■ Education
were realized through a combination of dedicated in-house essential employees and external service providers that were already on retainer with the college . Our increased costs were not related to outsourcing — they were a result of increases in supplies and the purchase of new equipment .”
- Lauren Tibbets
Q . How have you approached vaccinations and on-campus testing for the 2021-22 year ? A .“ The college launched on-campus COVID‐19 testing , a Care Manager program , a contact tracing unit , additional mental health and wellness supports , and enhanced its real-time dashboards , which track COVID‐19 activity at the college and among its members and the broader community . These efforts , among others , have proven successful in both slowing the spread of the virus among Ramapo ’ s 7000 plus member community and they will be continued .”
- Melissa Van Der Wall
“ The college partnered with an independent vendor to administer on-campus COVID‐19 testing for asymptomatic residential students and student-athletes in competition . The college has subsidized the cost of testing so that it is free to students . The college will require students to be vaccinated to participate in on-campus student life and instruction this fall and the college looks forward to serving as a vaccination site this summer .”
- Melissa Van Der Wall
Q . What do you think may have been forever changed in higher education ? A . “ It would be short-sighted to discontinue using some of the new instructional technologies , remote learning components , and course delivery modes in specific academic programs and courses , as appropriate , since these options were well-received by a cohort of college students .”
- Susan Gaulden
“ Students especially seemed to benefit from being able to access video recordings of class sessions , to remotely attend class meetings when they were not feeling well via the Webex Room kits , and to virtually meet with their instructors during faculty office hours . Many of the virtual services offered by college support units will likely continue to be offered for the convenience of students who may work full-time or have other obligations that prevent them from regularly spending time on our campus .”
- Susan Gaulden
“ Higher-education related initiatives evolve over time and develop under a certain pace for change . We learned how to make change occur rather quickly while also underscoring vision and strategy . We are grateful for the time , talent , and dedication of the college ’ s student life staff for their unwavering commitment to student success . For example , our Center for Student Involvement engaged students in the Census and empowered students to think about the kind of society they want to live in and vote during the general election . Our Counseling Services developed specific groups for COVID‐19 stress management , support for students of color , and grief support . Ramapo ’ s time-honored arching tradition , in which all incoming students process under our iconic on-campus arch to individually shake hands with the president , was even thoughtfully modified to replace the handshake with oversized foam fingers . Our trusted team of professionals provided meaningful support to students . They continue to deploy a great deal of creativity and to absorb a great deal of responsibility to design a high-quality college experience amid the rapid and disruptive changes we are all navigating .”
- Melissa Van Der Wall
“ The guidance and recommendations being issued from global and domestic agencies , our professional organizations , and local health department was numerous , at times overwhelming , and represented a very heavy lift to sort through . The Pandemic Assessment Team found ourselves making plans at a time when planning was extraordinarily complex . To this end , timely communication served as the best avenue possible for working together to implement initiatives to keep our students , colleagues , and broader community safe and meaningfully engaged in college life .”
- Melissa Van Der Wall
Ramapo College Modified ( Foam Finger ) Arching Ceremony June 2021 COMMERCE 13