Even as COVID raged, I knew opening UW campuses was right call for the sake of students

Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a 5-part series in which former University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson and Vice President Jim Langdon reflect on their experience guiding the system though the COVID-19 pandemic. Wisconsin was one of a few university systems that fully reopened in person in the fall of 2020 after going virtual in the spring of 2020. This was amid nationwide lockdowns in the early days of the pandemic. Here they recount a meeting that happened shortly after Thompson was named interim president on July 1, 2020.

Just days after taking office as interim president, I had a meeting with chancellors via Zoom. I was taken aback by several who opposed reopening in person in the fall due to a perceived lack of resources and policies to guarantee the health and safety of students and faculty.

In June 2020, my predecessor Ray Cross and the head of the board of regents announced their intention to reopen campuses for the fall 2020 semester. They highlighted a series of activities universities would undertake to provide a safe learning environment, including modifying dining and residence halls, maintaining social distancing, recommending or requiring face coverings, and creating guidelines for classroom occupancy.

I entered office with a firm understanding of the university. I pledged to be its strongest supporter and, if necessary, biggest critic. I also made clear I was not a caretaker but intended to lead. Job one was to prepare the campuses to reopen for the fall 2020 semester.

As my conversation with the chancellors moved into its third and fourth hours, it was apparent these naysayers who wanted to revisit the debate about reopening had not fully considered steps necessary to reopen nor the threat to the university’s mission if students declined to enroll for the fall term.

It seemed to me a majority of chancellors were headed toward one of two options: oppose reopening in-person or schedule another meeting to continue the conversation. Neither alternative was acceptable, so I ended the discussion and announced all campuses would reopen in-person for the fall 2020 term.

Higher education was not prepared for COVID-19. University administrators struggled to respond to the immediate crisis and plan for an uncertain future. Jim Langdon and I were at the center of the UW System’s response between July 2020 and March 2022 and offer the following recollections and advice to help tomorrow’s leaders keep campuses open and safe the next time we face a similar public health crisis.

Why reopening UW during COVID was critical for students

There were 6 reasons why I was so insistent we reopen:

1. The opposition chancellors presented questions but not compelling reasons why it was unsafe to reopen. My inclination is to make decisions based on possibilities and not doubts and was pleased by the can-do attitude of chancellors who also saw a hard but viable path to reopening.

2. Making remote learning the new normal would cause some students to temporarily or permanently abandon their college careers. This was especially true for students who needed access to laboratories and performance spaces to complete their degrees and research. The system had to do everything in its power to serve all students and advance its educational mission.

3. There would be inequity only opening some campuses. What rationale could we provide for welcoming students back to University A but not University B? Could University A handle higher enrollment if University B students transferred there? And what harm would come to University B’s reputation if it was viewed as underperforming compared to University A?

4. Students required immediate information so they could enroll with confidence that they would be on-campus in the fall. They had to find housing, arrange financing and make all the usual purchases that go along with moving from home to college, and delaying the decision would only make their tasks harder.

5. Time was not a friend. The University had less than two months until fall semester. COVID-19 was the singular focus of our first weeks in office, and I concentrated staff on finding solutions to all manner of issues that may arise when classes resumed on campus.

6. A few chancellors said I did not have the power to open campuses if they chose to remain virtual. I informed them I had the law on my side and was exercising my authority and prerogative in the best interests of students and the system.

We were opening.

Coming next week: How an innovative testing regime and community outreach made returning to campus a success.

Tommy G. Thompson was elected governor of Wisconsin four times, serving from 1987 to 2001. In 2001, he became Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a post he held for four years. He previously served in the State Assembly from 1967 to his election as governor. Jim Landon served in appointed positions under governors Thompson, Scott McCallum, Jim Doyle, Scott Walker and Tony Evers from 1989-2020, and at UW System from 2020-2022.