More Pivots than a Centipede on Ice Skates: Reflections on Shared Leadership in a Post-Secondary Institution During COVID-19

Abstract

This article is a case study describing the University College of the North’s (UCN) response to the COVID-19 pandemic, outlining pandemic planning and management processes at UCN from March 11, 2020, to September 30, 2021. UCN’s planning processes evolved from a top-down approach led by administration to an approach that saw greater shared leadership in the crisis. Shared leadership included senior leaders, middle management, faculty, and staff who both addressed the immediate crisis and engaged in post-pandemic planning. Lessons learned may help post-secondary institutions gain greater resiliency and sustainability as the post-COVID environment emerges.

Keywords:

• COVID-19,
• crisis management,
• leadership,
• higher education