Case Study: How Gallaudet University's Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services Implemented Their Business Continuity Plan during COVID-19

ABSTRACT

This case study describes the plans and innovations that contributed to the successful transition from traditional, in-person working to working virtually at Gallaudet University during the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 13, 2020, Gallaudet closed its campus to non-essential employees and transitioned to remote work due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Gallaudet University, a small, primarily undergraduate institution (PUI), is the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind students. Based on a master's level course paper on business continuity plans (BCP) written by an Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services (OSPRS) employee nine-years earlier, the OSPRS implemented a business continuity plan to ensure that office operations would continue in the face of this interruption in service. If an emergency occurred and grants were due, what steps would be necessary to meet proposal deadlines? How would the OSPRS continue to be responsive to faculty and research staff and facilitate the proposal development process during an emergency? How would the office communicate during an emergency with deaf and hearing individuals and provide equal access? Answering these questions in 2011 created the innovations needed for Gallaudet University's OSPRS to successfully navigate the pandemic.