift to virtual learning could mean for the future of higher ed. Harvard Business Review.
Grajek, S. (2021, January 29). EDUCAUSE QuickPoll results: Post-pandemic plans for remote work. EDUCAUSE Review.
Kim, J. (2020, March 16). Will covid-19 permanently shift how higher ed thinks about remote work? Inside Higher Ed.
The Chronicle of Higher Education. (2021, March 25). Higher ed’s remote-work experiment.
Zackal, J. (2021, February 12). Remote work is more of a possibility beyond the pandemic. HigherEdJobs.
Jason Rhode currently serves as Executive Director of the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) at Northern Illinois University (NIU). In his role he serves all members of the NIU community who have a teaching role as well as functions as chief online officer.
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared on the Online Learning Consortium’s blog and is reposted here with permission.
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