Criminal justice faculty and students joined Louisville native and College of Arts and Sciences supporter Sam Lord Nov. 30 in celebrating his gift for a renovated Justice Laboratory in Brigman Hall.

The first-floor space includes a light-filled laboratory with enhanced technology that enables instructors to teach students and community members online and in-person at the same time and even asynchronously to allow access at a different time. The criminal justice department and the College of Arts and Sciences also would be able to hold a conference, record and-or stream it live.

The improvements would leverage the technology to reach a broader student base and even a global audience.

“It gives us a lot of capabilities that we didn’t have before,” said Tad Hughes, criminal justice department chair. “I promise you we will use this all the time.”

Hughes explained that the multi-chair work stations, each with one of six screens, would allow students to work more collaboratively, interacting with their cellphones and laptops or tablets — plus the teachers can pull from each station for class discussion using a larger central screen at the front of the room. Ìę

The laboratory opens onto a newly painted hallway wall with the words “On a journey to be better together” along with “Community-engaged, Future-focused, Policy-oriented.”

“Justice is equally important in government as safety, and it intersects with safety a great deal. We don’t know enough about justice, and we don’t know enough about systems and how they work,” Lord said. “My investment in this classroom and in all of your and the students’ work is to help you bring better knowledge of criminal justice and to experiment.”

A plaque in the space is dedicated to Lord’s brother, chaplain Nathan Macauley Lord, and in memory of his parents and native Louisvillians Nathan Shrewsbury Lord, a longtime UofL law professor, and Rachel Macauley Smith Lord.

Cherie Dawson-Edwards, former chair and a criminal justice faculty member who also serves as the college’s associate dean for diversity, engagement, culture and climate, recalled taking classes in the formerly outdated space as a student and shared that she was excited about teaching her social and restorative justice class there in the spring.

She envisions encouraging the campus and community to think beyond the words “criminal justice” and use the space “to engage in justice work. It can be about equality; it can be about social and racial justice.”

President Neeli Bendapudi drew from her experience as a professor of consumer behavior in remarking about the transformative impact that space has people, both functionally and symbolically.

“I can just imagine the students who are going to benefit,” she said. “This benefits the institution and the learning they are going to get.”

Bendapudi expressed gratitude to Lord’s longtime generosity to UofL, dubbing the Louisville philanthropist a Renaissance man for his interest in several aspects of university life.

“We are so grateful you’re ours. Thank you so much,” she said.

Lord previously funded a mathematics laboratory and a physics and astronomy computing platform and technology-enabled classroom, also in memory of his parents. He also has supported the Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Brigman Hall, a large brick building along the Oval at Belknap Campus’ west entrance, was erected in 1893 and later named in 1949 for Bennett Brigman ’18, a College of Arts and Sciences teacher who became the first dean of Speed Scientific School (now J.B. Speed School of Engineering) at its 1925 inception. After serving as part of the engineering school, the building was home to the business school and then the public administration program before currently housing the criminal justice department and some Kent School of Social Work offices.

The University of Louisville continues to make progress on its 2020-2022 Strategic Plan. The Gheens Foundation is playing a key role in its success.

Established in 1957 by philanthropists and entrepreneurs C. Edwin and Mary Jo Gheens, the Gheens Foundation has provided more than $130 million in grants to improve the quality of life for the residents of Metropolitan Louisville, particularly in the areas of education and human services. With those priority areas in mind, Gheens contributed $2 million to support the university’s mission in February 2019. About $500,000 was committed to immediate campus safety and security enhancements. In addition to that initial investment in safety and security, UofL has used more than $530,000 of the Gheens funding to support seven strategic proposals submitted by the Strategic Plan subcommittees that will directly impact students, faculty and staff.

“Early in my tenure at UofL, the Gheens Foundation stepped up to ask: ‘How can we help the university better accomplish its strategic goals and improve the lives of students, faculty and staff?’” President Neeli Bendapudi said of the gift. “The Gheens gift continues to make a difference as we target the funds in areas that benefit the university in a variety of ways. By directing the money to these projects, we are ensuring that UofL is and will continue to be a great place to learn, to work and in which to invest.”

Over the next two weeks, UofL News will share information on each of these areas, beginning with:

Chatbot

Recruiting and supporting prospective and current students is a ‘round-the-clock service, as they seek information at times that best fit their schedules and from a number of digital channels. With the implementation of an artificial intelligence chatbot on its website, UofL will be better able to address students’ needs by providing information and support 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

A chatbot is a program that responds to a users’ questions in real time, providing service to students who may not be able to reach offices and individuals during regular hours. This is particularly important for the areas of student recruitment and retention, which deal primarily with students and their families.

The Great Place to Learn subcommittee partnered with the offices of undergraduate and graduate admissions, Information Technology Services, the Registrar’s Office and the Delphi Center to select a chatbot that would best serve the university’s needs. Administered by Mainstay (formerly AdmitHub) and coordinated by the Enrollment Management Systems team, the chatbot program will be implemented in spring 2022 and, eventually, will be available to add to any university website.

Gheens is providing the funds for the three-year initiative, including annual maintenance and licensing fees. The Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success unit will supplement funding for the program.

“This will be a game changer for us,” said Jim Begany, vice provost for enrollment management and student success. “Students want and deserve the higher level of service we will be able to provide.”

Employee Onboarding

Employee satisfaction begins the day a new faculty or staff member walks onto campus for the first time. A Great Place to Work subcommittee and the Employee Success Center have designed a new, year-long onboarding process to better support new employees. The onboarding process will be enhanced with unit-specific activities such as assigning onboarding mentors and using a checklist to ensure the new employee’s needs are being addressed.

The process also will include a branded gift box that will be sent to new employees, which includes items that will be useful in the first few days on the job, keepsake items and a personal message from the university president. The committee also proposed recognizing employees after their first year of the start date with a message of thanks and a small token of appreciation.

The Employee Success Center hopes to launch the new program in January; training and development of the checklist will begin by the end of this year.

Cultural Wellbeing Index

Between the Covid-19 pandemic and social justice issues, particularly in Louisville, the UofL community experienced significant cultural shocks in 2020-21. The Cultural Wellbeing Index provided an opportunity to gauge the current health of the campus culture at UofL and to establish a baseline for future studies. The Gheens gift provided funding for implementation of the study, which surveyed more than 2,300 students, faculty, staff and alumni.

The study has led or will lead to a number of outcomes, including the previously mentioned restructuring of the university’s onboarding process. The survey results also suggested that the CWI will be effective in assessing the campus community’s response and the university’s actions following any future societal and cultural shocks.

“A healthy campus culture is vital for any organization and an important factor to consider in determining the direction of the university,” said Faye Jones, interim senior associate vice president for diversity and equity and co-chair of the subcommittee that recommended the survey. “The CWI will assist us in determining the potential impacts of policies and administrative actions on our community. It will help us make decisions that will improve the work environment for our faculty and staff.”Ìę

Next week: UofL News will highlight three more projects funded by Gheens, including safety improvements, a research mentoring program and Cardinal Principles marketing.

Faculty Senate Chair David Schultz noted that that development of the policy was a two-year process which was reviewed by the senate on two occasions. In addition to the Faculty Senate, several other university units were asked to provide feedback. The policy is similar to accountability policies for UofL administration, staff and students.

Michael Cunningham, UofL chapter president of the American Association of University Professors, expressed in a statement to the trustees concerns that faculty didn’t have enough appropriate input and involvement in the development of the policy. He asked that ratification of the policy be tabled for further consideration.

Given that the policy is subject to revisions after ratification, Schultz recommended that the policy be implemented as written.

University Provost Lori Stewart Gonzalez added that such a policy is common among several other universities. In her response to concerns raised by the AAUP, Gonzalez said that the policy: was established within the appropriate scope of her authority; is constitutional and contains all hallmarks of due process; embodies principles of shared governance; and encourages collaborative discussion and problem-solving among faculty members. Gonzalez will report to the board occasions when the policy is used.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the revised Board of Trustees Personnel Policy and the Memorandum of Understanding with the UofL Real Estate Foundation, both submitted by the Governance, Trusteeship and Nominating Committee.

• Approved a report submitted by the Audit, Compliance and Risk Committee, which included audits of UofL and UofL Research Foundation financial statements. The audits, conducted by CliftonLarsonAllen LLC, yielded an “unmodified” opinion, which is the cleanest evaluation report.

• Approved the designation of the Cardinal Stadium Club as the Angel’s Envy Club. Formerly designated as the Brown & Williamson Club, the facility will undergo renovations and other updates.

Additional meeting highlights

Campus Police Chief Gary Lewis shared information about changes his department has made to improve safety on and around the Belknap Campus. Lewis specifically addressed additional security around affiliated housing in response to recent reports of crimes in that area.

University President Neeli Bendapudi announced three designations honoring longtime friends and supporters of the university.

Basketball court six in the Sports and Recreation Center was named to honor Intramural Sports and Recreation Director Dale Ramsay, who, on Nov. 1, retired after 41 years of service.

Gallery space in the Ekstrom Library will be named in honor of Julius Friedman, an internationally known artist, award-winning graphic designer and co-founder of Images design studio in Louisville.

The Allen Courtroom in the UofL Brandeis School of Law has been redesignated as the Breit Courtroom in honor of Marc and Lisa Breit. Renovations to the courtroom began in the spring 2021 semester.

Jason Smith, chief medical officer at UofL Health, provided information about the organization’s ongoing efforts to provide services in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as expansion of services in Bullitt County, Brownsboro and Shelbyville. UofL Health will provide nearly $32 million to the university for mission support.

Student Government Association President Ugonna Okorie shared information about the SGA’s efforts to increase its visibility throughout the UofL community, create an inclusive and equitable learning environment for students, increase students’ compliance with COVID-19 vaccinations and testing and advocate for affordability in higher education.

The next scheduled meeting of the University of Louisville Board of Trustees is Thursday, Jan. 13.

“We continue to be very impressed by and grateful for Neeli’s leadership of the University of Louisville,” said Mary Nixon, chair of the UofL Board of Trustees.

Nixon enumerated some of the accomplishments that have occurred on Bendapudi’s watch:

• Stabilizing UofL’s financial position, improving its credit outlook and shifting resources to advance the strategic plan
• Setting a record of $170 million for research funding and articulating the Grand Challenges that will further focus the university’s energy
• Attaining the highest UofL enrollment in decades in the fall 2020 semester
• Building a strong internal leadership team including two recent hires, Provost Lori Gonzalez and General Counsel Angela Curry
• Attaining steady progress on the strategic plan with the creation and expansion of services in the Employee Success Center, the launch of a brand campaign and web improvement project, a concerted focus on experiential learning and more.
• Successfully implementing the acquisition of the former KentuckyOne Health assets to create UofL Health, leaving the university in a stronger financial position and expanding health care services into more areas than before including the medically underserved area of West Louisville
• And in response to the single greatest public health crisis of our lifetimes, the global COVID-19 pandemic, UofL under Dr. Bendapudi’s leadership:
  • Transitioned seamlessly from in-person to online instruction in a matter of days
  • Took care of the on-campus population with continued housing and dining services for thousands of students
  • Provided COVID-19 testing, vaccinations to our UofL community and more broadly to Kentuckiana through UofL Health

As a result of the positive evaluation, the board recommended approval of a new compensation structure that effectively combines Bendapudi’s current salary and bonus. Her proposed five-year contract, which would begin July 1 of this year, provides for an annual salary of $875,000 and includes other terms that are on par with presidential contracts at other research universities throughout the U.S.,Ìęincluding life insurance, athletic tickets and other items. Bendapudi also would receive a one-time payment of $150,000 on or before Sept. 15 as an adjustment to her base salary for services rendered between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. Bendapudi earned $725,000 in salary in 2020-21.

The trustees also proposed a five-year retention plan that will pay Bendapudi $200,000 per year if she remains with the university. The annual payments will begin at the conclusion of each year, beginning July 1, 2022.

“When she became president in 2018, Neeli accepted a smaller salary than her predecessors and many of her peers, saying she felt she needed to earn the compensation,” Nixon said. “While she did not approach us about a raise, she has clearly earned it.”

The board voted to delegate authority to its executive committee to complete Bendapudi’s new contract by the end of July.

“This compensation structure does not increase her base salary but merely transitions contingent items to her base salary. The retention tool and the other items also put her on par with other university presidents,” said Nixon, stressing that Bendapudi’s growing national reputation makes her an attractive candidate for other jobs across the country.

“Neeli is a superb leader, and we value her. We want to keep her at the helm of UofL for years to come.”

In other action, the board:

• Elected the following officers for 2021-22: Mary Nixon, chair; Raymond Burse, vice chair; Diane Medley, treasurer; Scott Brinkman, secretary; and Jake Beamer, assistant secretary. In addition, the board appointed Jim Rogers and Ugonna Okorie, Student Government Association president, to the Executive and Compensation Committee.
• Ratified the Executive and Compensation Committee approval of the
• Approved the president’s recommendation to award a one-time $1,000 bonus to full-time faculty and staff and a one-time $500 bonus to part-time faculty and staff

For starters, we now know more about how to control this relentless virus and we have vaccinations available, which has started to create a semblance of normalcy. Still, there remains plenty we don’t know; for example, what changes will stick around in our “new normal.”

For UofL President Neeli Bendapudi, that will be defined in part by a reflection on the nature of work.

“One of my mentors once told me work is what you do, not where you go. I think that applies here – it’s important that we have some reflection on what needs to be done and where,” she said. “It is validating that our faculty, staff and students want an in-person experience again, but how we do it will be interesting.”

At this point, she’ll take “interesting.” It’s certainly progress from where we were in March 2020 – when dozens of UofL administrators met frequently, sometimes daily, to develop a plan around a moving and blurry target. Bendapudi recalls several discussions from those early days, including whether or not to go completely online.

On March 11, 2020, she sent a campus-wide email announcing the extension of spring break and that classes were to be delivered virtually through April 5.

“I saw enough from our researchers to take things completely online and others had not made the call yet. I do think that’s when others started to look at it more critically,” she said.

Indeed, they all followed suit. And as the virus proliferated, the online model continued through the duration of the spring semester and even spring commencement was delivered virtually in an effort to keep our community safe.

That’s not to say it was an easy decision, however. There was criticism from plenty about whether it was necessary.

While classes went virtual, UofL intentionally left its residence halls and dining options open for students who simply had nowhere else to go. There was criticism from plenty for that decision as well.

How often we would administer tests was criticized, budgeting decisions were criticized, the pace of decision making about the fall semester was criticized – everything. Bendapudi said that’s simply the nature of being in charge of a major metropolitan institution.

Throughout those dark and challenging early months, she tried to maintain a steely resolve, but the criticisms from people claiming there were financial decisions at play were often too loud for her to ignore.

“It wasn’t as though you made one decision and lived with it one way or another,” she said. “Those early days were a series of decisions and what is the right call to make changed constantly. It is an interesting case study. What was also interesting to me is how to balance good science with what gives people comfort.”

Fortunately, UofL has the benefit of being a Carnegie-designated Research I institution and therefore having a baseline of that “good science.” The institution also has the benefit of being a member of the ACC and leveraging researchers across the conference, which Bendapudi said was “hugely helpful.”

She also acknowledges the fortuitous timing of UofL Health system’s November 2019 acquisition of .

“No one knew how much that system would be desperately needed. Where would all of those [COVID-19] patients have gone? There was no capability to handle that,” she said. “I am proud and grateful we were the ones leading on testing for our area hospitals. I am proud of our entire health care system.”

She’s also proud of our all-hands-on-deck efforts put toward fighting the pandemic – from engineering to nursing to public health. , UofL has produced 3D printed face shields, filled gaps in test kits, launched decontamination programs, led a community-wide tracing study and so much more.Ìę

“All of this shows how we truly are a community-engaged, innovative university,” Bendapudi said.

That’s not to say having so many experts on hand wasn’t without its challenges. Bendapudi likes to lead with a “big table” approach, pulling in as many perspectives as is manageable. So many voices can complicate things, however, particularly in a crisis environment.

This also made her realize there is an even bigger opportunity for leadership development, specifically coaching people who are frontline managers to feel comfortable making tough calls.

In fact, the past year has made Bendapudi re-think her priorities in general, focusing more deeply on family, friends and health, and making sure the UofL community has sufficient resources in place to do the same. These priorities came to light not just because of the pandemic, but also because of the incendiary political landscape and global protests against racial injustice, including an intense local focus on the death of UofL Health employee Breonna Taylor.

“The ‘what could we do, what should we do’ questions were constant when considering the mental stress of being a college student during these times. Our students should be exploring and being around other people, but they couldn’t,” Bendapudi said. “This generation was dealing with incredible pressures before all of this happened and we are going to have to really focus on their mental health needs because of what they’ve been through.”

Those needs will be one of her priorities as we gear up for a return to campus for the Fall 2021 semester. That return is something Bendapudi is looking forward to. She’s also optimistic that the toughest lessons learned throughout this past year have made us a more resilient and unified community.

“I am excited about campus coming to life again and I am optimistic we are all more aware that our health depends on each other, that we have a shared fate, and that we should and do care more about each other,” she said. “I hope that awareness, that empathy, sticks around. That is how we best function as a Community of Care.”

“P±ôłÜČő” leverages the unique academic and community-based health services to expanded care, including occupational medicine, Department of Transportation physicals and drug testing.

“The location is new, but the neighbors here are familiar faces,” said Tom Miller, CEO of UofL Health. “Over the last six years, UofL Health has taken care of more residents in west Louisville than any other hospital system, combined. We also have nearly 700 of our own employees, and their families, living in this area. This Urgent Care Plus benefits this Medically Underserved Area and brings the Power of U closer to their homes.”

In January, UofL Health kicked off a major expansion of its Urgent Care Plus, announcing plans to open five locations to increase access to affordable care and convenient hours across the community. The west Louisville site will be the fifth to open, following a $500,000 renovations and equipment investment.

“Accessible health care is an essential element of a healthy community,” said Neeli Bendapudi, UofL President and chair of UofL Health board of directors. “By expanding into west Louisville, UofL Health is living its commitment to better serve our entire community.”

Dr. Tamea Evans, UofL Physicians – Primary Care Associates, will lead the medical team at the new location.

“Taking care of patients is my profession, but breaking down barriers to improve health equity is my passion,” Evans said. “The location, and hours, of this Urgent Care Plus practice is essential to making quality care easy to access.”

Dr. Evans will be joined by Dr. Jamaal Richie, UofL Family Medicine Resident, who grew up two blocks from Virginia Avenue.

“I am excited about this opportunity to serve, and I am even more excited for those we will serve. Better access to care will save lives and change lives for generations to come,” Richie said.Ìę

The west Louisville’s Urgent Care Plus will also include a dedicated telemedicine suite where patients can access UofL Health specialty care services such as neurology, psychiatry, and cardiology. A grand opening date is still being determined, but it is expected to open in early July.

UofL Health – Urgent Care Plus locations:

• Cedar Grove – 1707 Cedar Grove Road, Suite 10, Shepherdsville, KY 40165
• Dupont/St. Matthews – 908 Dupont Road, Louisville, KY 40207
• Hurstbourne – 9409 Shelbyville Rd, Louisville, KY 40222 (opening in April)
• Medical Center Northeast – 2401 Terra Crossing Blvd, Louisville, KY 40245

Five days later, March 11, the World Health Organization classified the virus as a global pandemic. That same day, UofL President Neeli Bendapudi sent a campus-wide email introducing a dedicated website for COVID-19 updates and announcing immediate changes to the spring semester, including the extension of spring break and the suspension of international and non-essential domestic business travel.

Further, classes were to be delivered remotely starting March 18 through April 5. As we know now, that remote class model continued through the duration of the spring semester and even spring commencement was delivered virtually. Though our campus remained open and functioning, much of our operating model was turned on its head.ÌęÌę

When the first coronavirus patient was admitted to UofL Health on March 17, the global headlines that had peppered newspapers since the beginning of the year became deeply personal.Ìę

“Each day seems to bring with it new issues and new complications,” President Bendapudi wrote to the campus community. “And yet each day also brings hope and confidence and resilience because it is clear we are working together, and working with one singular purpose: to keep everyone healthy and informed as we move forward.”

During those early and dark days, the CDC issued a laundry list of precautions to stay safe against this new and complex threat. Chief among those guidelines was maintaining a social distance of at least 6 feet from another human being, no doubt a challenge on a busy college campus like ours.

As such, the spring 2020 semester became like no other in the 200-plus-year history of the University of Louisville. Remote instruction was extended to the end of the semester, including finals, students were moved out of campus residence halls. Recreation facilities were closed, faculty and staff shifted to a work-from-home model and commencement was postponed. There was confusion and sadness, anxiety and fear.

President Bendapudi urged the UofL community to, “Anchor yourself in what matters most to you. Reach out to someone for help 
 Reach out to see if someone else needs help. Let us be patient with one another. Together we will persevere through this tumultuous time and come out the other side a stronger, more unified university community.”

Anxiety from the unknown

Staff Senate Chair John Smith was tasked with making sure the needs of UofL’s staff employees were taken care of and that they were as informed as they could be. Those early days were the toughest for him, when things were shutting down “like dominos” and discussions were taking place about budget cuts and staffing. ÌęÌę

“When we saw other colleges and universities shutting down for the rest of the semester, we knew right away there was going to be a tremendous financial hit to the university and we were going to have to navigate that in some manner,” he said. “Knowing how much of our budget is dedicated to personnel costs, I knew we were going to be looking at furloughs and pay reductions. I hated every second of those discussions.”

Those discussions lasted for weeks. Solutions were largely elusive.

“There was so much unknown. How is the state system going to function? What happens to people who receive a furlough? It was a very real roller coaster,” Smith said.

The furlough and pay-reduction conversation was just one challenge, however. Employees also had to navigate NTI, VPN, internet connections, child care, their own health and the health of their families. The one topic employees revisited most with Smith was how much anxiety they were experiencing – anxiety about getting the virus from pumping gas, or about how long it was going to be until they could see their friends and family, or about how long their child would be out of school.

“Usually you can see the other side of something, but this was new for the entire world,” he said. “The not knowing was the hardest part. It just seemed so overwhelming for so many people at the same time.”

For senior Sabrina Collins, UofL’s SGA president, the toughest decision early on was whether or not we should bring students back to campus for the fall 2020 semester without knowing what the state of the pandemic would be.

“Last spring, most people thought COVID would be long gone by the fall,” she said. “As we approached the start of the fall semester, it became clear that would not be the case.”

Like employees, students were also hit hard in a number of ways. Collins said many were impacted financially, unable to work and struggling to navigate the unemployment process. Many were also not included in the 2020 stimulus package.

“In addition, students today are facing unprecedented mental health challenges, which have only been exacerbated by the pandemic,” she said.

Points of pride

UofL worked to address some of those challenges, adding counseling sessions, hosting “coping with COVID” webinars and virtual group workshops and ensuring critical social networks didn’t dissipate. A number of traditional campus events continued in a virtual format, for example.

As the pandemic raged on through those early days and into the summer, we started to learn a little more about how to navigate this relentless virus. At UofL, we took an all-hands-on-deck approach to research, care, prevention and community.

For example, from the onset, our nationally networked labÌęÌęto safely study coronavirus, our engineering studentsÌęÌęshields for healthcare professionals, ourÌęÌęstarted a company to meet demand for reusable face masks, 3D printed swabs developed at UofLÌęÌęand we launched aÌęÌęto alleviate a mask shortage for health care workers.

In April,ÌęÌębelieved to block the coronavirus from infecting human cells. In July, UofL began a clinical trial on aÌęÌęCOVID-19 patients meant to lessen some of the most severe respiratory effects. In early December, UofL received funding from theÌęÌęto develop and test a nasal spray to prevent COVID-19.

This is nowhere near a complete list of UofL’s work against the COVID-19 pandemic, yet all of this work that should incite plenty of pride.

For Smith, however, his pride comes from a place that’s a little more personal. He’s most proud of the way UofL staff employees “dug in” during the crisis. A few volunteered to take furloughs to protect others, for example.

He is proud of President Bendapudi and the board of trustees for raising a “significant” amount of money for our employee SHARE program, and Physical Plant for keeping campus sanitized, Public Safety for keeping campus safe, Housing and Dining for keeping students sheltered and fed, the fitness centers, our academic advisors, our researchers, our enrollment management staff, our Delphi Center that moved classes online quickly, and so forth.

“These are examples that really show what we are all about,” he said. “The concern for each other was tremendously apparent and encouraging. Hope is a powerful thing. Staff did a great job giving hope to each other at a time when so many things were unknown.”

As this past year has poignantly proved, our collective challenges were created by more than the global pandemic. The global protests for racial justice in the wake of the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd also hit home, particularly for many of our students. It was those students’ response that made Collins most proud.

“Our students really showed up for one another and for the Louisville community,” she said. “It is inspiring to see UofL students demanding change and working to peel away layers of institutional racism at our university in our city.”

Post-pandemic changes

Without question, the pandemic has changed so much more than just pedagogical models and some of those changes are predicted to stick around.

Smith said remote work – at least a hybrid model – might linger for some employees and he would advocate for such a model.

“The ability to work remotely or in a hybrid situation may help us retain some valuable people. Aside from that, the ability to work remotely can really make a positive difference in someone’s quality of life,” he said. “Obviously there are some jobs that can’t be accomplished remotely, but I hope we take this opportunity to embrace the opportunity for those that can.”

He also hopes we continue some virtual meeting components to allow more opportunities for people to engage if they have restrictive schedules or travel.

Collins said some students have done well in an academic environment where there are more options for course modality, while acknowledging others have struggled in an online environment. The future should therefore reflect a range of needs, she said.

“I am glad to know our decision to change the online course pricing to match the in-person rate will persist into future years,” she said. “This change allows students to have more flexibility regarding the courses they are taking. I hope that as UofL moves forward, we continue to collect student feedback on hybrid courses so we can provide course options that best meet the needs of our students.”

Of course, in light of a global pandemic, UofL Health is also experiencing tremendous changes. UofL’s chief medical officer the pandemic will change the delivery of health care, for example, among other things.

“This is going to be something that we are going to take lessons learned, both good and bad, and begin to adapt it to all areas of our lives,” he said. “And I don’t think it’ll ever quite be the same after COVID 
 Delivery of health care is going to be different. The science behind vaccinations and the use of vaccines is going to be very different. How we disseminate information is going to be very different. We are probably just on the cusp of beginning to understand the impact of this.”

That said, one year later, we also seem to be on the cusp of a post-COVID world, with plenty of reasons for hope and optimism. We were the first hospital in Kentucky and one of the first in the country to start administering the , for example. We’re planning an in May at Cardinal Stadium after enduring two virtual commencements in a row. And, we’re resuming anÌę in the fall. We’ll do all of this fully aware of how this crisis changed our communityÌę– individually and collectively.

“There was a point in time where it was like the entire university said, ‘OK, we have got to start moving forward again,’ I have seen it with our students. I have seen it with our staff. I have seen it with our faculty. I have seen it with our administration,” John Smith said. “Witnessing that synergy has been very powerful and encouraging. Seeing it happen across the board has been inspiring.”

UofL President Neeli Bendapudi is included on its list of 25 women.Ìę

The 10th annual special edition highlights “women who have made a difference in the academy by tackling some of higher education’s toughest challenges, exhibiting extraordinary leadership skills and making a positive difference in their respective communities.”Ìę

In 2020, President Bendapudi led UofL’s operational shift to online and hybrid classes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also under her leadership, and despite the crisis, UofL achieved a number of milestones in 2020, including a record-breaking year for research, the launch of health care cybersecurity curriculum thanks to a $6.3M funding round from the NSA, and the pediatric integration of UofL and Norton Healthcare.

In July, President Bendapudi announced a plan for UofL to become the “.” The university has since made a number of key hires and added programming to support that goal.

She joins 24 other women in Diverse’s 2021 class, including (alphabetically):Ìę

• Venessa A. Brown, associate chancellor and chief diversity officer, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
• Karen Carey, chancellor, University of Alaska Southeast
• Laurie Carter, president, Shippensburg University
• Robin R. Means Coleman, associate provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, Northwestern UniversityÌę
• Karlyn Crowley, provost, Ohio Wesleyan University
• Linda Darling-Hammond, professor of education emeritus and founding president of the Learning Policy Institute, Stanford University
• Carol Fierke, provost and executive vice president, Brandeis University
• Angelica Garcia, president, Berkeley City College
• Ayanna Howard, dean of the college of engineering, Ohio State UniversityÌę
• Parneshia Jones, director, Northwestern University Press
• Caroline Laguerre-Brown, vice provost for diversity, equity and community engagement, George Washington University
• Cynthia Lindquist, president, Cankdeska Cikana Community College
• Felicia McGinty, executive vice chancellor of administration and planning, Rutgers UniversityÌę
• Tracey Meares, Walton Hale Hamilton professor of law and founding director of the Justice Collaboratory, Yale Law School
• Traci Morris, director of the American Indian Policy Institute, Arizona State UniversityÌę
• Erica Muhl, president, Berklee College of Music
• Maureen Murphy, president, College of Southern Maryland
• Madeline Pumariega, president, Miami Dade College
• Desiree Reed-Francois, athletic director, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• Jeanne Craig Sinkford, dean emerita, College of Dentistry, Howard University
• Raquel Tamez, CEO, Society of Hispanic Engineers
• Nancy Jean Tubbs, director, LGBT Resource Center, University of California, Riverside
• Tara VanDerveer, head women’s basketball coach, Stanford University
• Geraldine Young, chief diversity and inclusion officer, Frontier Nursing UniversityÌę

Sinek is a renowned motivational speaker, author and TED Talk presenter. He is best known for his TED Talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” which has amassed over 53 million views worldwide. Sinek and Bendapudi discussed how leadership, employee engagement and initiatives through the ESC can contribute to making the University of Louisville aÌę great place to work, one of the goals of the 2019-2022 .

The center, currently located in suite 202 of Grawemeyer Hall, provides UofL employees with professional development opportunities, onboarding, mentoring, workshops and other engaging initiatives and programs.

Bendapudi and Sinek’s discussion was facilitated by Brian Buford, executive director of university culture and employee success. Although this event officially signified the opening of the ESC, Buford and his teammates, Laura McDaniels and Meagan West, have been working tirelessly since last fall to get the ESC off the ground. Throughout the past few months, the team has provided over 20 Learning Cafes and other virtual workshops to university employees, for example.Ìę

Bendapudi and Sinek started the virtual event by discussing the role of leadership within the university community. Sinek said true leadership is the responsibility to see those around us rise. The ESC serves to embody this type of leadership by encouraging and supporting university employee development. Bendapudi expressed that the goal of the center is to nurture the leadership potential of university employees while guiding them on their journey to becoming better, effective leaders. Sinek further highlighted the importance of this employee-centered initiative from university leadership.

“I love the fact that [the University of Louisville] is focusing on its own people.” Sinek said. “So many universities don’t understand the role of leadership. At other universities if you ask senior leadership ‘what’s your priority?’ they will always say the same thing – the student, which it’s not. The role of senior leadership is to take care of the people who take care of the students.”

The two speakers also touched on the importance of employee engagement and empathy in the workplace, a main pillar of the ESC.

The center will strive to make the university a great place to work by providing various employee-centered resources and opportunities for personal and professional growth. It serves as a safe space for employees to have honest conversations with other members of the university community. Coaching circles allow employees to gather and collaborate on significant topics, such as anti-racism initiatives. Well-being retreats and mindfulness initiatives are also offered to cultivate a strong community of care. All of these efforts complement that “great place to work goal” and, ideally, will lead to happier, more productive employees.

“When people in an organization feel like the organization sees them, hears them and recognizes them as human beings – that they have ambitions and stresses
 [when the university] looks to take care of them as human beings – then they can invest all of their energy into the work that they’re supposed to be doing,” Sinek said.Ìę

This emphasis on care was echoed by the ESC staff. According to Buford, the success of the university hinges upon the ability to care for each and every member of the community. The center aims to provide a necessary source of care for employees by ensuring that their voices are heard and their personal and professional development is prioritized. To the ESC staff, success goes beyond the easily measurable metrics such as retention or productivity. Creating a great place to work requires a commitment to caring for the employees.

“To be a great place to work, we have to create an experience where employees feel connected to UofL and have a sense of belonging, hope and trust; where they are growing and learning new things they can put to use in their lives or future jobs; and where they are part of a community that cares about them,” Buford said.Ìę

Buford also announced that as part of the ESC opening celebration, the new Cardinal Leadership Institute will also launch in early March. Among the audience for the virtual event were several instructors for the institute, as well as 23 university leaders that will comprise the inaugural cohort.

Current measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19 are in effect and all events with the ESC are currently held virtually on Microsoft Teams. A of past meetings and workshops can be found on the , as well as the video recording of the .