Reflecting on Fall Semester with Vice President Frances Faehner

As Vice President for Student Life, what specific challenges did you anticipate that Andrews would face as a result of COVID-19 this semester?

Since March, the University spent five intensive months planning for every aspect of the fall semester. The outcome is available for all to review (see our forty-plus page safety plan online).  We anticipated challenges for everyone, including:

• challenges for faculty teaching both in-person and remote (lecturing with masks, using new technology, etc.)
• challenges for students sitting in classrooms with masks and having a very limited student experience
• challenges for staff in creating a socially distanced student experience and maintaining facilities with risk mitigation measures and enhanced cleaning
• challenges in navigating COVID-19 related fears and impact on physical and mental health
• challenges to provide diligent case management and support services
• challenges in fiscal operations anticipating a 5% downturn in revenue and greatly enhanced COVID-19 risk mitigation expenses.

How did your expectations for the semester align with the way that things actually played out?

We ended up having more undergraduate students request remote learning than we had anticipated and that has impacted our residence hall census.  At the same time it also helped us provide more space for the greater number of residents desiring single occupancy.

Although we understand that the experts predicted COVID-19 cases could increase as winter approached, we had of course hoped for better.  The reality of dramatically increased numbers of cases in our community as well as the country means much more risk of exposure for the campus community.  This is significantly taxing our diligent case managers, who are doing an outstanding job monitoring potential and actual COVID cases to ensure proper quarantine and isolation.

How well do you think that students complied with the COVID-19 policies and restrictions this semester?

I am really proud of how our students have complied, especially from what we can observe on campus. At the same time, we know that there is a fatigue that can set in over time, which can lead to more careless decisions, especially if you don’t have anyone in your immediate circle that has been impacted by COVID-19.

I checked the COVID-19 Dashboard today (November 13) to note there were 8 students who were initially positive following testing at the beginning of the year, and there have been an additional 7 students who have been COVID-19 positive since September 8th. This is very, very good, especially in light of the massive challenges on many university campuses around the country. So far, we continue to be encouraged that we have not had confirmation of transmission in the residence halls or in the classrooms.

Still, we currently have 36 students in quarantine which is far from easy for them as well as their professors.
A recent Washington Post article warned that indoor casual dinner parties and game nights are contributing to the COVID-19 surge and will likely only increase in colder weather. With the growing number of cases in Michigan and Indiana, we urge students to fight pandemic fatigue and continue to contain their movements to their housing, classes, getting and eating food as safely as possible, and to avoid taking chances at off-campus venues, etc. 
We’ve recently learned that local health departments will ask anyone who is positive with COVID-19 not to travel until their isolation period is ended, which would be a huge bummer for students looking forward to going home as soon as possible for Thanksgiving.

Did you anticipate that we would be able to continue in-person classes this far into the term? 

Yes, that was our goal. I remember attending the Friday night vespers in Buller Hall after the March 12 announcement that Andrews was going remote, and being deeply moved by just how much students were devastated about leaving their friends and a face-to-face student experience.  So, I, along with COVID-19 Planning teams, vowed to do everything to make it possible to provide an in-person experience for our students. This meant anticipating that there would be members of our community who would be positive for COVID-19, designing a response plan to minimize spread, and offering caring support systems.

Why did the University decide to remove spring break from the schedule next semester? Is this something that you see happening as many other Adventist institutions around the country?

The travels, interactions, and return of hundreds or thousands of students from places all over the country comes with serious risk of COVID-19 spreading that could limit our ability to offer students a way to complete the spring semester with face to face classes. I’m not currently aware of the proposed plans for spring break at our sister institutions.

Some students have heard that the university is not planning on hosting an in-person graduation ceremony this year. Do you have any updates on this?

It is my understanding that plans for May graduation have not yet been determined.  Such plans will likely be driven by the COVID-19 dashboards, both in the country and at Andrews, along with state and public health guidelines for COVID-19 risk mitigation strategies as we get closer to May 2021.

There is recent news of effective COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna that should be available to the public in the near future. If this is the case, how do you think this development will affect life on the Andrews campus next semester?

The President, Dr. Luxton, leads a COVID-19 Planning Team that still meets twice a week.  With the recent news of two highly-effective vaccines that may be ready for distribution by the end of December, I’m sure this will be discussed on future agendas. It’s my understanding that the first populations that will be eligible for the vaccines will be health care workers and senior citizens. 

One concern that I have heard students bring up over the semester is both the availability and frequency of COVID-19 testing on campus. For example, I was sick two weeks ago and was instructed to quarantine by the Campus Clear app, but I was not prompted to get a COVID-19 test. Can you explain a little bit more about who we are testing during the semester and why? If a student is sick and wants a COVID-19 test, are they able to go and get one during the week?

Our testing protocols draw upon guidance from the CDC and the local health department in the context of what is operationally possible. Since our initial campus testing, Andrews has continued to do weekly COVID-19 testing for up to 100 members of our community.  Those tested on any given week may include segments of groups who are regularly in close contact with others due to the nature of their employment or their participation in off campus clinicals, as well as individuals with symptoms that are probable for COVID-19.
Based on the type of symptoms reported, Campus Clear will automatically direct individuals to stay home sick but will not provide direction to quarantine or isolate. Campus Clear will also automatically provide directions to contact Lakeland for COVID-19 testing based on their symptoms. Individuals are quarantined by a Case Manager when they have been in close contact with a COVID-19 positive or probable person. Individuals are isolated by a Case Manager when they are either positive for COVID-19 or based on type/level of symptoms and/or symptoms and exposure.
Campus Clear reports are reviewed daily by our Case Managers and are triaged for risk, to help separate someone who may be sick vs. at risk for COVID-19. The triage process identifies potential cases based on the severity, quantity, and frequency of their symptoms or exposures. Individuals who are identified as a potential case are then contacted by our Case Managers and may be directed to isolate, quarantine, stay home pending further symptoms, and/or pursue testing.
Currently, if a student or member of the Andrews University has probable symptoms or believe that they may have been exposed to someone positive for COVID-19, they can reach out to covid19@andrews.edu and request to be tested in our midweek testing process.  Students can continue to utilize COVID-19 testing options in our local community (some at no cost) as outlined on this website from the Berrien County Health Department.

What advice do you have for students as they prepare to depart and return to campus next semester?

Show your love to your family, friends, and yourself by finding creative ways to interact and enjoy your long break from your studies as safely as possible. 

Recently the colleges and universities received guidelines from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) that also provides great advice for Andrews students. MDHHS released a document with recommended mitigation measures for students returning home for the holidays and recommended practices for universities to support a safe return to campus.

MDHHS suggests it would be wise to begin self-quarantining as much as possible even now before you enter a new household as well as continue to wear masks and social distance for 14 days from anyone you weren’t living with on campus.

On a personal level, I recommend we all share more honestly with our friends and loved ones  about how we are really doing. I love the Swedish proverb, “Shared joy is a double joy, shared sorrow is a half sorrow.”

I’d also like to ask students what advice they have for us, for me and our Student Life team. What do you value? Where can we better meet your needs? What do you suggest we include for the spring semester, socially, spiritually, etc., to have the best possible student experience amidst the challenges of a COVID-19 pandemic?

May God Bless you and keep you as we press together in love for one another while we are apart.