eLearning Staff Remains Committed While Working From Home

By Joshua Blount, Senior Editor

The ongoing pandemic has impacted the lives of families around the world in a vital way and has redefined what the new "normal" looks like in 2020. Priorities have shifted, and it is now more important than ever for families to feel safe in everything they do.

eLearning & Academic Partnerships (eLAP), like many other institutions, has been affected by the pandemic as well. With so much uncertainty of what the next day will bring, we want to assure our families that eLAP and its employees are continuing to work diligently to deliver the same services it always has, all from the safety of home.

Since the end of March, eLearning & Academic Partnerships employees (as well as all Texas Tech employees) have transitioned from their traditional office environment to an environment with a bedroom and couch. Working from home, however, has not slowed down the output of service we deliver daily. Academic Administrative Coordinator Melissa Blount helps to answer questions about programs for students, parents, coordinators and others and directs them to appropriate contacts within the TTU System.

"Working from home has been an adjustment because I am not only working from home, but also taking on the responsibility of a teacher for my 6-year-old," said Melissa. "For me, having a schedule is most important and makes all the difference in my work. My schedule allows me to focus on my job duties and the people I serve as well as my son's schoolwork."

While our steadfast commitment to students and education remains the same, working from home is new to most eLAP employees, so the transition to remote work has affected employees in different ways. For some employees, working from home has proved to be more beneficial than working from an office. Section Manager Leslie Cranford manages and produces marketing material for TTU K-12 and shares her experience on remote work.

"At first, I was pretty apprehensive about working from home," said Leslie. "I'm a bit 'old school,' so the technology was a little intimidating. But once I got started and got in a rhythm, it became really easy to accomplish everything I needed to do, including meetings, from the safety of my home computer and laptop! From writing our TTU K-12 newsletters, to copy writing ads and other promotional materials, it's become second-nature to not be in the office."

The effects of the pandemic are far reaching and continue to change the dynamics of our society, which in turn affects our families' lives. eLearning & Academic Partnerships reminds our family that we remain committed to education and service and to stay safe during this challenging time.