By Gene Spencer, Chief Information Officer and
Diane Skorina, Director of Research, Teaching, and Learning Services

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread to the United States in late February 2020, the Library & Information Technology (LIT) staff began to plan what was needed to support continued operations of the college.

We were entering a period of intense change—we had to think on our feet and remain flexible. So, when the college went fully remote on March 12, 2020, LIT quickly established strategies and began the herculean task of moving all activities online so that even while apart, we could bring the campus together.

One person essential to that transition was our instructional technology librarian, Christine Iannicelli.

Christine supported faculty as they moved out of the classroom and taught virtually for the remainder of the semester. During the next hours, days, and weeks, she leveraged her extensive relationships across campus to help them plan and prepare for an unpredictable spring. Christine worked with everyone, from the few who weren’t already using the Canvas learning management system to those who’d been using it for years. Through training sessions and individual consultations, she helped them develop new strategies they would need for these unusual times. Then, in the summer, Christine brought together members of the Dean’s Office, the faculty, and LIT to design a successful four-week intensive workshop that prepared faculty for the uncertainties of the coming academic year.

While everything was quickly shifting around us, Christine’s collaborative efforts helped the college stay true to its liberal arts traditions and expectations of excellence.