12/08/20

The onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic last spring led to a rapid move to remote operations on the Fort Hays State University campus. In an effort to assist students through the challenging transition, the Division of Student Affairs launched a comprehensive effort to ensure students stayed connected to vital advising and student services resources during the opening stages of the pandemic.

The division recruited more than 100 faculty, staff and students and organized them into 15 distinctive Care Teams, each assigned a specific student group to work with ranging from first-year, on-campus freshmen to FHSU Online all over the world.

Those involved in this innovative and ambitious seven-week virtual student service program reached out to more than 10,300 students to check on their status and to help them deal with the myriad challenges they faced adjusting to FHSU’s move to remote and online operations.

“The Care Team initiative was a way to provide wrap-around support and ensure we extended our hand to every one of our students,” said Dr. Taylor Kriley, assistant vice president for Student Affairs. “This initiative was a true testament to how Tigers care for one another.”

The tremendous success of the initiative led to FHSU’s decision to turn a Care Team program that was created in response to a looming crisis into a permanent element in the university’s student success programming.

Recruitment of faculty, staff and students to serve as Care Teams members for the spring semester is already under way, as is the effort to connect with students who will benefit directly from the enhanced and personal student support provided by the Care Team program. Students who elect to participate in this opportunity will be able to choose from several direct support options, including:

• Level 1:Monthly email communication from a Care Team representative.
• Level 2:Monthly phone call communication from a Care Team representative.
• Level 3:Monthly Zoom meeting and email communication with a Care Team representative.

“We are excited to expand on this initiative’s success and build upon our long-standing tradition of providing outstanding care and support for our students,” said Dr. Joey Linn, FHSU’s vice president for Student Affairs. “I am thrilled that the university community is coming together once again to ensure our students feel connected, encouraged and confident in continuing their educational journey during this pandemic and beyond.”