April 6, 2021
Dear Faculty and Staff,
The New York State telecommuting program has been extended through July 2, 2021, allowing for continued flexibility in staffing in response to the pandemic.
As stated in my earlier communication, the offices that have still been fully remote should be developing a plan to transition back to campus, starting Monday, April 5. This transition will consider office sizes and locations with daily office staffing at no more than 50 percent of the fire occupancy for the space. Continued telecommuting plans will allow for hybrid schedules, so that certain areas may choose to have a combination of in-office and telecommuting hours.
The expansion of vaccine eligibility coupled with our weekly surveillance testing, on-campus COVID-19 processes and protocols, and continued diligence allows us to offer a safe learning and working environment of our entire campus community. We know that interactions with our faculty and staff members are a critical component to the Potsdam experience that we are so proud of.
As part of this phased return, any employees who have been fully remote will be required to begin mandatory weekly surveillance testing and to complete the symptoms tracker questionnaire any time they report to campus. All public health guidelines will remain in place, including requirements for face coverings and social/physical distancing measures.
Should you have any questions, you may contact Human Resources and Environmental Health and Safety. Thank you for all you continue to do to uphold our academic mission and support our students.
Sincerely,
Melissa Proulx
Assistant Vice President for Administration and Human Resources