delivered to each student. The package also included a small twoby-four
wall to mount parts. According to one of the instructors,
the course could not have been offered online without the care
package. In another example of dedication to our community, during
the early months of the pandemic, several New England Tech
students, graduates and faculty worked on the front lines to care
for critically ill patients, such as Elizabeth Raposa, DNP, ACNP-BC,
CCRN, an assistant professor in the nursing department who also
works on weekends at a Connecticut hospital.
LOOKING AHEAD: New England Tech is particularly well-positioned
to thrive as the pandemic gets under control. We have a
very broad and diverse set of academic programs, a diverse student
community and an emphasis on training our students to contribute
to their employers’ success from day one. Our commitment
to hands-on learning will continue to be the foundation of the
university’s value. We have, however, found effective ways to supplement
the in-person experience with a remote strategy. As an
example, for students with jobs and families, they will be able to
To ensure the safety of their students,
many colleges are offering both in-person
and virtual classroom instruction.
obtain a college degree by taking some of their courses remotely
at times that are convenient to them and by bringing the course
replays into their labs on a tablet to reinforce the learning experience
on-ground.
WHAT ELSE IS NEW: New England Tech continues to develop ways,
even in these challenging times, to expand opportunities for people
who may otherwise not have the resources to attend college.
We are currently planning partnerships with certain Rhode
Island communities and business organizations to offer young
adults academic programs focused on how people will be working
in the current and post-COVID-19 environments, through
grants or corporate funding that will prepare new students for
careers filled with passion and advancement. Although not an
expansion, another strategic initiative in the planning stage is the
creation of an innovation center for building sciences where we
will bring our building trades programs together with our architectural,
interior design and construction management programs
to create a state-of-the-art integrated approach to learning how
new technologies, materials and construction methodologies can
be harnessed to create more affordable, more environmentally
sensitive and healthier buildings.
Johnson and Wales University
Jennifer Brouillard, Senior Writer-Editor
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: The biggest challenge is the increase in
obstacles that our students and their families are now facing due
to COVID-19. At Johnson and Wales University, we do everything
we can as an institution to help the ones who rise to the occasion
reach even higher. Each student is assigned a financial planning
representative to guide them and their families through the process
of financing higher education in their unique situations; in
2019, 94 percent of our on-ground students university-wide
received institutional scholarships and/or grants.
THE WORKAROUNDS: We have created comprehensive plans that
work to ensure the safety of all students, faculty and staff on our
campus, which includes in-person and virtual sessions with
experiential education and career services, tutoring and personal
counseling. In addition, our robust JWU parent and family relations
department keeps families informed about resources and
services available to support learning and development of their
student’s academic and co-curricular experience; it offers
another mechanism to reassure families about challenges and opportunities
they or their students may encounter. Labs and hallways have
been capped, per State of Rhode Island guidance, at a maximum of
fifteen occupants at any given time. In addition to wearing masks,
all faculty, staff and students have been asked to maintain a sixfoot
social distance at all times — both inside and outside — when
on campus. Plexiglass dividers have been added to tasting stations
and as barriers where prep tables don’t meet the six-foot rule for
appropriate social distancing. Hand sanitation wipes and disinfectant
stations have been placed at every building entrance, by
elevators, in labs and at service desks.
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: Remote instruction has opened a window
of innovation. Physician assistant students participate in telemedicine
sessions to substitute for clinical rotations while culinary
students have designed a menu geared for hospital patients. Professors
have also secured prominent guest lecturers who might
otherwise be too busy. Our biological engineering program, which
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