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On or Off Campus

  • 1.  On or Off Campus

    RISING STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 06-02-2021 09:04
    I'm curious about how other schools are planning for the fall semester.

    1. Are your classes going to be back on campus or staying remote?
    2. Are your staff (compliance and sponsored programs) going to be back in the office or staying remote?
    3. If you're returning to campus, do you have any restrictions?
    4. If you're staying remote, are you implementing any special plans for how to do that successfully with some on-campus and some remote?


    ------------------------------
    Eric Boerngen
    Outreach Coordinator, Research and Graduate Studies
    Illinois State University
    edboern@ilstu.edu
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: On or Off Campus

    RISING STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 06-03-2021 05:33
    Hi Eric,

    We are definitely headed back to campus with the start of the fall semester but are still working on what that will look like.  I believe there will be flexibilities as long as we can maintain productivity.

    ------------------------------
    Charna Howson
    Director of Sponsored Programs
    Appalachian State University
    Boone NC
    828-262-7311
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: On or Off Campus

    Posted 06-03-2021 05:36

    Eric, by September we will back on campus in large measure. Most, but not all, staff will be returning to campus; some will be able to work remotely moving forward. I believe there will be no restrictions except in our clinic system, where masking is likely to remain in place. I am not aware of how we are working out the remote v. on-site issues, but inasmuch as we have been sort of doing that for a bit of time now, I do not see it as a real problem.

    However, our campus has faced other issues, such as large swathes of destruction due to the tornado that hit Dallas in October of 2019, for which we are still rebuilding. Because of this- we lost half of our buildings- in the rebuild, allowing some to work from home allows us to re-vision how our campus will look. While I live just 7 miles from campus, I will split time working from home and on-site; I oversee our CTL and much of our training is now completely online anyway.

    Good questions!



    ------------------------------
    Dana Lawrence
    Associate Provost for Research and Education
    Parker University
    TX
    214-902-3465
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: On or Off Campus

    STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 06-03-2021 05:47
    This is a good question.  I know here in Georgia, we are all to be back on campus.  We are still working on revising our guidelines for in-person research activities to take into account updated CDC guidance. I would be interested to know what others are doing on that front.

    ------------------------------
    Angela Bain, CIP, CIM
    Director, IRB Office
    Kennesaw State University
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: On or Off Campus

    RISING STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 06-03-2021 06:23
    Hi Eric,

    Lamar University will be returning to face to face classes in the fall semester with no restrictions. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs has been back on campus for quite some time. I hope this is helpful and good luck with your return to "normal" operations.

    ------------------------------
    Beverly Kemp
    eRA Research Coordinator
    Lamar University
    Beaumont, TX 77710
    409-880-7670
    brkemp@lamar.edu
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: On or Off Campus

    STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 06-03-2021 06:23
    I can't speak to the classes because, to be honest, I haven't kept track of those announcements but our campus is anticipating returning to normal operations by September 1.

    Some changes that are being implemented:
    1)  Some departments are encouraging those who can work remotely to continue to do so.
    2)  Some departments are allowing staff to have a hybrid in-office/remote work schedule.
    3)  Employee parking now has a reduced parking fee for those who will only come to campus fewer than 10 days per month.  (I unfortunately will not be one of those)
    4)  Masks and social distancing are required for any who are unvaccinated but given the lack of robust tracking this is on the honor system.
    5)  Masks are still currently required regardless of vaccination status in all clinic settings.   I do not know if that will continue after the September 1st goal.

    I would have preferred to be able to have more remote days than in-office days since this past year has shown me how much more productive I am able to be when I do not have interruptions other than emails.   But at least we gt to have some remote days.   Prior to the Pandemic, most were adamantly opposed to that.

    ------------------------------
    Lorraine Bell
    Training Program Coordinator
    University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
    Aurora CO
    303 724-2317
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: On or Off Campus

    Posted 06-03-2021 11:07
    To add to what Lorraine has shared, our campuses are requiring vaccinations to all returning to campus with some allowed exceptions.

    ------------------------------
    Elizabeth Collins
    Director, Research Information Technology
    University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus
    Denver CO
    (303) 724-0093
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: On or Off Campus

    RISING STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 06-03-2021 06:52
    Hi Eric,

    Here are a few points about the status of our university:

    • Under normal operations
    • Face coverings, social distancing no longer required
    • Events operating as normal
    • Vaccines available at the Student Health Center
    • Campus community encouraged to be vaccinated
    • Campus community encouraged to self-report

    Given the above information, our classes are back on campus as of Fall 2021, all faculty and staff will be returning to campus in the Fall (although most staff are already back). As you can see above, we no longer have any restrictions, and that last question is moot for us, since we are back operating normally. The reason for the above status is due to the Texas Governor's recent Executive Order, and since we are state employees, we are required to follow the state's mandates. I hope this helps.

    ------------------------------
    Sharla Miles, M.Ed., CIP
    Director, Research Compliance
    Sam Houston State University
    Huntsville, TX
    (936) 294-4875
    sharla_miles@shsu.edu
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: On or Off Campus

    STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 06-03-2021 07:43
    Eric,

    Classes will be pretty much all back to campus, but we will likely have mire remote options.

    We have been back in the office full time since August 2020.

    Our mask requirement has been lifted, as have many other restrictions.  Still, many activities do encourage distancing and things are not quite back to pre-COVID ways.

    I have been working to make more of our files and other resources available electronically to prepare for potential remote work again.

    Pam Vargas

    ------------------------------
    Pamela Vargas
    Director, Research & Grant Development
    Southeast Missouri State University
    Cape Girardeau MO
    573-651-2018
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: On or Off Campus

    RISING STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 06-03-2021 11:14
    At Providence College all staff are back 100% in-person effective July 6th.
    1. Are your classes going to be back on campus or staying remote?  We will be fully on campus for the fall.  More than 50% of our classes were in person this Spring.  
    2. Are your staff (compliance and sponsored programs) going to be back in the office or staying remote? Our staff will be fully in the office July 6th and have been working hybrid since September on 2021 2-3 day a week.  The College is not open to remote work for a long-term option. I have mixed emotions on this since I do think research administrators can be highly productive remotely.  
    3. If you're returning to campus, do you have any restrictions? Today we lifted mask restrictions indoor and outdoor for fully vaccinated people.  Staff are encouraged to be vaccinated (not required). All students will be asked to be vaccinated for the fall.  
    4. If you're staying remote, are you implementing any special plans for how to do that successfully with some on-campus and some remote? N/A- we don't have this as an option.  


    ------------------------------
    Kris A. Monahan, Ph.D.
    Director Sponsored Projects and Research Compliance
    Providence College
    Providence, RI
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: On or Off Campus

    STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 06-03-2021 11:26

    Hi Eric!
    Ball State is going back to in-person classes in the Fall. As such all faculty and staff are required to also be back on campus by August 5 at the latest. Some offices have already come back to full-time on campus. HR has allowed for prior approval allowability for staff that want to try a hybrid approach with a regular schedule, but our office (SPA) will be back together likely 100%. When we transitioned quickly to working remotely last year, we did not have any change in productivity and it worked pretty well for us. 

    Vaccines are encouraged with some institutional incentives. Currently according to University policy, if someone is vaccinated they can be outside without a mask. Inside they are still required unless you are in your office (for now). We have added air filter units to collaborative spaces and larger offices where people might meet together. I believe the plexiglass guards we put up for some of the shared office spaces will remain in place, as will enhanced cleaning procedures we've implemented over the last year as precautions. 



    ------------------------------
    Augusta Isley
    Senior Proposal Manager
    Ball State University
    amwray@bsu.edu
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: On or Off Campus

    SUPERSTAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 06-03-2021 11:43
    Ummm, yes????  It's kind of all of those things around here.  Oakland University wants very much for students to be back in the classrooms in the fall, but Michigan is just now very carefully opening things back up.  So, we'll follow Michigan rules, obviously.  But the plan is students back in the fall.  For adminsitrative offices, the student-facing offices are coming back first - Advising, Financial Aid, all of those kinds of services.  Since one of the priorities will be to keep office population-density low, these offices will get "dibs" on the space.  And, as I have often puzzled over, Research Office/Sponsored Programs is oddly placed to have very little student contact.  Not zero, but not much, either.  Therefore,  I have asked my staff to come up with hybrid schedules that we will slowly ramp up to by the end of August, when school starts.  We are starting next week - although I am sitting in my office at this moment and I am not alone on the floor.  It feels kind of like a party ;)

    I know some schools (NIU, for example) are allowing people to apply for the opportunity to work from home forever, but I have heard no such talk at OU.

    The trick from my perspective will be how to create and support a team when some people are together and some are at home.  I don't want an in-crowd/out-crowd to develop.  And then there's the vexing question of what kind of vaccination documentation we can ask for/discuss with staff.  I REALLY don't want to be the keeper of personal health information.  And yet a lot depends on vaccination thresholds.  (Have I mentioned that I hate COVID????)

    ------------------------------
    Andrea Buford
    Director, Office of Sponsored Programs
    Oakland University
    Rochester MI
    (248) 370-3789
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: On or Off Campus

    Posted 06-03-2021 11:48
    Hello Eric,

    I am curious too about what other institutions are planning for the fall. At AU students will be back on campus and as much as possible will be in-person. We are currently assessing staff functions in our OSP to determine the best solution for the fall. We are leaning towards a hybrid model. We follow the DC guidelines which I believe are fairly open and that is another challenge we will be facing. If there are no restrictions, how comfortable will staff be returning to the office?

    We plan to set expectations for how to conduct meetings and possibly we will continue to run meeting virtually within our own team. I am unsure if there will be guidelines set at the institutional level.

    Does your institution require that students and staff are vaccinated?

    ------------------------------
    Vibeke Svensson
    Director, Office of Sponsored Programs
    American University
    Washington DC
    202-885-3980
    ------------------------------



  • 14.  RE: On or Off Campus

    Posted 06-03-2021 12:34
    1. Are your classes going to be back on campus or staying remote? - UT has an emphasis on in-person learning for all our students
    2. Are your staff (compliance and sponsored programs) going to be back in the office or staying remote? We are moving back to on campus and also have hybrid options
    3. If you're returning to campus, do you have any restrictions? - from our latest directive:
      1. Masks are not required while outdoors on campus
      2. Masks are not required for COVID-vaccinated individuals while indoors on campus
      3. Masks are required for clinical care facilities on campus, including waiting rooms
      4. Temperature checks are not required for buildings on campus, except for clinical care facilities
      5. Students are required to report immunization/vaccination status  
      6. UTHSC will honor immunization vaccination policies of clinical care, education, and research partners when in those facilities
      7. Vaccination is strongly encouraged for faculty, students, and staff!
    4. If you're staying remote, are you implementing any special plans for how to do that successfully with some on-campus and some remote? For now, each supervisor is allowed to develop on-campus/hybrid plans


      ------------------------------
      Jeanne Hermann
      Assistant Vice Chancellor
      University of Tennessee-System Office
      Knoxville TN
      901-448-5043
      ------------------------------



    1. 15.  RE: On or Off Campus

      SPEAKER
      Posted 06-04-2021 09:12
      Hi Eric,

      The University of South Alabama is preparing to fully open campus in the fall with students returning to traditional class settings. We had a hybrid approach for the spring and summer quarters.

      Compliance and Sponsored Projects staff have been back in the office since last August.  Staff from other areas of campus returned at different times with a University-wide requirement that all staff return to campus by June 1. (The parking lot adjacent to my building has filled up again - a sure sign of returning employees!)

      Presently my university does not offer remote staff positions. However, it isn't completely out of the question and is being considered. In my area, the pandemic closure allowed staff to demonstrate capabilities of job fulfillment which should be a testament supporting consideration of remote positions for the future.

      Gina

      ------------------------------
      Gina Hedberg
      Exec Director, Office of Sponsored Projects Adm
      University of South Alabama
      Mobile, AL
      251-460-7888
      ------------------------------



    2. 16.  RE: On or Off Campus

      Posted 06-07-2021 09:40
      Hi Eric,

      The current plan is to begin moving forward to a fully functional Fall start as guidelines dictate.

      Our office's of compliance and sponsored programs were remote prior to the pandemic and will remain so along with several other non-student facing administrative units.

      Nichelle

      ------------------------------
      Nichelle Edwards
      Director, Office Sponsored Programs
      The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

      +1-202-706-5014
      ------------------------------



    3. 17.  RE: On or Off Campus

      Posted 06-08-2021 13:29
      Hi Eric,

      Our office allowed occasional remote work before the pandemic and have been given the green light to continue on a permanent basis. At present, all staff are still 100% remote & we are not planning to force any staff back to campus. Staff who choose to come to campus must follow all safety protocols.

      We are working on how we will structure ourselves with the new permanent remote structure while still keeping an appropriate on campus presence. My preference is to have reps from each of our teams be in the office each day and to bring the full team together at some regular frequency for f/f meetings. We are also reviewing all of our policies and procedures to make sure they fit with this new structure. And we're evaluating "hoteling space" to accommodate infrequent on campus work.

      & I'm not sure if you are aware but Illinois civil service rules require Illinois residency. So even with remote work,  staff still need to be Illinois residents within at least 180 days of hire.

      ------------------------------
      Dara Little
      AVP, Sponsored Programs Adminstration
      Northern Illinois University
      De Kalb IL
      ------------------------------