IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON INSTITUTIONAL PLANNING
The unprecedented health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was not and could not have been anticipated at the beginning of the 2021-2026 University Strategic Planning process .
The significance of the pandemic in altering university operations was not widely understood until early March when Governor Newsom declared the initial “ Safer at Home ” order , which compelled organizations and institutions to operate virtually . In response to the Governor ’ s order , Charles R . Drew University of Medicine and Science ( CDU ) immediately converted onsite classes to online . To do this , the Academic Continuity Task Force ( ACTF ) was established to ensure successful transition to online and the delivery of instructional goals and activities as planned for the spring semester . of Health COVID-19 guidelines , which included wearing PPE , social distancing , frequent handwashing , testing , quarantining , isolating , etc ., as necessary .
In June 2020 , CDU leadership converted the Academic Continuity Task Force ( ACTF ) to the Academic Reopening Taskforce ( ARTF ) and established an additional Campus Preparedness Taskforce ( CPTF ). These changes were made to plan in earnest for the return to campus and to bring students back via a hybrid education model for Fall 2020 and perhaps the entire 2020-21 academic year . The charge of the two task forces was as follows : ARTF — to plan for and implement activities in the Fall 2020 semesters with the purpose of minimizing oncampus activities ; and CPTF — to identify what , when and how we reopen the CDU campus to serve our students , staff , faculty and community , and to conduct the daily operations of the University .
Realizing that the pandemic was not abating and that the State of California as well as the County of Los Angeles were not relaxing the shelter in place order , CDU leadership announced that the summer semester would be delivered online as well . Toward the end of the summer , the State of California and Los Angeles County announced a partial relaxation of the shelter in place order that permitted clinical students to continue their laboratory and simulation education on site as well as clinical education . However , this all had to be in full compliance with the Department
CDU 2021-2026 STRATEGIC PLAN | PG . 06