As we prepare for the journey ahead, President Evans Whitaker last week hosted a virtual town hall for Anderson University faculty and staff, affirming our shared commitment to reopening campus for the 2020-2021 academic year.
His message was important—and timely. After all, in-person classes are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, August 19. We’re so excited—and hope you are too—that the start of the fall semester is just a few short weeks away.
The University is now fully operational and fully staffed beginning today, Monday, July 6. While much has been accomplished during the season of remote work, a return to full operation is imperative moving forward because there is much to be done between now and the start of the semester.
That’s why faculty and staff members have, and will continue working long hours, diligently and in unity: the Body of Christ in action. Our goal is to welcome you back to campus and do everything that is in our collective power, leaning on Almighty God, to keep you healthy and safe.
Dr. Whitaker stressed the importance of following the policies and procedures being established to safeguard our campus and our community. In the coming days, we will publish a new landing page dedicated to the campus reopening plan. It’s called the Journey Ahead, and will replace our current COVID-19 page. The Journey Ahead represents countless hours of dedicated work from many people. It will serve as a clearinghouse of information: what you need to know before you return in August. But it will be more than an online policy and procedure document; the Journey Ahead represents the way we can love and care for ourselves and others by practicing personal responsibility and demonstrating servant leadership.
Anderson University truly is a family. And, as a family, we must work together while navigating the new reality forced upon us by COVID-19. We will get through this by being stronger together, trusting in God, and working as a community of faith and friendship.