Dear Colleagues:
Moments ago you should have received a message from President DeGioia regarding Georgetown’s plan for the Fall 2020 semester. In light of recent public health developments, including the acceleration of the virus’s spread, extended testing delays, and new travel restrictions into the District, our initial proposed framework for the fall semester is no longer the best path forward. With this shift in fall plans, I write today to provide more information about how this change impacts our staff and AAPs.
Teleworking Continuity
For the Fall semester, we will house a limited number of undergraduate and law students on-campus who were granted approval. Ensuring our students and our academic and research missions receive the resources and support they need to be successful requires a portion of our workforce be physically present on campus. This will require us to work with leadership in the academic, administrative and student affairs space to determine on-campus needs. In the coming days, employees will receive confirmation from their supervisors regarding their mode of work, either in-person or telework as well as confirmation from Human Resources of your telework status.
Research Continuity
The fall announcement does not change our plans for resuming on-campus research activities. Therefore, certain staff members who are currently teleworking may be asked to return to campus based upon their roles and the academic and research needs of our community.
Redeploy Georgetown
Georgetown’s commitment to implementing protocols in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus creates work in areas supporting our health and safety efforts, which may include roles involving visitor registration, wellness screening and perimeter access support. These new work areas could benefit from a redeployment of staff who are currently affected by a reduction in available work due to the pandemic. Redeploy Georgetown will connect eligible, available staff members with opportunities for temporary projects or assignments supporting these public health measures. The program guidelines are subject to change based on operational needs.
Testing Protocols
Any staff members who have been coming to campus or those who will be expected to return in the coming weeks must comply with university testing protocols. Current on-campus employees should refer to the testing instructions previously sent to their emails. Those returning to campus in the coming weeks will receive more information regarding testing.
All staff must complete the “Fall 2020 Affirmation” form by logging into GU360 once their work status has been confirmed. Anyone already on or coming to campus is expected to sign and comply with the Georgetown University Community Compact, which includes important information about the health and safety measures all members of the University community are required to take while on campus.
Health and Safety
We recognize the challenges facing employees, particularly those who are on campus each day. We have committed to ensuring all employees on campus have appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), which includes providing all employees working on campus with two face coverings/masks. Gloves and hand sanitizer are available upon request. Other supply requests, including face shields, N95 masks, and other protective gear, are available on a case by case basis based on job responsibilities.
These past few months have been unlike any other in our history, and all of us have been forced to quickly adapt and mobilize to ensure operational continuity. We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary service and contributions of our staff, AAPs and contract workers. You can find additional information on the Fall 2020 website and in the frequently asked questions, which are updated regularly. We thank you for your patience and cooperation as we navigate the course of the pandemic and prepare for the successful start of the new academic year.
Sincerely,
Geoff Chatas
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer