Category: Messages to the Community

Title: Update on “Return to Campus” Plans

Dear Georgetown University Staff and AAP Employees,

Thank you for your contributions supporting our community throughout the pandemic, whether you have been working on campus or teleworking.

President DeGioia’s March 25 message announced our intention to bring our full community back to our campuses to begin the next academic year. This summer, the return begins gradually. Our dynamic and diverse community of students, faculty and staff brings our campuses to life, and it will be a welcome moment when we reunite in person.

We’re pleased so many of you were able to attend our Staff/AAP Community Forum yesterday. As a follow-up to our presentation, this message provides information on preliminary “return to campus” plans for employees as we know many members of our community have questions about coming back to campus, including concerns related to dependent care responsibilities. We will provide additional information in the coming weeks and will adjust our plans as needed based on public health conditions. Faculty are also receiving this message today for informational purposes.

Phase I: Mode of Work for 2021-22 Academic Year

For the 2021-22 academic year, the University will designate the appropriate mode of work for staff and AAP colleagues as in-person, telework or hybrid (i.e., combination of in-person work and telework). Staff and AAP colleagues will receive notice of their mode of work for the 2021-22 academic year by June 30, 2021. 

Over the coming weeks, the Department of Human Resources will work with the schools and business units within our academic campuses and University Services on this process. Unit heads and supervisors will receive a list of employees on their teams and will decide on the mode of work for each position, based on the requirements of the role and public health considerations. These lists will then be reviewed by the respective executive vice president or chief operating officer. The Department of Human Resources will notify individual employees of their mode of work.

We intend to provide as much flexibility as possible to balance operational needs with individual circumstances, while also ensuring we continue to achieve our educational and research missions. There is no one-size-fits-all solution given the variety of roles, work requirements and operating needs we have at Georgetown. To address this diversity, we have developed a Telework Framework that will enable us to make informed decisions related to each position’s mode of work. This framework has been developed in consultation with a University-wide Telework Committee, which has been exploring this issue in depth.

All employees, except those who already have a telework agreement to work outside of the local area in place, should return to a residence in Washington, DC, Maryland or Virginia and be in commuting distance of their on-campus worksite, no later than Monday, August 2, 2021, regardless of the mode of work for the position for the coming year. This will ensure that we provide the best support for our returning residential and on-campus academic and research community, and allow the University to manage its legal and compliance obligations, reflecting the resolution of some of the exigencies caused by the pandemic.

We will provide additional updates in the coming weeks and months, including information about public health measures for the Fall semester. Please refer to the “Return to Campus” website for employees, which we will continue to update. Information will also be available on that site about upcoming information sessions in May, which will be co-led by our Department of Human Resources Client Services Partners and our school and business units across the University.

Phase II: Beyond 2021-22 Academic Year

As we move through the upcoming academic year, which we envision to be transitional, we will update position descriptions based on what we learn about the most effective ways to conduct our work. The Department of Human Resources will work with department heads and supervisors to add mode of work to updated position descriptions. Recognizing this is a significant undertaking, we will complete this process in a timely manner but no later than June 30, 2022.

As mentioned, the year ahead will be a time of transition for all of us. We will continue to adapt to new circumstances together. Thank you again for your commitment to Georgetown, resilience and care for one another and our students during this time.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves, Provost

Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center

Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer