Support your school through the coronavirus crisis

A growing response among institutions facing potential or actual outbreaks is to move academic courses online. While preserving academic continuity and reducing the risk of infection, the shift to digital and remote instruction can unsettle students, especially if they lack experience with online courses or access to the necessary technology to participate in them. Use EAB student resources to quickly create infrastructure and policies that support students through a rapid shift to remote learning.

• Review our Online and Hybrid Education Resource Center. It includes resources to help create digital education policies that encourage accessibility and strengthen remote student support services
• Deploy this playbook to identify potential success barriers and ensure continued access to student advising and support offerings during a disruption

As with all emergencies, disease outbreaks are evolving situations where known facts can change rapidly and misinformation can easily spread. Leaders should regularly update campus constituents about the incidence of coronavirus on their campus and in their area to help reduce fear and inform stakeholders. Use EAB communication resources to enhance your community communication efforts.

• Deploy this toolkit, written for district leaders, to strengthen your incident response team, update your communications plan, and quickly communicate updates to campus
• Review these tools, originally crafted for Facilities and Operations teams, to audit your website, email, and social media structures and formats

Outbreaks of infectious diseases have the potential to stoke fears among people that, can lead to racist, xenophobic and other discriminatory responses to community members of certain geographic or demographic origins.) The CDC has warned against rising anti-Chinese and anti-Asian stigma related to the coronavirus, and campuses have reported insensitive, biased, or inflammatory remarks and incidents. Use EAB resources to communicate your institution’s commitment to mutual support and respond to bias incidents on your campus.

• Use this toolkit to audit your social media pages and evaluate social listening software to stay aware of online campus conversations
• Review these resources, including a risk compendium, risk grading framework, and controversial events template, to establish and empower a bias-response team to manage responses to on-campus incidences

Scenario planning exercises can help leaders understand how this crisis might impact their institution’s short- and long-term goals and financial position—whether or not their campus experiences an outbreak. Use EAB resources to evaluate campus risk exposure and facilitate strategic planning exercises with stakeholders.

• Use EAB’s scenario planning guidance to help campus leaders understand the potential impact of a virus-driven recession on your institution’s finances and goals (additional outbreak response scenarios forthcoming)
• Review the enterprise risk management guides for K-12 leaders to ensure your institution is positioned to effectively mitigate risks amplified by the outbreak (e.g., missed enrollment goals, campus climate flashpoints)

When campuses close or move courses online, not every student has the opportunity or ability to make their way home. Many students on campus already struggle with food and housing insecurity, and depending on residential housing, dining halls, and food pantries to maintain their wellbeing. Crises such as the coronavirus outbreak exacerbate these struggles while putting new students at risk. Use EAB resources to help streamline access to support and scale up campus services.

• Deploy this toolkit to evaluate emergency housing options, create communication material for students in need, and review potential additional sources of funding for initiatives
• Read this study to learn recommendations for removing barriers to current resources on campus, developing a campus-wide referral network, and leveraging existing staff on campus

As more schools shift in-person meetings online, leaders can take steps now to run those meetings effectively. Use these resources for assistance structuring and hosting effective virtual meetings.

• Read this article for 13 virtual meeting tips, tools, and alternatives
• Use this infographic for best practices on hosting structured, efficient, and useful meetings
• Download our presentation on how to run remote meetings effectively