CONNECT 2021

When OSU initially shifted its classes online for two weeks following 2020’s spring break, most thought things with the still-new coronavirus would resolve and in-person classes would resume in plenty of time for finals. Instead, courses remained virtual, and OSU faculty, staff and students finished the semester from home. In the College of Arts and Sciences, not everyone was working remotely, though. Associate Dean for Research and Facilities Dr. Kristen Baum, for example, dealt with ordering supplies, rearranging classrooms, developing recommendations and protocols, and otherwise bringing CAS into compliance with universitywide COVID-19 procedures. “One of the roles I played within the college was trying to reduce some of the burden on departments by providing resources at the college level,” said Baum, who credited others STORY ELIZABETH GOSNEY | PHOTOS COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Facing COVID unknowns, CAS finds order, innovation and progress in meeting challenges Pandemic Lessons LEARNED with helping her and the college adjust to safety guidelines. “It was just such a frantic time trying to find what you could —masks, hand sanitizer, Plexiglas — but so many different people across campus rose to the challenge. … Everyone was contributing.” Over the summer of 2020, Baum helped prepare CAS for students’ return in the fall. Spreadsheets, memos and meetings were the name of the game. “There were so many moving parts, but we had great communication among units on campus,” Baum recalled. “There for a while if I just picked up the phone and called, everyone shared everything they knew, from colleagues in CAS departments to purchasing to facilities management to other colleges across campus. Collectively, you can come up with much better ideas and solutions when you talk with people.” Thanks to the efforts of Baum and her colleagues — and the cooperation of students — the College of Arts and Sciences avoided any major COVID- 19 outbreaks during the 2020 school year. The university returned to full in-person classes this fall. IN THE CLASSROOM “There’s nothing like being in the classroomwith the students,” said Dr. Gabriel Cook of the Department of Chemistry. “I think the past year and a half has taught us that there are other ways to deliver material and with the right tools they can be extremely helpful and beneficial … but I look forward to seeing all the students back in the hallways and back in their seats again.” Like many professors, Cook had to figure out how to give lectures and conduct lab work with students. Instead of having 170 students in an elbow-to- elbow lecture hall, Cook taught in the Colvin Recreation Center gymnasium — the size of four basketball courts. And to keep at least some on-campus labs as part of his class, he “reduced the number of students in each lab period so that we could spread them out,” he said. “This afforded all of the students the chance to do at least four experiments in person during the semester. “All of these classroom changes, for better or worse, allowed us to continue teaching and kept our students learning, even in these strange and uncertain times,” he added. Dr. Kristen Baum 24 CONNECT 202 1