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Update on Campus Access

Monday April 13, 2020 2:17 pm

Dear Campus Community:

For me and undoubtedly all of you, interaction with our students is the primary reason we chose to become educators; to simultaneously soak up their energy and ambition while purveying the tools and teaching that supports them to achieve their academic goals and life dreams.

With all that in mind, it is not a stretch to say that one of the hardest parts of this pandemic, aside from worrying about the health and academic progress of our students, is being physically separated from them and from each other. Yes, by tapping into technology and tenacity, our academic mission continues remotely, but for many of us (myself included), the draw of the physical campus and the hope of gleaning any residual Titan student energy from it is tempting. 

That said, in an effort to protect the health and safety of our Titan heroes who do need to come to campus regularly to provide essential services — from caring for students in the residence halls and maintaining IT systems to monitoring payroll and keeping the campus secure — the rest of us must adhere to both the already-implemented stay-at-home order from the governor AND new federal guidelines that aim to bolster this precaution. 

To that end, effective immediately, the only employees permitted on campus are those who have been specifically designated as essential by their managers/appropriate administrators. The University will provide these employees with documentation authorizing their presence on campus, either in the form of an identification badge or a letter from HRDI. Employees who come to campus infrequently to perform an essential function must request access to campus from their managers/appropriate administrators. If approved, these employees can go to the Office of Environmental Health & Safety to receive a single-use pass to be on campus for a specific and limited period of time.

While on campus, all employees are highly encouraged to wear face coverings and gloves and also to continue to maintain social distancing, wash hands, practice cough/sneeze etiquette, and all other recommended preventative measures. The University will provide face coverings and gloves for those employees visiting campus who do not have their own.

Titan Family, thank you for modeling educational practices and protective measures that illuminate our ongoing role as a national model of both academic innovation and kindness and care. Together, we continue to show the world what it takes to it takes to persevere in the face of unprecedented adversity. It takes grit and tenacity; it takes empathy and grace; it takes collaboration and innovation.

In other words, It Takes a Titan – and all of you are the Titans it takes.

Thank you, and be well.

Sincerely,

Fram Virjee
President