The Effects of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak on Academic Staff Members: A Case Study of a Pharmacy School in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has required governments to implement preventive policies to control the spread of the virus. Temporarily closing schools and other educational institutions has been adopted in many countries, including Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess academic staff satisfaction with suspending face-to-face teaching and turning to web-based education. Additionally, this study assessed how the suspension of face-to-face classes has affected the administrative work, research, and community at the College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional, self-administered, anonymous online questionnaire. A total of 59 academic staff were included. RESULTS: More than half the participants (55.9%) agreed or strongly agreed that the sudden shift to online education was done smoothly, more than half (57.6%) agreed or strongly agreed that virtual lectures were more flexible than face-to-face lectures, and a majority (79.7%) agreed or strongly agreed that the technology used for online education was reliable. A minority of participants agreed or strongly agreed that research (20.4%), community service (11.4%), and participation in scientific meetings (15.2%) had not been affected by the suspension. CONCLUSION: Suspending classes without stopping education has been implemented effectively, and administrative work has continued to run smoothly. However, research, community service, and attending scientific meetings have been negatively impacted by the suspension.