Dear Mendoza Colleagues,

Earlier today, Father John Jenkins announced plans for reopening the University for on-campus programs this fall. These plans include starting the fall semester early on August 10 and continuing straight through to Thanksgiving without a fall break.

A great number of details still needs to be worked out, including how to safeguard everyone’s health and well-being in the process.

I will be meeting with the associate deans, chairs and members of the Transition Back to Work Committee led by Kara Palmer to make and implement plans for the College to enact the University’s directives.

I want to thank you for the grace and patience you’ve shown throughout the past months, and ask that you continue in the same spirit as we work through these complicated circumstances and logistical challenges.

I will keep you updated as information becomes available. You also can check Notre Dame’s coronavirus site.

As always, if you have questions, concerns or ideas, please reach out to one of the individuals mentioned above or myself.

In Notre Dame,

Martijn

Dear Mendoza Colleagues,

Thank you for taking the Mendoza Staff Back to Work Survey last week. We had an amazing response rate of more than 95%, with 156 total respondents. The rate clearly indicates how much transitioning back to working on campus is on everyone's minds and therefore a top concern of the College and University. I appreciate your thoughtful answers.

You can review a summary of the results here, but I’d like to share some of the most-mentioned issues or concerns:

• The ability to enforce appropriate social distancing practices, especially for those who work in cubicles. Nearly 19% of respondents rated it as their top concern.
• The problem of juggling family responsibilities with work. This included finding quality child care as well as protecting elderly or at-risk family members after we return to work.
• Accommodations for our staff members who have underlying health conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19.
• The possibility of alternative work arrangements in the future. Almost 93% reported feeling as productive or more productive working from home.

We’ve shared the survey response metrics and a high-level summary of the results with the University. Although we don’t have a return-to-work date, the University continues to work diligently on comprehensive plans to bring our staff, faculty and students back to campus in a way that safeguards our health and well-being. You can view a list of the leadership teams working on the various aspects of the University’s response to COVID-19 here.  

The Mendoza Transition Back to Work Committee will meet weekly with the following objectives, among others:

• Staying in touch with the University to be aware of and provide input to their return to work strategies.
• Researching the activities and decisions of other groups across campus and other universities to stay apprised of best-practice guidance.
• Identifying specific areas within the College that need our focus and attention, such as personnel needs, safety, facilities, capacity and so on.
• Providing Mendoza staff with updates in the Mendoza Exchange enewsletter and website as information becomes available.

In the meantime, if you have questions, concerns or ideas, please contact me or one of the committee members: Brian Connelly, Carol Elliott, Christine Gramhofer, Angela Logan, Kelli Kilpatrick, Robin Kistler, Jennifer Harwell LaPrad, Chris Fruehwirth and Doug Franson.

Again, thank you for providing your perspective and insights. We are part of an awesome community, and as much as we miss each other (which also came across in the survey!), your health and well-being are our top priority.

All my best,

Kara

Dear Mendoza Staff,

During the recent Staff Town Hall, Father Jenkins emphasized that the University is committed to bringing students back to campus in the fall. Of course, that means bringing faculty and staff back, as well.

There are still many uncertainties surrounding exactly when and how we will transition back to working on campus. Indiana recently outlined its plan to reopen the state economy, which will guide back-to-work decisions as well as federal guidelines. The University has convened several committees to begin planning about what the transition process will look like, taking into account the top priority of protecting the health and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff.

Although we don’t have a return date, it’s important that we at Mendoza begin thinking about what a transition plan will entail. I’ve asked Kara Palmer to lead a Mendoza committee that will consider issues related to safety protocols, transition schedules and individual accommodations for staff at higher risk, among other concerns. My thanks to committee members Brian Connelly, Carol Elliott, Christine Gramhofer, Angela Logan, Kelli Kilpatrick, Robin Kistler, Jennifer Harwell LaPrad, Chris Fruehwirth and Doug Franson

As a first step, the committee is asking that all staff members complete the Mendoza Staff Back to Work Survey by Friday, May 8, to better understand your thoughts, hopes and hesitations about returning to work on campus. Your responses will provide important guidance as we put back-to-work plans into place.

In addition to the survey, if you have ideas, questions or concerns about the transition at any time, please let the committee members know. Kara also is available to discuss any situations that you want to share confidentially, as am I.

I appreciate the amazing effort that all of you have put into these last weeks, and how you have continued to support our students, faculty and each other. You have shown courage, creativity and perseverance amidst great upheaval, uncertainty and adversity. I echo another sentiment expressed by Father John: It is empty and lonely here without you. I really look forward to the time when we can see each other in person again.

In Notre Dame,

Martijn 

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you and your families continue to be safe and well.

This email is a follow-up to Executive Vice President Shannon Cullinan’s email this Wednesday about the financial challenges faced by the University as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The University remains committed to providing for all of our students – undergraduate and graduate – who themselves often are encountering a heavier financial need; to attending to the care and welfare of all of our workforce; and to all faculty continuing the University’s central work of teaching and research.

In order to honor these commitments, we have been asked to reduce expenses and control spending for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2019-20 as well as Fiscal Year 2020-21. These measures include the freezing of staff hiring, no merit raises for faculty and staff, no increases in salaries related to promotions for faculty and staff, and no non-essential travel, among others.

Please note: We are committed to preserving all current staff positions as a top priority.

We are also committed to prioritizing increases in salaries related to promotions for faculty and staff as soon as the budgetary situation has changed.

It is important that we complete the process in April for assessing performance as usual (including feedback for staff via Endeavor) to recognize the hard work our faculty and staff have accomplished this year, even if no merit raises will occur at this point in time. Completing the process will allow us to fully incorporate everyone’s performance when the budgetary situation changes in the future and we can again provide merit raises.

In regard to the overall College budget, we will need to examine our expenses to determine which are essential and which are non-essential, and make reductions in order to meet the University’s financial mandates. We have asked the department chairs, in conjunction with their faculty, to consider which teaching and research expenses are essential versus non-essential. Similarly, we have asked all associate deans to work with their academic and program directors on such determinations. All College directors with budgetary responsibilities will be doing the same.

In the coming days, Doug Franson and I will be working with the associate deans, chairs and directors to review our budgets. We need everyone’s input and guidance so that we can get a sense of what our priorities are, in order to best inform our decisions on what is essential versus non-essential spending. This will include reviewing our plans for renovations to the building as well as other capital projects.

If you have questions, concerns or ideas, please contact your department chair, associate dean, senior director, Doug or myself. Doug will serve as the central point of contact and communication for all financial and budget questions and for all decisions regarding essential and non-essential spending. Kara Palmer, Doug and I will keep you updated as decisions are made.

I am mindful that families also are hurting and that uncertainty about the future weighs heavily on many. The challenges we currently face may be unprecedented in our lifetime, but the Notre Dame community has a long history of overcoming adversity with faith, hope, commitment to solidarity and hard work. We’re in this together and can get through this together. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, as well as for your understanding of our current budgetary challenges.

In Notre Dame,

Martijn

Good Afternoon,

In follow up to Martijn’s March 13th message advising Mendoza faculty and staff to make alternative work arrangements, please find further instructions on handling emails and phone calls, along with some best practices while working remotely:

• As Martijn shared, staff are expected to perform their duties and responsibilities, which includes being available by phone and email during regular work hours. We ask that you do not put an auto-reply “out of office” message on your email, unless you are truly out of the office because of illness, a planned vacation or other reason that means you are unavailable.

However, we recognize that working remotely can create unique challenges that may prevent us from providing the same level of service to one another and to our key stakeholders. As such, we are asking that you add something similar to the following to your email signature:

Out of concern for the safety and well-being of our campus community, the University of Notre Dame has suspended in-person classes at least through April 13 and is moving instead to online instruction. In addition, staff may begin to work more regularly from alternative locations. We remain committed to conducting our work and providing services and close to normal as possible. However, there may be a delay in response to your message as our teams become oriented to our new work mode.

• Please make arrangements to have your phone calls forwarded to your cell/home phone and/or have your voicemails converted to emails. You can find more information on the ND OIT portal for setting up phone options at phone.nd.edu

• Be sure that you are building in lunches, breaks and reporting your time/and overtime (as applicable) appropriately. As a reminder, please review the University's Overtime and Rest and Meal Period policies.

• Also, here are a couple of articles that may be helpful:

o   Entrepreneur: Coronavirus: Best Practices for Working From Home, According to a Six-Figure Social Media Entrepreneur

o   WSJ: How to Work From Home: A Checklist of the Essentials

o   OZY: Work Remotely Without Losing Your Mind

• Lastly, don’t forget — we’re still a community! The Communications Department is looking for good ideas for items to include in Mendoza Exchange to support and encourage each other during this time. Please contact Melissa Jackson (mjacks18@nd.edu) if you have suggestions.

I will provide regular brief updates about HR decisions and policies as the situation evolves. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your ongoing flexibility and patience during these unprecedented times. 

Best,

Kara

As conditions rapidly change due to the coronavirus pandemic, we all face a lot of uncertainty and stress. I appreciate the flexibility, patience and extra effort so many of you have shown during this time.

You should have received the March 11 email from Bob McQuade, the vice president of Notre Dame Human Resources, about protecting the health of our staff and faculty. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to read it and review the resources provided.

I want to share some additional guidance specific to Mendoza faculty and staff:

First and foremost, your health is of utmost importance and we are committed to maintaining a healthy and safe workplace for all. I am strongly encouraging all Mendoza faculty and staff to consider their individual work situations and identify opportunities to work from home through April 13 in order to further safeguard individual health and well-being.

To this last point, I am asking supervisors to work with their teams to determine alternative work arrangements in keeping with the University’s guidelines. Specifically, this will involve:

1. Determining and communicating who is considered essential personnel and must be physically on campus, at least part of the time, to perform their jobs.
2. Completing the staff contingency plans that were distributed by leadership earlier in the week. This process involves clearly articulating ongoing work commitments and determining how to effectively adjust to accommodate working from home or in other remote locations. These plans must consider how the department will continue to provide expected services to stakeholders, such as students. (Link to document here)
3. If, based on the contingency plans, alternative work locations are deemed reasonable, work with your teams on communication with key stakeholders on how work will be accomplished. Of note, albeit remote, work hours and overtime policies still apply and staff are expected to perform their duties and responsibilities as agreed upon, which includes being available by phone and email during regular work hours.

For those who must be physically present, please follow the University and CDC guidelines recommending practices of social distancing and avoiding large gatherings. Check the University’s coronavirus website for updates, guidance and resources. We have also set up a hotline to answer any questions students, parents, faculty or staff might have, utilizing the askHR team to triage the calls and direct them to the appropriate offices. The hotline number is 574-631-5900.

I echo the sentiments of the University president and provost to ask everyone to do the best they can to continue delivering quality programs and services, with the understanding that nothing is going to be perfect. I am grateful for your patience and grace during this difficult and uncertain time.

In Notre Dame,

Martijn

​

Dear Mendoza Community,

As a follow up to President John Jenkins’ letter dated March 11, I want to provide information about Mendoza’s plans for its classes and programs in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

Let me first emphasize that our preeminent priority at Mendoza is to consider the health and welfare of our students, faculty and staff. This serves as the guiding principle for all of our decisions and plans. To be sure, the coronavirus outbreak presents new questions and challenges for the College, particularly as conditions are rapidly changing.

To emphasize several key points:

Mendoza undergraduate, graduate and executive classes will transition to virtual instruction only, beginning March 23 and continuing until at least through April 13. All in-person classes will be suspended during this period. Executive classes will transition to online instruction immediately.

Further, there will be no undergraduate or graduate classes in any format during the week of March 15 to allow faculty the time to make adjustments to online formats with the following exceptions: The classes planned next week for Mendoza's executive degree programs will be held online instead of in-person residencies. Additionally, courses for the Executive MNA degree program that are currently offered online will be held next week as originally scheduled. Students and faculty are expected to participate. The program directors will follow up with more information.

All students should expect to receive more information from their program directors and their faculty via email in the next few days to address, among other things, changes to the syllabus, availability of the most essential materials for the course and instructions for the virtual access.

Many of our faculty members have long used the classroom tools of Zoom and Panopto to deliver and record online content. The Mendoza IT department is offering additional training to faculty and we are utilizing the resources provided by ND Learning (The Kaneb Center and the Office of Digital Learning) and the Office of Information Technologies to optimize the online learning experience.

Faculty can find additional resources at coronavirus.nd.edu/instructional-continuity. They can also consult associate dean Kristen Collett-Schmitt for assistance with online pedagogy practices and Mendoza IT director Chris Fruehwirth for technology help.

Executive non-degree program offerings will be postponed until at least through April 13.

Mendoza conferences and other large events scheduled between now and April 13 should be canceled in accordance with University Enterprises and Events’ guidance. If you have a Mendoza event planned in the next three months, please fill out this form to help us track scheduled activities.

Staff are asked to read the detailed instructions in HR vice president Robert McQuade’s letter. I reiterate his points that 1) staff should continue with normal operations until further notice and enact social distancing practices, and 2) staff members who can adequately carry out their job duties from home should make sure they are immediately prepared for the possibility of doing so. Further, all staff members should discuss potential alternate work options with their managers before making any changes to their work schedule or work location. Any change in schedules needs to be discussed and approved in advance with managers or supervisors.

Those at higher risk of contracting coronavirus, particularly those who are over the age of 60 and immunocompromised as advised by the CDC, should work with their supervisors to arrange for any alternative work arrangements. As always, we strongly encourage any employee who does not feel well to stay home, regardless of symptoms. Mendoza staff members should contact their direct supervisor or Mendoza director of administration Kara Palmer with any additional questions or concerns.

Mendoza faculty and staff travel reimbursed by the University to international locations is prohibited and personal travel strongly discouraged. University-reimbursed domestic travel must be postponed or canceled unless an exception is approved by the dean or senior associate dean. Faculty can consult senior associate dean Ken Kelley for advice about travel plans and nonrefundable costs. Students and staff should check with Doug Franson, director of finance and facilities, about any nonrefundable costs incurred because of a canceled event or program.

Anyone — faculty, staff or students — who has traveled to any country rated as a CDC Level 3 travel advisory (currently China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy) are required to self-quarantine and self-monitor their temperature for 14 days before coming onto campus. Self-quarantine requirements would also apply to those who have traveled to any countries that transition to a CDC Level 3. If you have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, and especially if you have traveled to a CDC Level 3 travel advisory country or have been in close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19, please contact your local health care provider or University Health Services (574-631-7497) by phone.

Mendoza will remain open and accessible to all of our faculty, staff and graduate students. Graduate students may gather informally in small groups in the College if they choose. However, all student club activities are prohibited until at least April 13.

We realize that the great amount of uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus outbreak is stressful for people in all facets of life — personal, professional and as a student. We also realize that all of these changes are very disruptive and regrettable to our students. As a community, we remain committed to the well-being of all, where the actions described above prioritize the most vulnerable among us in particular.

On behalf of the associate deans and directors, we endeavor to keep you informed about any new developments as the situation evolves. As questions arise, we encourage you to visit Notre Dame’s coronavirus update website for the most recent news and advisories.

In these extraordinary circumstances, I am especially grateful for your patience, perseverance, flexibility, and willingness to help each other. Our strong community will allow us to deal with and overcome the many challenges we face.

In Notre Dame,

Martijn

Please visit coronavirus.nd.edu for the most recent updates from the University of Notre Dame.