Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic challenged universities and other academic institutions to rapidly adapt to urgent and life-threatening situations. It forced most institutions to shut down nearly every aspect of their research and educational enterprises. In doing so, university leaders were thrust into unchartered waters and forced them to make unprecedented decisions. Successes and failures along the way highlighted how the autonomous nature of the American academic research enterprise and skillsets normally required of university leaders were ill-suited to mounting an emergency response. Here, as faculty from medical centers in the United States, we draw lessons from these experiences and apply them as we plan for the next possible COVID-19-induced shutdown as well as other large-scale pandemics and emergencies at universities in the United States and throughout the world.
Highlights
The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic forced universities throughout the world to shift their missions to address this threat
Because we may well face another SARS-CoV-2-associated shutdown, we must consider how effective these responses were. This Perspective’s goal is to generate a framework for these discussions and provide views of faculty members from the proverbial trenches. Our perspectives are those of medical school faculty, we expect that many of the issues we observed will apply to other academic venues in the United States and throughout the world
Decisions needed to align with local, state, and national government shutdown orders. Compounding this was a lack of testing capabilities that led to uncertainty about infection prevalence
Summary
Many investigators were confused by which guidelines were being implemented, delaying their ability to communicate directives to their research groups This led to laboratory staff being required to work without clear mandates and/or mechanisms to be excused. Decisions needed to align with local, state, and national government shutdown orders Compounding this was a lack of testing capabilities that led to uncertainty about infection prevalence. There were instances of “death by committee”, whereby leaders created committees, which delayed responses by diverting precious time and resources to the task of assembling, organizing, and empowering them As this pandemic continues, and other crises arise, universities must reconsider whether their leadership is equipped and has the requisite skillsets to manage their institutions during crises. A single person/entity is needed to coordinate these efforts and who has the centralized authority, resources, and unilateral responsibility to put response plans into action
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