How Colleges Are Adapting to Meet COVID-19 Challenges

December 16, 2020

BFIT Assistant Dean of Students Brett Wellman recently joined a virtual panel of higher education professionals hosted by SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association to discuss how the COVID-19 crisis has reshaped higher ed.

Assistant Dean Wellman highlighted some of the innovative ways that BFIT has adapted to try to meet the needs of our students during the abrupt move to remote learning, including:

• providing free Chromebooks to all new students;
• creating a virtual tutoring center; moving to a hybrid learning model with limited students on campus for key labs;
• digitizing many forms and processes to make student processes more efficient;
• distributing “Bensgiving” student care packages and groceries through the Wellness Office; and
• offering Zoom group sessions that blend academic advising and career coaching.

The full panel included:

La-Tarri Canty `01, associate dean for Intercultural Engagement at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Evan Englander `12, director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at the University of Dayton

Rachele Hall `06, associate director of Student Involvement at Westchester Community College

AnneMarie Haumesser `12, associate vice president of Philanthropy and Engagement at D’Youville College

Jennifer Scanlon `80, professor and dean of Academic Affairs at Bowdoin College

Brett Wellman `01, assistant dean of Students at Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

The panel was moderated by Monica Grau `88, interim director of Residential Life and director of New Student Services at SUNY Oneonta.

Learn more on the SUNY Oneonta website.