In March of 2020, Viterbo University responded to the national COVID-19 pandemic by immediately introducing the COVID-19 Response Planning Team. The group of 14 is the originating source of Viterbo’s COVID-related policies. They use CDC guidelines and their own professional resources to achieve their goal of keeping our campus safe amidst a constantly changing sea of information.
The team, known as the COVID Task Force, is led by two co-chairs, Executive Vice President for Student Success Rick Trietley and Vice President of Administration and Finance Todd Ericson. Since its inception, the team has met twice a week at minimum, sometimes meeting more if immediate action is needed. During their meetings, the team members share their studies and compose recommendations to present to the cabinet and deans at Viterbo responsible for officially amending policies. On top of specific rule changes, the team is also constantly working with on-campus organizations to help safely plan group events, making sure an event can be executed safely before asking the cabinet and deans for approval. The group also helped Viterbo establish itself as an official vaccination site, which reportedly took over a month of planning.
Co-chair of the task force Rick Trietley states that the team always starts with the science and data they are presented, along with the CDC and state guidance they must adhere to. While there are rare exceptions to the rule, this is generally how every decision is processed.
Though Trietley describes the work as “very rewarding” and “an honor,” he also acknowledges the incredible difficulties it presents. “There is a tremendous amount at stake,” he shares, saying that it is often difficult to remove emotion from the picture and stick to the science to keep the community safe. He stated that, though not everyone will agree with the decisions, everything his team does is for the “greatest wellbeing of the La Crosse area.” Trietley shared that the key to keeping emotions intact is to communicate with the community often and be as transparent as possible. Though quarantine and isolation may be difficult, this communication can at least alleviate some stress.
Trietley said he remains confident that if we all stay strong and stick to these harsh guidelines, we can “beat this thing” in six to nine months. It will not be easy. “We defied the odds,” Trietley said, hoping that Viterbo students will continue to defy odds inching us closer to the normalcy we have been dying to return to for the last year.
