May 2020
Dear Post University Students:
As we complete a semester unlike any other in Post University’s 130-year history, we wish to take a moment to thank all of you for your patience and perseverance. We assure you that you have a bright future ahead at Post, even under these extraordinary circumstances.
In the last two months, our country has experienced upheaval. For too many, it’s been a life-altering, painful stretch. But we have also seen resilience, courage, creativity, determination, and generosity; none so well demonstrated as by our Post University Eagles. You continue to impress us every day.
While the spring semester presented challenges, the University’s collaborative response to the crisis has been strong. We are proud of how our faculty and associates never wavered in their dedication to your success. In just four days, we transition over 850 students, 140 instructors, and more than 250 classes to remote instruction. We also transitioned all your support services, nearly 800 associates to working remotely, enhanced the technology for 850 Associate Faculty with the singular goal of enhancing your experience and keeping them connected to you virtually, without interruption.
The unexpected spring transition to remote learning was disappointing for all of us. Based on your responses to Dr. Johnson’s questionnaire (and the many anecdotal conversations about each of you that regularly take place in our offices), we know that you miss your friends. We know you miss your coaches and your teammates. We know you miss your professor and learning in the classroom. And you miss being a part of a vibrant campus life. We want you to know that we miss you, too. Our campus just feels too quiet without the life you bring to it. We read every single comment submitted on the questionnaire and are using your feedback to inform our planning for the fall.
So, what does our fall planning look like? Right now, we are actively planning for the many forms the fall semester may take. We have a team of more than 30 executives, administrators, faculty, and associates from across the campus meeting weekly to design our Fall Continuity Plan. This team is using guidance from state and local authorities, the CDC, and many other nationally-recognized organizations to create a plan that will ensure the effective and safe delivery of instruction and the continued success of our students. This plan will prepare us to be back on campus, online, or a combination of the two, depending on this guidance. We expect to make this difficult decision by mid-summer.
The work ahead might seem overwhelming, but at Post we are uniquely situated to take this on: we have over 20 years of experience in online education. This means we know how to train and develop our faculty in best practices to meet the learning needs of online students. It means that the associates supporting our students understand the needs of remote learners and how to keep remote students engaged in their learning. Add to this our extensive system of technology designed for ease of use by remote learners and support services designed to be accessed online, and you have a University ready to meet your needs in any modality this fall.
We pledge to keep you and your family informed of our plans for the upcoming academic year.
It’s true that even if we are back on campus, how we gather this coming fall will look different. How we teach, learn and experience college will be different. At this moment, we don’t have all the answers, but we do know that Post University holds your health and safety at the center of our decision making. And we know that regardless of what college life looks like this fall, we will be ready to provide you that personalized education and support that you have come to expect. We will be with you every step of the way.
With kind regards,
John L. Hopkins, CEO & President and Elizabeth Johnson, Ph.D., Provost