Dear Colleagues,

We hope that you and your loved ones are well and continue to remain safe and healthy.

As President Christina Paxson wrote yesterday in her July 7 letter sharing Brown’s “Plan for a Healthy and Safe 2020-21,” activities are underway to welcome some students back to campus for the upcoming semester. To reduce the density of students on campus, Brown will transition this year to a three-term academic model and implement a robust set of public health practices to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on campus and safeguard the health of students, employees and community members. This plan is based on current public health guidance and could shift as the University continues to monitor closely how the pandemic is evolving across the region and across the country.   

As faculty and staff members at Brown, we all will have an essential role to play in protecting community health, which will be an important shared responsibility of everyone on campus during 2020-21. What follows in this email is a set of important reminders and additional details outlining how we can all contribute to a safe and healthy community as we collaborate to advance Brown’s mission of teaching, research, and service.

RESUMING WORK ON CAMPUS: STAGE 2

For employees who are able to continue working remotely, you will be asked to continue to do so for the months ahead. Our telecommuting policies are currently in effect through Aug. 14, and we will notify all employees of changes or timeline extensions regarding telecommuting as decisions are made. Until then, managers should continue to establish telecommuting work assignments with their employees on an ongoing basis, based on department operational needs.

In accordance with updated guidance from public health experts, the State of Rhode Island’s reopening plan and the success demonstrated in resuming research on campus, we continue to follow a gradual, controlled phase of approving faculty and staff requests to resume work on site. Approval to resume work on campus must be grounded in safeguarding the health and safety of our students, each of you, your colleagues, and all members of our community.

Employees currently working at a University location, or approved to resume work on site, must follow safety guidelines at all times, and these guidelines extend to traveling to and from University locations. As we communicated on May 18, the COVID-19 Workplace Safety Policy applies to all faculty, staff and students, and all members of the community are expected to understand this policy and comply with it at all times. If you have been approved to resume work on site, you must complete workplace safety training requirements in advance of your first day of work and sign an acknowledgment affirming your understanding and acceptance of the policy. Employees approved to be on site will receive the workplace safety training and acknowledgement form through Workday.

All faculty and staff currently working at a University location, or approved to resume work on site — even when returning to work on site briefly for work-related purposes — must be designated as essential-onsite, essential-special or essential-limited. Descriptions and guidelines for essential positions can be accessed on the University Human Resources (UHR) website. These designations are provided by managers to UHR. If you have questions regarding your own designation, please discuss this with your manager. Approved designation changes can be submitted directly to UHR at compensation_office@brown.edu.

COVID-19 TESTING PILOT

Per our community letter sent on June 17, employees designated as essential-onsite or essential-special are required to participate in a COVID-19 pilot test program intended to determine the incidence of the virus among those returning to work and inform our longer-term plans for identifying and stopping the spread of virus on campus. The University’s external test provider launched testing on June 24 for graduate students, faculty and staff who are working at a University location or approved to resume work on site. Pilot phase testing will continue through August 16.

We have received important feedback since the program began, which we will continue to collect to evaluate the program and inform our testing strategy for the coming academic year.

SELF CARE

As the pandemic continues and academic activity begins for 2020-21, it will be essential to monitor your own health symptoms, access medical care as needed and take the right steps to minimizing the potential spread of the virus. The University’s new Healthy Brown website includes updated details on self-care, and this site will continue to evolve as guidance shifts.

We also know that these are especially challenging times that can affect more than just physical health. Confidential counseling services are available at any time to all employees of Brown through the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program. Counselors can be reached by phone at 800-624-5544 or online at eap.ndbh.com (Company Code: Brown University).

DINING SERVICES

There have been questions about dining service options. Dining services are available through August to all Brown Faculty Club members from the Brown to Table curbside pickup program offered by the Brown Faculty Club. If you are not a member of the Brown Faculty Club, we encourage you to apply via Workday — all faculty and staff are eligible to join the club at no cost. As the fall semester begins, services will be offered on a grab-and-go basis at the Blue Room in the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center. Safety guidelines must be followed when visiting dining locations.

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

Shuttle bus services are also available for employees working on campus. As a reminder, passengers who use shuttle bus services must abide by health protocols to ride safely. Additional information can be accessed on the Transportation and Parking Services website.

FINANCIAL IMPACT AND JOB CONTINUITY

In the months ahead, we will continue to assess the significant economic impact that the pandemic has had on Brown. This work is being led by the Finance and Strategy working group established in the spring to develop strategies for maintaining Brown’s short- and long-term financial stability.

We recognize that members of our community may continue to have concerns about their economic security. While the long-term impact of the pandemic remains uncertain, we remain committed to developing plans with the goal of maintaining the financial well-being of both students and employees, and especially those who experience the greatest impact of financial uncertainty. Our hiring and salary freezes remain in place for this fiscal year, but the University is not currently planning any COVID-associated layoffs. Moving forward, we will continue to explore temporary work assignments and other strategies as we make every effort to avoid layoffs to the best extent practicable.

We want to thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to contribute to a healthy community. Brown is a special place because of your continued collaboration and support for one another as we prepare for students to return to campus and additional activity to resume on College Hill and in the Jewelry District in the coming months. We sincerely appreciate the essential role that you’ll play in maintaining health and safety for our community, which is the University’s most important priority, and the flexibility that may be required should the pandemic prompt any adjustments to our plans for the academic year. 

Sincerely,

Richard M. Locke, Provost
Barbara Chernow, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration