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Our world is not the same world it was a year ago. We’ve seen tremendous challenges—a pandemic, an economic crisis, political and social strife—and yet, we persisted. In the University’s quest to fulfill its purpose, “So that all may learn,” countless stories of innovation, adaptation and ingenuity have emerged.

“When I think about the last year, I think about those pictures that if you look up close you realize there are hundreds of little faces and then you step back and it becomes this huge mosaic,” says Dr. Jennifer Bott, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “It took every face and every person to make this possible.”

The stories are seemingly endless.

New Perspectives

The Formula SAE Registered Student Organization, determined to complete its yearly race car build without access to their garage on campus, shifted gears and found a way to craft components remotely.

The race car is in a student's garage. “People are coming, one at a time, to put their parts on,” says mechanical engineering student Nick Durham, president of the group. They leaned on the skills they have developed over the years at Western while also taking time to learn new tricks of the trade—like programming and coding—to keep progress moving forward.

Dr. Susan Piazza adapted her action research seminar to give literacy studies graduate students the opportunity to examine the impacts of the pandemic on teachers and gather data that could be used to shape the future of the profession.

Dr. Sime Curkovic provided business students with professional work experience by coordinating remote projects with corporate partners.

Dr. Monica McCullough made flexibility and mental health check-ins a priority with her biology students, implementing a model to "learn at your own pace” and expanding her hours of availability.

Dr. John Jellies stepped out of his comfort zone to amp up his virtual presence, setting up a studio and learning new skills to make it happen.

“I went from never doing anything online—anything—to 100%, and I really wanted it to be quality not just minimum necessary,” says Jellies, a biological sciences professor, who also made videos about his beekeeping hobby to share with colleagues and zoology students.

Provost Bott says she’s gotten many emails from students who name specific faculty members who helped them not just with class but to grapple with the loss of normalcy.

“I think many of us have—for our colleagues, for ourselves, for our students—had to serve as anchors and had to serve as rescuers. And I've gotten messages from students telling me this faculty was their anchor in the storm,” Bott says, applauding the commitment of Western faculty and staff to provide students with enriching experiences. “We want these students to be prepared to be transformative leaders wherever they go next.”

The willingness to pull together and move forward is a testament, Bott says, to the Western community's resolve to persist and persevere.

“I don't think there's anything we can't accomplish if we work on it together,” adds Bott. “That's what this last year has taught me—that none of us can survive without each other, and that our best work is possible through collaboration. We're not always sure what's possible until we're pressed to find out, and what's possible has been pretty amazing.”

Tapping into New Opportunities

The Department of Dance didn't tip-toe around the initial pandemic jolt; it leapt headfirst into creating new opportunities for students in a field traditionally reliant on in-person experiences. While they grieved the loss of physical connection in their art, students gained access to instruction from acclaimed guest artists who could dial in via video conference from all over the world.

By connecting virtually, "we easily doubled the number of guest artists students have had access to compared to previous years," says Megan Slayter, who leads the Department of Dance.

Assistant Professor Kelsey Paschich, whose research involves creating work in a virtual space, pushed her students to think beyond traditional boundaries. They used motion capture suits to twirl into a digital dimension.

“I never considered anything like this. I figured once COVID-19 happened, we would do a livestream of the show and that would be it," says Noelle Dewees, a junior dance major from suburban Chicago, about putting on this year’s Winter Dance Gala. “But there are so many more ways (to adapt our art), and Kelsey has helped us dive into the new realm of digital dance."

"To finally be back in that process and create again with each other was so exciting; it really does spark my passion," adds Quetzie Jacobs, a sophomore dance major also from suburban Chicago.

Expanding Wellness Offerings

The Student Recreation Center, thrown for a loop when the state’s emergency orders shut down workout facilities, had to quickly figure out how to offer holistic health services and programming without a physical building.

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“How can we not take care of the emotional well-being of our students? We're more than a building, so we had to figure out, how can we keep them healthy? How can we keep them connected? How can we give students tools or even distractions to help them stay in a positive place?" says Amy Seth, director of University Recreation. “I have an unbelievably creative staff who jumped right on it. They weren't afraid of the technology, even if they weren't sure how to do it yet."

Within days, instructors were leading group fitness classes over Facebook Live and coming up with creative ways to keep minds and bodies engaged. They held meditative sessions and developed challenges like building forts to cut down on feelings of isolation and boost community. And during warmer weather they figured out how to continue classes outside, turning tennis courts and walkways into makeshift studios.

“We've opened the door for some things we didn't even know were there," Seth says. “It's a mind shift, but there's always something to learn from it." ■