The George Washington University continues to prepare for the in-person fall semester, prioritizing health, safety and a robust residential on-campus academic experience, leadership said during a Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday.
The senate heard updates from faculty and leadership involved in GW’s return-to-campus planning, including Ray Lucas, university COVID-19 coordinator; Terry Murphy, senior vice provost for academic affairs; and professors Phil Wirtz and Jason Zara.
Vaccination compliance among students, faculty and staff at GW is strong, and the COVID-19 positivity rate on campus is low, Dr. Lucas said, and vaccines remain effective against the virus, including the Delta variant.
GW has implemented a multi-layered approach to health and safety for the fall, including the vaccine requirement, surveillance testing, indoor mask requirement and active monitoring of campus and regional COVID metrics and the evolving science, added Dr. Lucas, who is also associate professor of emergency medicine in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Even with this safe environment, it is important for faculty to be prepared to assist students who may need to be out due to a positive case, and faculty should familiarize themselves with recording technology and Blackboard with the help of IT and the Instructional Core, Dr. Murphy said. She also said that the continued use of some virtual office hours or gatherings may be helpful this fall as the community transitions to its new normal.
“We do expect we will have safe, vaccinated classrooms by the time school starts,” Dr. Murphy said, emphasizing the importance of providing students with a fulfilling in-person instructional experience.
In his remarks, President Thomas LeBlanc expressed gratitude to the faculty and said he looks forward to the traditional in-person fall milestones such as move-in, new faculty meetings, orientation, Convocation and the Proud to Be GW Festivals.
“I want to thank all of you and your colleagues for your work this summer in preparing for the fall. This is a team effort,” Dr. LeBlanc said. “I’m very confident we can open in person…, we put in place a lot of good structures, and we’ve got a lot of expertise to bring to bear, so I’m confident we will be able to open successfully.”
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Christopher Bracey also provided updates and said he looks forward to working closely with faculty and others in his new role.
“We’ve really hit the ground running and worked hard with the Faculty Senate and the schools to develop an inclusive and collaborative approach to handling the reopening on the academic side of things,” Mr. Bracey said.
With the return to in-person learning and many who are new to campus, Mr. Bracey also encouraged the community to provide extra support for one another.
“Let’s be a community that lifts as it climbs, and a community that looks out for one another,” he said.
In other Faculty Senate news:
- Mr. Bracey said students’ fall registration rates are on track in most programs and faculty recruitment plans within the schools are advancing. Additionally, Mr. Bracey noted he will provide a brief presentation to the Board of Trustees in October on academic priorities for the coming year, and he will discuss ideas with deans and senate committees over the coming weeks. The structure for the diversity, equity and inclusion review is making progress, and Mr. Bracey said he will share another update soon.
- The senate passed a resolution detailing the selection process and criteria for the Faculty Consultative Committee that would provide input on the search for the next president.