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Some universities are deciding whether or not to go all-online in Sep/Oct. I think a better plan is to decide, now, to transform in to a blended institution that can rapidly flex the mix of face to face and online. That& #39;s no easy challenge either, but it& #39;s much more robust. 1/6
The path of Covid-19 is very uncertain. Can campus open in Sep/Oct? We can& #39;t know. There are loads of other foreseeable risks, many of which have become more likely. Given that, the smart strategy is to grow the ability to respond to changes. 2/6
This is a harder path than making a call now about what happens later. That& #39;s a strong strategy, but very brittle if it turns out you called it wrongly. And universities are famously poor at rapid change and flexibility, as anyone who& #39;s tried to change things knows well. 3/6
But look at what& #39;s been achieved over the last few months. Flexibility is possible! You already have good plans for f2f teaching, so the hardest work is building the online provision (which& #39;d be the way to bet if you had to bet on one). There is a layer of extra work, though. 4/6
Part of that is working through what& #39;s most valuable in face to face, what& #39;s better online anyway, and what falls in between, modelling what mixes can be delivered, and how to switch. But the harder part is empowering and valuing staff. You can& #39;t flex without their buy-in. 5/6
That& #39;s not easy, with finances desperate. But it is by far the most important task. Engaged people are the best way to address this crisis. Fighting a two-front war against the virus and staff will not go well. Working together, flexibly and equitably, will go much better. 6/6
