Last week, I shared how my family and I were coping with the pandemic … and I asked the college how the Campus Engagement workgroup might help. The engagement team’s purpose is to help enhance internal communication and knowledge sharing across Virginia Western. Becky Kraemer, VWCC’s Assistant Recruitment Coordinator (who also serves on the engagement team), quickly emailed me some examples of the positive — the joy! — happening in the midst of the crisis. Becky wanted to spotlight three coworkers (and all of them said it was OK to publish before this post went public). She wrote: Ray Wickersty (New Student Advisor): He made an awesome YouTube video demo-ing how to work Google voice so all the advisors and people in Chapman could get a hold of students during this time but protecting their real cell phone numbers. (Ray added that this allows anyone at the college to have a spare phone number to interact with students, thus protecting their personal phone numbers. He is setting up a Zoom meeting room at 9 a.m. weekly. If anyone would like to Zoom in and get some assistance or pose questions, he will be available. You can find Ray at: https://vccs.zoom.us/j/3723698837.)… Continue Reading Look at this ingenuity and teamwork!Read More
Last week, I tuned into a free webinar by IDEO U called “Remote Collaboration.” Sacha Connor, Founder of Virtual Work Insider, shared strategies for staying collaborative and creative while working from home (and none are about improving your Zoom background!) Here are my top three takeaways : 1. Spend some time thinking about new communication norms. How will your team primarily communicate? Does it make sense to have a regular (weekly or daily?) Zoom chat to touch base? And if so, what hours would be best to schedule? Maybe have a rule about no Zooms before 9 a.m. or after 3 p.m.? This all depends on individual team members and their circumstances, especially if they are juggling childcare responsibilities, etc. (And if you’re struggling with all of your responsibilities at home, be empowered to ask your supervisor for accommodations, like moving a Zoom time.) One idea shared … if frequent communication is essential to your team, maybe have a standing 9-9:30 a.m. “coffee chat,” where everyone just touches base while they get their coffee ready? 2. Preparation for Zoom meetings is really important! Are you facilitating meetings for your team? Sacha says sending a thorough agenda at least 24 hours… Continue Reading 3 tips for remote collaborationRead More
The first time I cried was after I read that commencements across the VCCS had been canceled. The second, more intense sobbing happened as I overheard my daughter’s teacher reading excerpts of “The BFG” during their first classroom Zoom session. Waves of emotion continue to crash over me during my days at home …. fear, grief, rage, anxiety, gratitude. Exhaustion. We will continue to cope with the upside-down world in our own ways. One week into social distancing, and my husband’s major coping project is: Adopt a chihuahua puppy. (He’s chocolate brown, weighs 1.5 pounds, and we’ve named him Chewbacca, “Chewie” for short.) My husband’s major coping project is: Adopt a chihuahua puppy. My way of coping is to read like a maniac. I spent about 20 years in newsrooms before working at Virginia Western, and my journalism roots are showing (also, my hair roots are starting to show, but whatevs). Specifically, I’m reading about how the pandemic is impacting higher education. I scan the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and the AACC’s Community College Daily on a regular basis. Education futurist Bryan Alexander has been tracking the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and its higher ed implications for quite… Continue Reading How I’m coping with the pandemic … and how can the engagement team help?Read More
About Shelley
Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.
Recent Posts
- Innovation, and the LOI. August 25, 2025
- Some 24/25 Highlights July 16, 2025
- Have you heard? October 28, 2024
- The Game of Life – Innovation Edition! August 29, 2024
- Why Try An LOI? May 10, 2024