Activating agency in the time of COVID-19: Cultivating relationships for resilience

Abstract

Trust is hard to come by during a pandemic. In times like these, how do we flatten the hierarchical curve in higher education? Like other colleges across the nation, Western Colorado University grappled with how to prepare for an uncertain fall semester in response to COVID-19. We are a triad of colleagues from a small, state-funded institution on the Western Slope of Colorado with varied institutional roles: an associate vice president for academic affairs, a director of library services and online education, and a program coordinator for first-year seminar (FYS) and the Writing Center. We come to the table with a shared belief that a 21st-century liberal arts education should be rigorous, innovative, and, most importantly, equity-based and accessible to all students.