Our eyes have been opened to critical truths about how our lives and communities function, who the essential workers are, and realities about how much we all need each other. As a campus community, we shifted the important work of teaching, supporting, and providing resources for our students from a common physical location to meeting those same needs in a virtual environment. Exhibited here is a glimpse into a new way to work.

Throughout these many months of uncertainty and fear, University of Michigan-Dearborn faculty, students, and staff have adapted swiftly to the pandemic with grace, flexibility, and resilience.

University employees of all kinds have been forced to find novel ways of completing projects and showing productivity from new home offices, all while dealing with distractions from family, pets, and other aspects of home life.

While the adjustment to working from home has been complicated and stressful, it has not been completely without benefits!

Some in our community had to deal with an increased demand for critical services while at the same time, navigating the difficulties of working from home.

Without access to the lab or the classroom, our faculty were forced to innovate in order to continue to support their students while simultaneously dealing with their own pandemic challenges. Faculty have redesigned courses, reimagined safe lab practices, and gone above and beyond to stay connected with their students.

On-campus essential workers have utilized teamwork and ingenuity to customize safe new practices. Students have pushed forward with remarkable flexibility, patience, and motivation in adjusting to new learning methods.