Continuity Team Updates for the Week of June 22nd

Dear FSU Community,

As we move through the summer, we are going to be providing everyone with weekly updates that highlight the latest work being done by each of our six continuity teams.  We hope these updates will be helpful in keeping everyone apprised of our latest efforts to prepare for the start of the fall semester. Major updates/decisions will still go out to the community in their own separate e-mails and everything will continue to be posted to the COVID19 webpage.

The community is invited to continue sending in thoughts and feedback to c19suggestions@framingham.edu.  

Key Dates Moving Forward:

July 6^th – Earliest possible start of Phase III of Gov. Baker’s Reopening Plan.

July 10^th – Deadline for returning resident students to withdraw from housing without penalty.

July 13^th – Student bills issued.

July 15^th – Start of University’s gradual repopulation of campus offices.

July 15^th to August 15^th:

• Periodic repopulation as needed for ongoing work requirements and to prepare for August Repopulation (e.g. safety preparations, install plexiglas, staff scheduling, rearrange furniture, relocations, etc…).
• All signage established on campus.
• Employee health & safety training conducted.
• Telework agreements re-reviewed by supervisors to verify validity for fall 2020.

August 1^st – Deadline for first-year students to withdraw from housing without penalty.

August 3^rd – Student bills due date.

August 10^th – Student drop for Non-payment of bills.

Week of August 16^th - Deans and VPs will determine and authorize on-campus and off-campus remote service hours and the level of staffing for each area.  These schedules will be publicized via the web and on office hours.

August 26^th –  Move-in date – residential life staff.

August 27^th – Move-in date(s) – residential students.

September 2^nd – First day of the Fall semester. 

Continuity Team Updates for the Week of June 22^nd:

Academic Affairs Continuity Team:

• The Teaching Face-to-Face subcommittee submitted to ETO a list of issues faculty teaching F2F will need to address, and the resources they will need both in terms of equipment for faculty and students (e.g. mics and headphones) and training. 
• Recommend that ETO workshop(s) include a chance to rehearse the F2F classroom with a focus on strategies for a "split screen" classroom: how to project slides, engage students both in the room and on Zoom, while recording for a third audience of asynchronous students.

• The Internship and Practicum subcommittee anticipate that there will be fewer off-campus internships this fall due to fewer companies accepting student interns. Specific industries, such as the tech companies, may still have a need, particularly for unpaid interns, so there should be opportunities there. Some companies may offer virtual internships instead of traditional in-person learning activities so departments may need to be open to those opportunities for their students if they haven’t been in the past.  We anticipate that on-campus internships will still be available though it’s not clear if the same number as usual will be offered due to social distancing requirements. 
• Mark Powers is working with Ann McDonald and Ellen Zimmerman on a document to address liability issues associated with off-campus internships.

Administrative Services Continuity Team

• Classroom space review completed that identifies revised room capacity per social distancing guidance; this information is being used by Academic Affairs and the Registrar’s Office in ongoing class scheduling efforts.
• "Repopulating Campus" Departmental Staffing and Operations Plans (per provided template and guidance appendices) are being completed by managers to identify departmental actions needed – as well as requested Facilities, IT, and Human Resources support - prior to phased repopulation (per Phase III of the Governor’s Repopulation Plan guidance).
• MA Board of Higher Education (EY Parthenon) Study of community colleges and state universities financial status in relation to Covid impact: Released on Tuesday; All State Universities can (from a cash flow perspective) address FY21 "Base Case" scenario impact; four state universities and four community colleges were identified as not having sufficient liquidity to address the most pessimistic scenario under the current assumptions and prior to institutional response (note: FSU was not identified as one of the four state universities with potential liquidity concerns). Further, significant concern was noted regarding out-year (FY22 and beyond) financial position of institutions if state funding is significantly reduced.

Broad Spectrum Continuity Team:

• Determining the protocol for notification of public health officials and assistance of symptomatic or COVID positive tested employees and students. Requirements for isolation, quarantine, and return to work or class submitted for review and approval. *
• Determining health self-monitoring recommendations for employees and students. *
• Determining timeframe for Repopulation Plan to be published and ongoing review and updates. *

*Subject to the completion of impact bargaining.

Enrollment Management Continuity Team:

• Codified current methods for recruitment for Fall 2020 and discussed ways to ensure critical activities can be delivered remotely over the summer with modified on-campus services (e.g. Welcome Center) when staff return to campus.
• Reviewed current virtual map and virtual tour on our website with our Concept3D consultant (Concept3D is our virtual map/tour vendor); discussed ways to fully leverage available services in addition to opportunities to enhance our virtual options.
• Planning underway to develop new strategies to recruit for Spring and Fall 2021.  Discussed the importance of building a digital community and making strategies "COVID proof" to proactively plan for possible future disruptions. 

Instructional Continuity Team:

• The Instructional Continuity Team plan is to deliver the following by July 15th:
  
  
  • Identify the methods and means to help better orient students to learning with technology.
  • Produce a worksheet showing the technology either available or on order (with an anticipated date of receiving at the University) to loan to students.
  • A similar worksheet to the one listed above for instructional support.

Student Programs and Support Continuity Team: 

• We have recommended that supervisors of student employees make sure they are getting the same information as full-time employees about any new protocols or safety training in their areas.
• Student Involvement and Leadership Development is reaching out to student organizations to figure out what resources they will need to continue their activities in-person and remotely next fall.
• Working on list of systemic changes within our areas to support the emphasis on anti-racism as a campus community standard and how we can support students during this time of political upheaval in the fall.
• Will be creating a list of student community support areas, offices, and departments with brief descriptions of what these will look like to students in the fall. Examples include, but are not limited to, the weight room, CASA, and the SSC. Plan is to send this out to students either July 10 or July 13.