Over 400 professors teach at Trinity Western University. Together, they represent a wealth of expertise across 48 undergraduate disciplines and 19 graduate programs. In a time of a global health pandemic, TWU faculty can offer special wisdom and insight, informed by their areas of expertise and founded upon their Christian faith and understanding.
This summer, we reached out to our faculty to receive their perspectives. We asked them how COVID-19 has impacted their fields of teaching and research. We invited them to respond to the pandemic from their unique vantage point as Christian leaders, professors and academics.
Among the first to respond were Dr. Robynne Healey, Professor of History and Co-Director of the Gender Studies Institute, and Dr. Bill Strom, Chair and Professor of Media + Communication.
As a historian, Dr. Healey knows how history gives us perspective to both understand the present and to foresee the future: “Historians know that the worlds before and after watershed events are different. They may be similar, but they are not the same. The 'normal' of December 2019 will not re-materialize. We are not going back in time. The economic and psychological impact of the covid-19 pandemic will be with us for some time.”
She shares how history inspires us and gives us confidence for today, “History is full of examples of humanity’s capacity for resilience and adaptation.” She speaks of how in 1809, a Quaker community in Ontario was ravaged by an epidemic and suffered great losses.
In remembering our current context, Dr. Healey offers hope: “I am excited about the 2020-21 academic year and the classes I am preparing! There are unknowns. But we have an incredibly supportive community committed to learning, integrating, and disseminating the most recent developments in our disciplines.”
“We will—we must—remember and learn from this important historical moment as we adapt and journey forward together.”
For Dr. Bill Strom, the time of pandemic isolation provided the opportunity to conduct very relevant social research. This summer, he is seeking to understand the resiliency of relationships during shelter-in-place situations, asking, “Does holding a ‘covenant’ approach to relationships increase resilience and decrease struggle in stay-at-home isolation?”
In addition, Dr. Strom is tracking how individuals are “thriving” during COVID-19, measuring how people are coping, what levels of social support they are receiving, changes in levels of life satisfaction, as well as indications of aggression, anxiety, fear and loneliness.
As we anticipate more faculty stories and perspectives to come, we welcome you to visit the COVID-19 Faculty Perspectives page. We trust that our faculty’s stories will be a source of encouragement and inspiration for you, as we journey forward together.
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About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to find and fulfill their purpose in life. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vibrant faith community devoted to supporting godly leaders seeking to have a transformational impact on culture.
For media inquiries, please contact media@twu.ca.