As dean of the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas, Ann Brill was tasked with leading a massive community through the COVID-19 pandemic. The isolation that this pandemic created was especially difficult because Brill prides herself in leading a tightly knit community.
Brill and her team did their best to overcome this: they sent gift packages to some students, offered resources for students who have been affected by the pandemic, and tried to stay connected to students.
Brill also set up several task forces that worked to combat areas that COVID affected; one worked on branding, another worked on student retention and the final was a general recovery team, which looked at the logistics of reopening.
Looking to the future, Brill and her team learned from fall semester 2020. They have plans to implement changes in spring 2021 that will effectively eliminate the hybrid model of classes and make the School of Journalism safer for everyone. Brill is looking forward, trying to determine what will be best for KU journalism students, while also taking this pandemic day-by-day.