Sustaining an Engaged Community NGU’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic


Bringing more than 3,000 students, faculty, and staff back to two campuses in August 2020, during an unrelenting global pandemic was a daunting task last August. Yet when the spring semester concluded with Commencement on April 30, North Greenville University had witnessed a successful – and unforgettable – academic year. The NGU family collectively worked to maintain a safe and nur- turing campus environment, and University officials say NGU is stronger for it.


A key to completing a normal academic calendar was the work of a COVID-19 Response Team which included more than 30 NGU personnel. The team sought to address every possible scenario related to the pandemic, drafting nearly 500 protocols which senior leadership reviewed and ratified before events and activities could go forward.


In December of 2019, NGU’s leadership team began learning through news outlets about the fast-growing virus, realizing it would only be a matter of time before it made its way to the United States, and ultimately to the campus of North Greenville University. In January, President Fant tasked Executive Vice President Rich Grimm with coordinating the university’s response to the pandemic.


On Feb. 25, 2020, Grimm assembled the initial COVID-19 Response Team for its first meeting. The team began recommending guidelines, procedures, and protocols to achieve the safest and most efficient pathway for campus opera- tions. That month, the first U.S. case of the coronavirus surfaced in the state of Washington. In March, as the pandemic began to spread across the U.S., the


NGU’s COVID-19 Response Team Areas Represented


Academic Administration Academic Records Admissions


Advancement and University Engagement


Athletics Tim Brashier Campus Operations


T. Walter Brashier Graduate School Business Office Campus Dining


Campus Enhancement Services Campus Housekeeping


Campus Ministries and Student Engagement


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Campus Operations Campus Security Center for Global Leadership Executive Vice President’s Office Faculty


Human Resources


Information Technology Services Marketing and Creative Services NGU Clinic


Physician Assistant Program President’s Office Student Services Student Success


COVID-19 Response Team was prepared and ready to make the recommenda- tion to move classes and office personnel to remote operations for a few weeks. Eventually, the remote operations status was extended through the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester.


“From the earliest days of the pandemic, our commitment was to fashion a re- sponse that was appropriate for NGU,” said Grimm. “This meant that we need- ed to receive input from across the university, not just from a few individuals.” To that end, a cross-section of the community was tapped to serve on the team.


The team met once a week in the early stages, then daily, beginning March 15 and into the summer months. The meetings were less frequent during the spring 2021 semester. A total of 472 protocols were submitted to the Senior Leadership Council, which includes NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr., Provost Dr. Nathan Finn, Senior Vice President for Finance Mike Stowell, and Grimm. Under the name “NGUstrong,” a dedicated web site provided updates, communicating protocols and guidelines.


One of the vital elements in maintaining a safe campus environment was the use of an online reporting form for students, personnel and university contrac- tors and guests to complete if they were symptomatic or tested positive for the virus. When a report was submitted, an NGU contact tracer engaged the person quickly to discuss the next steps.


The COVID-19 Response Team tracked responses to report the official numbers to its campuses and parents each week through a COVID-19 dashboard. The university offered quarantine space for resident students unable to return home to separate from other residential students. Positive cases reported for the Tigerville and Greer campuses for the 2020-21 school year totaled 455 or 15 percent of the 3,000 NGU community members on the two campuses. Only eight Tigerville faculty members and only two members of the Greer faculty tested positive throughout the year.


“Each person in the community demonstrated their commitment to health and safety by wearing face-coverings, maintaining physical distancing, and practic- ing good hygiene,” said President Fant. “I was inspired with the resilience and integrity, and it proved what the community is capable of accomplishing in a crisis.”


Although 2020-2021 brought unprecedented challenges, NGU tested new ideas, created new approaches, and adapted to the conditions COVID-19 presented. Even though academics and a number of staff operated remotely in the spring of 2020, university business did not stop.


Several campus projects and initiatives were completed during the pandemic. Among the new projects were NGUanywhere, a VPN system developed to


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