IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON INSTITUTIONAL PLANNING
As a medical and health institution , CDU ’ s aim from the beginning of the pandemic was to be a model of institutional compliance with the public health protocols required to stem the spread of the virus .
Consequently , the President ’ s weekly forum became a community opportunity to discuss the science of the virus , update emergent developments , review national and local data , and above all , to respond to faculty , staff , and student questions and anxiety . The two task forces provided comprehensive plans in compliance with the CDC , the State of California , and Los Angeles County protocols . To help in implementing these protocols , the University seconded an experienced public health nurse from MMDSON to lead the campus .
Los Angeles County established a COVID-19 testing site on campus in April that became one of the highest volume sites in the area . However , the site was relocated in August to the campus of the Martin Luther King Outpatient Center just across the street due to new construction in the area . Subsequently , CDU acquired testing materials to continue to test university faculty and staff who are required to visit the campus . A stringent set of requirements was adopted before anyone could visit the campus . These include a daily Qualtrics computer-based survey , active negative COVID-19 test result within 14 days , a seasonal flu vaccination , face mask , temperature testing and prior approval before coming to campus . The outcome of these efforts is best reflected by the infection rate on the campus : only two out of 1000 ( 0.002 ) tests conducted have been positive and those two individuals have since recovered .
Realizing that the Strategic Planning started long before the pandemic and most of the data had already been collected before the Safer at Home order , the Board of Trustees extended the planning period from July to December 2020 . This extension was necessary for the Planning Committee to consider the impact of
COVID-19 on the immediate and future directions of the University . Therefore , the Planning Committee repeated quantitative and qualitative data collection specifically to solicit stakeholders ’ opinions on this matter . The most important outcome of the exercise was the acceptance of and planning toward a reasonable level of instructional hybridization .
While the pandemic has wreaked havoc on higher education institutions across the nation , CDU has demonstrated exemplary success in managing its response to the health crisis . The most significant indicator of success is student enrollment growth of over 15 percent at a time ( Fall 2020 ) when enrollment growth declined by 4 percent nationally . Additional indicators include : a budgetary surplus , very low campus infection rates , relatively smooth educational continuity for all students and minimal complaints from students and faculty .
CDU 2021-2026 STRATEGIC PLAN | PG . 07