A “Rearview Mirror” Look at COVID-19: Successes and Further Lessons at Botswana Open University

Abstract

In retrospect, as if looking into a rearview mirror, the COVID-19 pandemic came with a lot of challenges to business processes, where workplaces had to reinvent themselves to remain afloat. This has been particularly the case with universities, where embracing online teaching and learning was precipitated, usually without enough know-how in ODL. The Botswana Open University took steps to reposition itself to ensure a smooth running of all its processes, thus managing the COVID-19 risks and challenges adequately. This has come as an opportunity for BOU, which operates through the ODL methodology. However, the institution had to take conscious steps to circumvent the challenges posed by the pandemic. The management proactively put in place a versatile task team that led the response and adaptation of the university to COVID-19. Indeed, BOU’s level of success during these uncertain times has been admirable, given that the advent of the pandemic coincided with BOU’s strength as an ODL tertiary institution. Numerous other lessons have also been learned, calling for, among other necessities, moving together with supervisees, looking into the future, and being prepared for emergencies. Thus, looking back at the time concerning the pandemic, the experience emanating from it points to many successes and many lessons to be learned and these have been expanded in this work.