Abstract:

The pandemic that started at the beginning of March 2020 reminded us in higher education of the need to plan for emergencies. This practice is known as Academic Continuity and allows institutions to continue operating and serving students while fulfilling their primary mission, education. More than ever, institutions need to plan to see more frequent events that disrupt operations (Morales, 2020). Natural and human-made events are on the rise, thus reminding us constantly of the challenges organizations face as they balance operations, safety, and mandates imposed by governments and accrediting agencies.

Academic Continuity planning requires that organizations and stakeholders assess the tools, infrastructure, personnel, and plans to ensure all are positioned and leveraged when an unforeseen event occurs and triggers a disruption in operations. Using a SWOT analysis approach, the development of academic continuity plans leads to the alignment of resources, procedures, and policies resulting in an increased level of preparedness for the institution. Academic Continuity aims to leverage technology to keep the organization operating at a scale closer to its state before the disruptive event. Shifting instruction to virtual classrooms, remote teaching, or online while simultaneously moving operational processes such as registrar, business services, meetings, student advising, and collaboration are conducted at a distance and in virtual settings. Technology—in its application as information and instructional technology—has progressed to unthinkable levels. Its acceptance has grown exponentially in the last five years, providing the necessary support for academic functions to continue to operate (Ayersman et al., 2020).

This presentation will discuss the process to develop an Academic Continuity plan, the role technology plays in supporting the plan, the case for continuous training, the difference between remote and online teaching, how organizations can add digital tools, and the digitalization of academic, student and business processes. We will also discuss how online learning assists in keeping the institution up and running. Attendees will hear about the lessons learned at Tarrant County College and how its online campus played a prominent role in supporting the continuity of the academy with minimal disruptions to students, faculty, and staff.

Keywords:

Academic continuity, academic planning, instructional technology, information technology, remote teaching.