8/6/2021
Panther Family:
I hope you are as excited as I am for a new year of connection, growth, and community. There are great opportunities for us in the months ahead, and I am eager to get underway.
As we navigate through this pandemic, it’s more important than ever that we work together to follow the guidelines I am sharing with you today. Many of these guidelines are familiar to us by now, and exercising them together with civility and grace will benefit us all as we continue to live with our new normal.
We are stronger together.
We are ready to welcome the entire Ferrum College family back to campus for the 2021-22 academic year — students, faculty, and staff. We’ll have some challenges along with our opportunities, to be sure, but as we have seen time and again, when we work together as one, we triumph as one.
Last year, our hard work and determination paid off. Together, we kept each other safe and healthy, and we upheld our motto: not self, but others. I am proud of how well we did last year, and while the world is making progress, we are not wholly through this pandemic. I wish we were, but we are not. Thus, we will need to continue caring for each other, so we can continue spending time together.
EFFECTIVE MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2021
Vaccines
At this time, Ferrum College strongly encourages all members of our campus community to get vaccinated. We will host a vaccination clinic on campus soon, and urge all students, faculty, and staff (who are able) to get vaccinated. You can also find a vaccination location near you here. Vaccinations are available at no cost to you and they are our best defense in stopping the spread of this virus and getting back to normal.
Testing
If you aren’t feeling well, get tested for COVID-19 at a pharmacy or health care provider’s office. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please refrain from participating in campus activities and get tested. Find a testing location near you here. In the future, additional testing may be required.
Face Coverings
As COVID-19 variants are now impacting both vaccinated and unvaccinated people: all students, employees, and visitors must wear face coverings while indoors at this time – regardless of vaccination status. Face coverings are strongly recommended outdoors when social distancing is not feasible or realistic.
We will communicate adjustments regarding face coverings if they change; we are hopeful vaccinated students and employees will not need to wear face coverings in the near future.
Self-Monitoring
Continue to monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19. If you notice symptoms, find a testing site near you right away and get tested. Students contact the Office of Student Life and Engagement. Employees contact Human Resources.
Classes and Campus Life
Most classes at Ferrum have returned to in-person instruction with some protocols from our previous semesters remaining in effect for the Fall. Some classes will be offered online or in a hybrid format. Reasonable accommodations will be available for those who cannot attend in-person due to quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19.
Key protocols: Face coverings while indoors and continued practice of social distancing. Face coverings are strongly recommended outdoors when social distancing is not feasible or realistic.
The Dining Hall will be open for indoor dining and takeout options will be available. Dining Services employees and diners will need to follow College protocols regarding face coverings when not eating or drinking.
Events, Visitors, and Athletics
Everyone will be required to wear face coverings during indoor events. For outdoor events where social distancing is not possible, face coverings will be strongly encouraged.
Ferrum College welcomes prospective students and their families, alumni, friends of the college, and vendors to campus. Face coverings are mandatory for all visitors while indoors and are strongly recommended outdoors if social distancing is not possible.
All Ferrum Athletics teams will be competing as scheduled, and student-athletes and athletic staff will follow conference guidance. Currently, spectators are permitted to attend games and must follow Ferrum College’s visitor protocols.
Continued Monitoring
Ferrum College will continue to monitor and adjust protocols based on campus and regional COVID-19 activity, as well as recommendations from the CDC, local department of health, and the Governor’s Office.
I want to thank you all in advance for your help with these guidelines.
We all want to return to normal as quickly as possible, and we are nearly there — in person classes, athletics, campus events and activities; it is awesome to be back together! Let’s work together to squash this virus and maintain a campus environment that is safe and healthy for the entire Panther family. I strongly encourage all faculty, staff, and students to be vaccinated to help us avoid additional restrictions. We are always stronger together, and I am looking forward to a dynamic and rewarding academic year.
Sincerely,
David L. Johns, Ph.D.
President
Learn more about Ferrum College’s plans for fall semester 2021 by visiting www.ferrum.edu/stronger-together.
7/8/2021
Ferrum College is pleased to announce that its campus is once again open to the public. This reopening comes after the May 2021 guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which updated COVID-19 safety protocols for vaccinated individuals.
While the College is not requiring students, faculty, or staff to receive the vaccination at this time, President David Johns said that the institution is strongly encouraging it. Ferrum has joined the White House COVID-19 College Vaccination Challenge which seeks to vaccinate as many young adults as possible prior to them returning to campus for fall classes. This means that Ferrum has committed to taking the following action against the virus: engaging every student, faculty, and staff member by providing resources to get vaccinated; organizing its college community by implementing a vaccination plan; and delivering vaccine access for all.
“We will definitely host at least one flu and COVID-19 vaccination clinic on campus, ideally in early September, where students, faculty, staff, and the community can get either or both vaccinations,” explained Dean of Student Life and Pandemic Coordinator Nicole Lenez. “Or if it is easier for a community member to get vaccinated elsewhere, we’ll help them find a clinic. All they need to do is reach out to our Student Life office by calling (540) 365-4461 or emailing studentlife@ferrum.edu.”
More information about upcoming vaccination clinics will be available in the near future.
Additionally, the College is preparing for fall courses to begin on August 23. The semester will offer 14-week courses as well as two seven-week sessions, with all courses ending on November 23 prior to the Thanksgiving holiday break. The majority of courses will be delivered in the classroom (face-to-face) or through a hybrid method (50 percent virtual, 50 percent in-person). Ferrum faculty have completed an intensive online teaching certification to provide high-quality instruction both in the classroom and online.
On campus, physical distancing will be encouraged and sanitizing protocols will be maintained, including twice-daily disinfection of high-touch areas like light switches, bathrooms, and door handles. The College will not require masks indoors for individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Likewise, masks will not be mandated for anyone attending outdoor events unless three feet of distance cannot be maintained.
Athletics will return to normal competition this fall, with Panther football taking on Averett University on Ferrum’s campus on September 4 at 6 p.m. For more updates, check the official Ferrum College athletic website.
“The pandemic’s most pernicious work has been to separate us, keeping us from many of the things and people we enjoy,” wrote Johns in a campus-wide email. “What we learned so well over this past year will help us as we prepare for the year ahead: we are always stronger together.”
View Ferrum College’s plan for the 2021-22 academic year, and sign up to receive news and updates, on the Stronger Together website.
Learn more about the White House COVID-19 College Vaccination Challenge by visiting here.
4/22/2021
Assistant Professor of Nursing Lisa Pendleton (center) stands with nursing students Casey Raggett ’22 (left in photo) and Jennia Candy ’22 (right).
On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, Ferrum College Nursing Program students dressed in their scrubs to assist in vaccinating the campus community against COVID-19.
The College partnered with the Virginia Department of Health, Carilion, Franklin County Public Safety, and the Ferrum Nursing Department to host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in the Fitness Center on campus.
The clinic, which was free and open to campus members and members of the community who had previously registered, distributed ninety-five doses of the Moderna vaccine in three hours, from 12 – 3 p.m.
“We are thrilled to be able to assist our campus community members in protecting their health, as well as the health of others around them,” said Dean of Students and Pandemic Coordinator Nicole Lenez. “After a very dark year, there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
See photos from the clinic here.
Learn more about Ferrum College Nursing here.
4/12/2021
Despite a nationwide slowdown in fundraising, Ferrum College is on track to have a successful philanthropic year by exceeding last year’s giving numbers. Colleges and universities across the nation have felt the strain in fundraising over the last year due to COVID-19. According to a national Education Advisory Board survey, one in four institutions is experiencing a 30 percent or more decline in fundraising revenues, and over 50 percent report a significant slowdown in major giving.
“This feat won’t be easy and will require a successful fourth quarter, but if we can pull this off, Ferrum College will be in rare company among higher-ed institutions across the nation,” said Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Relations Wilson Paine ’07.
This fiscal year-to-date, which runs from July 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021, Ferrum College has already exceeded last year’s total for athletics fundraising, which marked a previous school record. The College has also nearly doubled the total number of gifts received from 2019. “On March 31, 2019 we had received 970 gifts to the College, and we are already at close to 1,700 for this fiscal year,” Paine said, noting that over 350 of this year’s gifts came from first-time donors.
While Paine acknowledges that the College has seen a slowdown in major gifts, likely attributed to the persistence of the pandemic and the lack of face-to-face meetings, Ferrum College has found success through a number of mini-campaigns, including the Virtual Sell Out Adams Stadium campaign and Giving Tuesday. In two years, the College has grown its Giving Tuesday success from 42 gifts totaling $6,255 in 2018 to this past year when it raised $112,601 from 314 gifts.
“That we are in a position to exceed last year’s fundraising totals across a range of metrics (number of gifts, Ferrum Fund, overall giving, and athletics giving) is a testament to the hard work of our entire Institutional Advancement team and our loyal donor base who have answered the call to support Ferrum College during this challenging year,” said Paine, “The future is bright at Ferrum College, and I’m excited at what we will be able to accomplish over the last three months of the fiscal year and into next year.”
If you would like to make a gift to Ferrum College, please visit www.ferrum.edu/giving.
3/30/2021
Ferrum College is excited to host two in-person commencement ceremonies this year. The Class of 2020 will be celebrated at Adams Stadium on Friday, April 30 at 6 p.m. Following that ceremony, the Class of 2021’s commencement exercises will take place on Saturday, May 1 at 10 a.m., also at Adams Stadium. Both ceremonies will follow the guidelines set forth in Governor Ralph Northam’s March 17 order that allows for a limited number of guests to attend outdoor graduations.
To find up-to-date commencement information for the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021, visit www.ferrum.edu/commencement.
Ferrum College announced today that it will invite members of the Class of 2020 to return to campus for an in-person commencement celebration on Friday, April 30, 2021 at 6 p.m. This event will precede the College’s commencement for the Class of 2021, scheduled for Saturday, May 1. The Class of 2020 made history last year when their commencement ceremony was held virtually to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Class of 2020 graduates who participate in this year’s outdoor commencement exercise will be able to invite four guests to attend as they cross the commencement stage at Adams Stadium. Graduates will be asked to wear their regalia and will have the opportunity to take a photo with Ferrum College President David Johns. The keynote speaker will be 2021 Virginia Teacher of the Year Anthony Swann who teaches fifth grade at Rocky Mount Elementary in Franklin County. The ceremony will follow the guidelines set forth in Governor Ralph Northam’s March 17 order that allows for a limited number of guests to attend outdoor graduations.
In order to participate, Class of 2020 graduates must register themselves and their guests for the event by April 28 using this link.
Ferrum College will hold its 105th commencement ceremony in-person at Adams Stadium on Saturday, May 1, 2021. The College’s plans follow Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s March 17 announcement that allows for a limited number of guests to attend outdoor graduations.
“We are looking forward to celebrating our 2021 graduates during an in-person commencement ceremony this May,” said President David Johns. “These students have made Ferrum College history by overcoming enormous challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is their time to shine.”
The College expects 165 graduates to walk across the commencement stage at Adams Stadium, which includes current seniors and the first graduates of Ferrum’s psychology masters degree and EdS programs. Each graduate may invite four guests, as per the governor’s order to keep outdoor events at 30 percent of the venue capacity. The event will be live-streamed for friends and family who are not able to attend.
The keynote speaker will be New York Times bestselling author Jeff Selingo, who has written about higher education for more than two decades. His latest book, Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, was published in September 2020 and was named among the “100 Notable Books” of the year by the New York Times. Selingo is a special advisor for innovation and professor of practice at Arizona State University. He also co-hosts the podcast “FutureU” and is a regular contributor to The Atlantic.
Prior to the May 1 ceremony, graduates will have their class photo taken in Adams Stadium on April 24. Following the class photo, graduates will be invited to take individual photos with Ferrum College President David Johns.
The College will not host a baccalaureate and candlelight ceremony this year; however, an academic awards ceremony will be held on Friday, April 16, 2021.
Class of 2021 graduates may register and receive tickets for their guests here.
Aundrea Burton Smiley ’07. Photo by Lauren Thaxton of Lauren Carter Photography.
As the grey cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic descended during the spring of 2020, Ferrum College alumna Aundrea Burton Smiley ’07 found a silver lining.
In March 2020, Smiley began offering virtual tutoring to elementary school students in response to schools’ shutdown to curb the spread of COVID-19. When it became clear that schools would remain closed, Smiley added consulting services for parents who were trying to navigate the new virtual learning climate. Then she gave her business a name: Valor and Grace Literacy Cove.
Now, Smiley works with seven students two to three times a week. She focuses on reading and math, along with language arts.
“In addition to learning sessions, I communicate weekly with the parents and teacher of the students I work with to ensure we are all on the same page when it comes to the student’s academic success,” explained Smiley. “I also serve as an advocate for parents and students when they need it.”
Smiley has recently been able to start meeting students for one-on-one sessions. She has seen so much success in her work that she is planning to open a brick and mortar facility for her education consulting business in March of 2021.
“The service will remain the same but will also include facility use for kids in grades K-8 to come in and have access to WiFi, as well as games, crafts, and other special programming,” said Smiley. “We are also expanding our team to provide more virtual learning opportunities.”
In addition to Valor and Grace Literacy Cove, Smiley is a doctoral candidate at Liberty University and is preparing to defend her proposal at the end of February. She is a writer at Yoshika Green Consulting, LLC and an executive brand partner for Young Living Essential Oils. On February 23, 2021 at 7 p.m., she will serve as a panelist for Ferrum College’s “Support for Parents of School-Age Children” virtual town hall meeting. (Find more information about the town hall meeting here.)
Smiley lives in Clarksville, VA with her husband Matt, their three-year-old son, and two dogs.
The Outdoor Classroom is located near the Fitness Center & the Ferrum Outdoors building.
Ferrum College is preparing for another unique semester as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The College plans to closely follow the same protocol that it adopted for its fall 2020 semester, which allowed students to remain on campus and successfully complete their fall courses through hybrid instruction (half virtual, half in-person).The most striking difference is that Ferrum’s athletes will now be back in action this spring.
Spring semester classes will begin on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Students are required to check-in online prior to utilizing a staggered schedule to move back to Ferrum’s campus. They are also instructed to limit their exposure and monitor their health and temperature daily for 14 days prior to their arrival.
Students, faculty, and staff will follow the same protocol this spring as they did last semester: wearing masks during class and at work, limiting people in buildings on campus, practicing social distancing, and using the LiveSafe app to check in daily before leaving their residence halls and/or coming to campus. Housekeeping staff will continue performing both routine and deep cleaning on campus, especially for high-touch areas like light switches and door handles.
The College’s athletic teams will compete this spring; however, due to COVID-19 restrictions, spectators will not be allowed to attend indoor sports and are instead encouraged to enjoy indoor sporting events at this livestream link. A decision regarding spectators for outdoor sports events has not yet been made. Read more about Ferrum’s spring athletics season in this letter from Director of Athletics John Sutyak.
Additionally, the College is exploring the creation of a campus vaccination center as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more available this spring. “We are hopeful for an inoculation center on campus when the vaccine gets to 1C in spring, so those who are interested can have easy access to vaccinations,” wrote Dean of Students and Pandemic Coordinator Nicole Lenez in a campus-wide email earlier this week.
Although cautious, the Ferrum College community remains optimistic for another successful semester. “I am eager for our Panther family to begin a new semester,” wrote President David Johns in recent campus correspondence. “We will support each other through the challenges of this pandemic, encouraging each other to excel in the classroom, the court and field, in the residence halls, and in our neighboring communities. With determination and a renewed sense of purpose, we will continue to practice those things that make for a better tomorrow.” Read Johns’ full letter here.
Visit www.ferrum.edu/stronger-together to learn more about spring semester 2021.
Ferrum College is pleased to share its annual report for 2020. In the following letter included within this year’s report, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Relations Wilson Paine ’07 highlights some of the College’s achievements.
Dear Ferrum Family,
It is difficult to look back on this past year without mentioning the impact COVID-19 has had across the globe, including here at Ferrum College. From Zoom meetings to face masks, COVID-19 has altered how we live, work, and play in a way that seemed unimaginable a year ago. But it hasn’t all been bad. This pandemic has jolted us from our normal routines, reset our perspective on what is important, and created a sense of solidarity among all of us who care deeply about the future of our College.
This was especially evident last March, shortly after we transitioned to virtual learning for the remainder of the spring semester. At the time, I did not know what the overall impact would be, but I knew it was going to be substantial both for the College and our students. So, I recorded a video asking you for help. And the response was overwhelming.
As you’ll see, the College saw a 33% increase in giving to the Ferrum Fund and a 40% increase in athletics giving compared to the previous year, while significantly growing our number of donors. We also raised over $300,000 in scholarships, introduced new giving societies, held our first virtual alumni events, produced multiple marketing videos, and designed a website specifically dedicated to the College’s COVID-19 response – www.ferrum.edu/stronger-together. And last, but certainly not least, we produced this 2020 Annual Report to highlight the College’s achievements in this unprecedented year.
These achievements are a testament to the hard work of the Institutional Advancement team and to the variety of ways that each of you support Ferrum College and our efforts to build a bright and prosperous future for our students. I hope you are as proud as I am in what we, together, were able to achieve.
With Panther Pride,
Wilson Paine ’07
Vice President for Institutional Advancement JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTNEJTIydHJ1ZSUyMiUyMGFsbG93JTNEJTIyZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUyMiUyMHN0eWxlJTNEJTIyYm9yZGVyJTNBbm9uZSUzQndpZHRoJTNBMTAwJTI1JTNCaGVpZ2h0JTNBNTAwcHglM0IlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjIlMkYlMkZlLmlzc3V1LmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkLmh0bWwlM0ZiYWNrZ3JvdW5kQ29sb3JGdWxsc2NyZWVuJTNEJTI2ZCUzRGZlcnJ1bV9jb2xsZWdlX2FubnVhbF9yZXBvcnRfMjAyMCUyNmhpZGVJc3N1dUxvZ28lM0R0cnVlJTI2dSUzRGZlcnJ1bWNvbGxlZ2UlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZpZnJhbWUlM0U=
(December 8, 2020) I relived the pandemic while packing to move.
Each plate, bowl and glass got its own section of newspaper as I wrapped them and tucked them carefully inside boxes. Coffee mugs wrapped in January’s news — hints of a virus likely to spread widely. Ceramic pitchers padded in February’s announcements of infections and the first U.S. death. Next came bottles of spices and olive oil wrapped in the WHO’s proclamation that the virus had reached pandemic scale. Then came lockdowns, layoffs, business implosions and, finally, some promise of light at the end of the tunnel.
We went into the new year as we usually do, full of hope, ready for challenges and opportunities. And, we found both.
Like everyone else, I am ready to say good riddance to 2020. However, when we step back for a moment and reflect, it’s remarkable what we have learned and what we have accomplished.
First, we have learned that we are stronger than we thought we were, and that we are even stronger when we work together.
Each of us has strength we didn’t know we had. We didn’t need it, quite frankly, until this year, but when circumstances pinned us into a corner, we found determination and creativity sufficient to move forward. We discovered, in the midst of enormous challenge, what Thomas Edison meant when he said: “When you’ve exhausted all possibilities, remember: you haven’t.”
Second, we learned that we need very little to survive.
Throughout the pandemic, we have pared back many of the activities that filled our lives last year. We have spent less money on some of the odds and ends we generally give away or throw away. While we might miss some of these things and some of these activities, and while we may be eager for their return, we are fine. We have survived, and we are not diminished.
Third, we have learned we can work, learn and play at a distance.
Not all work, I realize, nor all learning, nor all play. But with imagination and willingness, we have been able to do more than we thought we could back in March. Fears that technology would isolate us from each other are unfounded. Had this pandemic occurred 30 years ago, we would have been isolated from each other for days on end. However, in 2020, we were able to quarantine and at the same time keep many aspects of life moving along.
And finally, we have learned that friends and family really are what matter most.
As the pandemic chiseled away at our social calendars, our work schedules and our weekend plans, many of us found ourselves reconnecting with a core circle of friends. We realized that the people who know us best and love us most were the ones who could help us stay balanced and keep our lives in perspective during these unusual times. Travel restrictions and limited crowd mandates did not prevent us from finding ways to stay close.
Wrapping dishes in back issues of newspapers gave me a whirlwind review of how far we have come in just a few months. It was strange to read articles from February and March having already lived through September and October. We know now what we did not know then, but we do not know today what lies ahead in February 2021, or April, or ….
We live our lives forward, as Soren Kierkegaard said, but only understand them in reverse. So, we need to be content to know very little. Yet, we can all hold on to what we have learned, those things that have carried us up to this point and that can, I believe, carry us farther still. We are stronger than we could ever have imagined, and even stronger together; we need very little to survive; we can work, learn and play at a distance; and friends and family are really what matter most.
One day, the COVID-19 pandemic will be the stuff of documentaries and history books, and our children will tell stories about it to their children. And soon, someone will wrap dishes in the yellowed pages of newspaper articles that report about vaccines, antibodies, of rebuilding society, and about a world made better because it struggled together.
This column by President David Johns appeared in The Roanoke Times and The Franklin News-Post. President Johns may be reached at president@ferrum.edu.
Dr. Bernice Cobbs ’98
Ferrum College alumna Dr. Bernice Cobbs ’98 was named superintendent of Franklin County Public Schools (FCPS) during a school board meeting on November 10, 2020. This appointment came after a nationwide search with 15 other candidates.
“I consider it a true privilege to have been appointed as the superintendent for Franklin County Public Schools,” Cobbs wrote in a letter to the community. “In taking this oath of office, I pledge my commitment to always do what is in the best interest of our students and the community.”
Cobbs took office on December 1, 2020, after most recently serving as assistant principal of Franklin County High School. She feels prepared to lead FCPS during this critical time thanks to her 22 years of service in the school system. Cobbs initially held positions as a teacher, then as principal of Snow Creek Elementary, principal of Boones Mill Elementary, director of the K-5 Curriculum and Instruction, and assistant principal and principal of Benjamin Franklin Middle School.
“I do believe there has been a loss of learning for some of our students since the onset of COVID-19 in March,” she explained about the current hybrid teaching model which consists of half virtual and half in-person instruction. This model was put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. “Many of our students, families, and staff are not accustomed to the online learning platform but are doing the best they can. If I looked into my crystal ball, I would contend, for the most part, that most students and families desire the daily face-to-face interactions with their teachers. However, I will admit that there has been a positive outcome, which is why some students have found their niche in the virtual learning world. This pandemic has undoubtedly given us some opportunities to reimagine teaching and learning.”
As superintendent, her first initiatives include a safe return to school in some fashion and a plan to regain learning losses. She intends to work closely with staff, students, and families to continue building reading, math, and writing skills along with the skills students eventually need, coined the “5 C’s”: communication, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and citizenship.
In her letter to the community, she wrote, “My goal as superintendent is to continue the works in progress to provide all of our students with instructional initiatives that emphasize preparation beyond high school. These initiatives will also develop the essential knowledge and skills to foster college and workforce readiness for the 21st century.”
Cobbs was named the Virginia Middle School Principal of the Year in 2019. In 2004, she was named FCPS Teacher of the Year and Virginia’s Region VI Teacher of the Year. She also received the 2005 Virginia Lottery Excellence in Education Award and was named a Ferrum College Distinguished Alumna in 2008.
Cobbs graduated from Ferrum College in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts and a teaching endorsement. She went on to receive a Master of Curriculum and Instruction from University of Virginia (2002), a Master of Education in educational leadership from Radford University (2007), and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Tech (2014).
Read more about Cobbs in this Franklin News-Post article.
On September 30, SGA held a Zoom session with Aladdin Food Services, which provides dining options on campus.
In this semi-virtual world in which colleges are presently living to keep COVID-19 numbers at bay, Ferrum College’s Student Government Association (SGA) is striving to keep campus members informed.
Beginning in September, SGA coordinated town hall Zoom meetings during which students, faculty, and staff are invited to log on to hear from various departments on campus and ask questions.
“We want to bridge the gap between students, faculty, and staff. By hosting Zoom meetings, we are doing just that,” said SGA President Kintwon Pettiford ’22. “We want students to know their voices are being heard and that they are able to make changes, if needed.”
On September 23, 2020, SGA held its first town hall Zoom meeting, hosting Dean of Students and Title IX and Pandemic Coordinator Nicole Lenez. During the session, Lenez answered questions and outlined the steps the College is taking to continuing keeping positive COVID-19 cases low on campus. On September 30, SGA held another successful town hall Zoom session, this time with Aladdin Food Services, which provides dining options on campus.
The meetings will be held once a month, allowing SGA time to canvas the student body for topics that students want to learn more about.
Pettiford urges campus members to stay tuned. Upcoming Zoom meeting topics include a session on activities with Director of Student Activities Justin Muse ’05 and a session called “What’s Next” with President David Johns and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Aimé Sposato.
Meet the 2020-21 SGA cabinet members here.
(August 26, 2020) As students move back to college this month, the usual excitement and bittersweet goodbyes are being seasoned with apprehension and whispered prayers.
None of us are naive, we know this is going to be challenging. We know we must take extra precautions. We know everything could turn on a dime at any moment, and we all know it’s not 2019 any longer!
Every one of our schools has developed contingency plans and scenarios ranging from the likely to the apocalyptic. We are well aware that as Theodore Roosevelt once remarked: “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort.” Returning to college this fall is going to require effort because, at the end of the day, it is worth it.
And it is worth it for at least three reasons: students, colleges themselves, and the communities in which our colleges are located.
First, no one stands to lose more than students if our colleges do not return to campus activity.
While colleges learned how to serve their students in unfamiliar yet effective ways, and while faculty performed the Herculean task of transitioning to remote instruction, all this has taken a toll that is unsustainable and undesirable.
One third of students in Virginia attend an independent college like Ferrum College. Although many news articles focus on flagship public universities or elite private colleges, most independent colleges have modest resources and depend mightily on tuition dollars and philanthropy.
We enroll a greater percentage of minority students, first generation college students, and students from families with economic need than do the others. This is not a criticism, but it is a fact. Vulnerable women and men are left in the lurch when our campuses are shuttered. Additionally, rebuilding our economy after COVID-19 will require that students continue developing skills of resilience, critical and imaginative thinking, and civic engagement.
Second, the return must work for the sake of colleges themselves.
Colleges are businesses that have a fundamental social mission. During the pandemic, a few have written that any college unable to survive a couple semesters without students on campus should close. This is the most foolish and ill-informed statement anyone could make. No one would suggest that a grocery chain or a clothing manufacturer was irresponsible for needing to sell groceries or clothes to continue operating. That’s what they do. Likewise colleges and universities.
The economic havoc brought about by COVID-19 will destroy many small businesses, and some of these casualties will be colleges. Losing them will cause irreparable harm to freedom and opportunity. Thus, the return to college must work in order to preserve these champions of learning, support, research and culture.
When we reach the other side of this pandemic, we will need an educated and prepared workforce to help rebuild our country and position us for tomorrow. And to prepare these women and men, we need healthy colleges.
Third, the return must work for the communities where our colleges are located.
A college in any town is an economic boon. Many of our independent colleges are located in small towns where they are a major employer. Even a college the size of Ferrum has a $100 million impact in our region. The college helps to sustain business and livelihoods in this area, as do the others in their hometowns.
It is understandable that communities are apprehensive about the return. However, the long-term damage to our communities and to thousands of families will be extensive unless we find a way to make this work.
Let’s face it: unless we are willing to remain in absolute home lockdown–every one of us–for the next 12 months or longer, then we are acknowledging there are other social and economic concerns to be balanced in addition to caring for our health and slowing the virus. We have an obligation to sustain our communities and assure a stable economy.
So, while we know this will be a challenging semester requiring effort from everyone, it will be worth it on several fronts–for our students, our colleges and our communities. The only way for us not to be defeated by COVID-19 is to live, to thrive and to stay focused on things that matter. We must be cautious and conscientious, of course, but we cannot lock ourselves away cowering in fear. This pandemic will destroy us, but only if we permit it.
Hard does not mean impossible.
This column by President David Johns appeared in The Roanoke Times and The Franklin News-Post. President Johns may be reached at president@ferrum.edu.
