Adrian Campus Students Adjust to Remote Learning Environment

By Doug Goodnough

It was supposed to be the last week of in-person classes at Siena Heights University’s Adrian campus before final exams signaled the end of the winter semester and academic year.

However, the coronavirus pandemic has ushered in a new reality. When campus was closed March 24 due to state and national social distancing guidelines, learning continued in a remote environment. Siena Heights has adapted – with help from its nationally ranked online program – to accommodate Adrian campus students, faculty and staff who had a steep learning curve to catch up to their online faculty and student counterparts.

And with many traditional end-of-the-year events like honors convocation, the week-long Halo Fest student festival, awards ceremonies and even commencement exercises canceled, postponed or moved online, it has left a void for some students.

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There Are at Least 100 Reasons to Celebrate the Siena Heights Centennial

In fact, the University is planning a host of special events and activities during its 100th anniversary, which will be observed during the 2019-20 academic year. The following are just a few highlights scheduled for the Centennial year:

Centennial Torch Relay Presented by the Alliance Catholic Credit Union

The 100th Anniversary officially kicked off with the statewide Centennial Torch Relay Presented by the Alliance Catholic Credit Union from Aug. 19-26. The bicycle Olympic-style relay began at SHU’s Lake Michigan College center and worked its way across the state, finishing at the Adrian campus Aug. 26. SHU’s Centennial Committee worked with local bicycling club enthusiasts to develop the 342-mile route that went from “coast-to-coast.” Individual riders carried a custom-designed torch during legs of the relay event. Each day in conjunction with the relay, SHU hosted a special event at one of its community college partner campuses located in Benton Harbor (Lake Michigan College), Kalamazoo (Kalamazoo Valley Community College), Battle Creek (Kellogg Community College), Jackson (Jackson College), Lansing (Lansing Community College), Southfield, Dearborn (Henry Ford College) and Monroe (Monroe County Community College). The last leg of the relay concluded with a special event at SHU’s main campus in Adrian.

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Siena Heights University announced in May 2019 it will offer an online Master of Science in Nursing Degree beginning in January 2020. The MSN degree will have a Health Systems Leadership focus.

“There was a lot of thought that was put into the curriculum design and also what program would meet the needs of our community,” said SHU Nursing Director Dr. Stacey Meyers. “The Siena Heights MSN degree will transform leadership skills through the development of expertise in strategic planning and health care operations giving nurses the tools to become an effective change agent, improve quality of care and advance their nursing careers.”

“The addition of a MSN degree focused on Health Systems Leadership only strengthens the communities we serve,” said SHU Dean for Graduate and Professional Programs Dr. Cheri Betz. “Since the inception of the Graduate College, Siena has been committed to making the world a better place through quality higher education with a focus on service to others.”

Dr. Meyers said the program’s broad leadership emphasis will make SHU’s MSN degree unique.

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