Maintaining academic continuity in the midst of COVID-19

The delivery of high-quality academic programmes is central to the mission of any university. For this reason, maintaining academic continuity must be a key aspect of their response to a major disruptive event. A previously described model for ensuring academic continuity in universities presented four phases: pre-planning, approaching crisis, crisis and post-crisis. COVID-19, however, has created unique challenges thanks to its global reach, impact on all aspects of societal operations and continuously evolving nature. This article describes the implementation of a model for managing academic continuity in the initial stages of COVID-19, and the continued adaptation of the model as the crisis has continued and work towards recovery has occurred without a clear end in sight. Reflections are offered with respect to: using established policies and processes; grounding decisions in core values; implementing broad and frequent communication; acknowledging and addressing exhaustion; and taking the time mid-COVID-19 to consider lessons learned.