maroon wave

Return to Campus Information for July 6, 2021

Thursday June 17, 2021

Greetings,

We hope everyone is enjoying the summer and taking opportunities to rest, relax, and get re-energized!  As the July 6 return-to-campus date nears,  we want to provide some information and resources to help with this important milestone and transition that, understandably, will affect us in different ways.

As a regional comprehensive public university built around a residential campus model and in-person campus experience, our goal for the fall 2021 semester is to return to campus and continue operations by sustaining the many advances and improvements, and lessons learned while in the COVID-19 environment, including virtual meetings, paperless processes, technology skills development, online collaboration, etc. while maintaining and supporting all health and safety guidelines and expectations.   We are committed to maintaining appropriate safeguards and using mitigation strategies to provide a safe learning, working, and living environment for the entire Sea Gull community. 

In preparation for the July 6 return, we issued a Return to Campus Questionnaire with over 590 employee responses.  Overall, employees were highly satisfied with the response to COVID-19 and keeping our campus safe.  Results from the Return to Campus Questionnaire provided insight regarding the needs of employees, COVID-19 safety considerations, campus return readiness, and work arrangements.  A summary of the questionnaire results can be found at the Human Resources main webpage under “Find It Fast!”

Your feedback also provided key supporting elements, activities, and programs, and recommended actions that are important to you as the campus returns to normal operations. Listed below are actions and steps SU is undertaking in response to some of the questionnaire feedback:  

  • Employee Safety and Well-being.
    • We will continue to use and implement safety protocols as necessary to support expanded on-campus operations. In addition, the level of COVID-19 testing as applicable to individual employees (e.g., vaccinated or non-vaccinated) and personal protective measures, including the use of face coverings, will be provided based on and consistent with local public health guidance.  You can rest assured that if local circumstances or those on our campus result in an increased threat of COVID-19 transmission, we will adjust our operations as needed to continue to ensure the safety of our SU community and the greater Salisbury community.
    • We Are Offering COVID-19 Vaccinations.  The next SU vaccination clinic is  Monday, June 21, and is available to all students and employees.  To make an appointment, please email CampusHealth@salisbury.edu.  SU has set a target date of Tuesday, July 6, for all campus community members to have their first dose of a two-dose vaccine or their lone dose of the single-dose vaccine. All faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated by Monday, August 23.  Please visit https://www.salisbury.edu/coronavirus/vaccine.aspx for more information.
  • Student-Centered Learning On-Campus and Online.  While some courses will be delivered online or in a hybrid format, more than 80% of sections will be face-to-face and at pre-pandemic classroom capacities. We are excited for the full return of students in classrooms, laboratories, simulation facilities, competitions, studios, and performance venues.  We expect students to be able to participate in in-person internships, clinicals, field experiences, conference presentations, and exhibitions. Unless there is a significant increase in COVID in our area, course modalities are not expected to change.
  • Open Normal Hours.  Campus offices will be open for normal working hours as evidenced by office or unit presence, which is consistent with our traditional model of a high-quality on-campus experience. 
  • Employee Appreciation. We will celebrate our return to campus and hold the annual Employee Appreciation Day, sponsored by the Staff Senate, on Wednesday, August 4, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (daytime staff) and 6-7 p.m. (evening staff).  This event will include recognition of the Employee of the Year for FY20 and 21, door prizes, and raffles.
  • Employee Work/Life Balance Through Alternative Work Arrangements.  With the resumption of normal operations, a  teleworking policy with supporting processes and documents is available at the Human Resources Current Employees webpage, in the “Policies” section.  All teleworking requests must be routed through supervisory channels to the Divisional Vice President for review and approval.
  • Employee Wellness and Resilience.  We encourage employees to take time off, and use their available health benefits and services provided by the Employee Assistance Program (Guidance Resources) and through professional development (LinkedIn Learning).

Thank you to each of you for keeping our campus safe, being flexible, and sustaining our focus on students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Welcome Back!