The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unforeseen event faced by educational institutions across the world. The sudden change for educators and students to shift from face-to-face instruction and into teaching and learning online caused major confusion due to the lack of preparedness from most educational institutions, including colleges and universities. This qualitative, phenomenological study explored the experiences of faculty who transitioned from face-to-face instruction to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Martin Heidegger's concept of phenomenology, expanded from the "Husserlian" foundation, was the framework that guided this study. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit and select 9 participants who were interviewed. Colaizzi's 7-step method was applied as the analytical framework. Findings revealed how faculty experienced the transition. Emergent were 3 themes which included emotional responses, personal life experiences, and professional experiences. Findings can inform how faculty and institutions prepare for future crises when quick change is compelled. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]