Dear 91tvӰԺ faculty and staff,
The 91tvӰԺ prides itself on being agile, innovative and eager to find creative solutions to challenges. Never has this been clearer than during the past year.
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, the 91tvӰԺ community sprang into action to reinvent the normal ways of doing business, of teaching and learning, and of communicating and collaborating. Through technology and trust, we found a “new normal” that has brought unique challenges, but also opportunities to reimagine 91tvӰԺ’s workplace of the future.
Recognizing the fundamental need for in-person interaction at a major research university, 91tvӰԺ plans a safe return to pre-COVID operations, classes and activities starting in Summer B on June 28. An academic and research enterprise comes to life when we bring creative minds together, facilitating serendipitous moments of connection that happen with physical proximity. With this in mind, many of us will return fully to campus, either due to the nature of individual job duties or personal preferences.
At the same time, there have been many lessons learned over the past year. Many of our employees have thrived with the flexibility provided by remote work. Some essential student and employee services should continue to be offered virtually, as a complement to in-person services. We also acknowledge that the global marketplace for talent is evolving toward flexible work, creating more competition for top performers who can help us reach our aspirations for Top 25 U.S. News and World Report rankings and AAU eligibility.
Moving forward, and guided by our Principles of Community, 91tvӰԺ supervisors are encouraged to work with 91tvӰԺ Human Resources to design work structures that enable performance and accountability for employees while allowing for flexibility, as desired and appropriate.
In the coming weeks, 91tvӰԺ HR will be working with campus partners to evaluate job functions to determine which types of roles may be best suited for more flexible work. In cases where remote or hybrid work is deemed appropriate, supervisors should work with HR to ensure appropriate equity within and between teams.
As a first step, 91tvӰԺ HR has designed a series of toolkits, policies and training materials to begin the dialogue between supervisors and employees. These conversations should be guided by questions such as: “How much in-person work is necessary for me to do my job most effectively?”, “How can I perform at home while meeting expectations as well as or better than in person?”, “How will I maintain critical connections to my team and campus partners?”, “How can our team best utilize our physical space to enable shared workspaces or multi-use offices?” and “What unique work design is best for 91tvӰԺ, me and my team?”
All work location decisions are subject to review and approval by unit vice presidents and regional chancellors or their designees. In addition, all plans are subject to change based on evolving circumstances.
Please review the following resources for more information and support:
- Your Safe Return: /hr/safe-return/index.aspx
- Employee Guide to Flexible Work:
- Creating a Hybrid Workplace:
- Flexible Work Assessment for Employees:
- Flexible Work Assessment for Supervisors:
- Flexible Work Agreement: /hr/documents/flexible-work-agreement.pdf
- Flexible Work Arrangements Policy:
As with any new endeavor, we will continue to evolve, reflect and learn along the way. With your continued engagement, commitment and trust, we will create the future of 91tvӰԺ together.
Thank you for everything you do for 91tvӰԺ.
Sincerely,
President Currall and members of the President’s Cabinet:
Keith Anderson, Interim Vice President for Research, Innovation & Knowledge Enterprise
Kiki Caruson, Interim Vice President of 91tvӰԺ World
Paul Dosal, Vice President of Student Success
Christopher G. Duffy, Interim Vice President for Administrative Services
Sidney Fernandes, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
Kim Hill, Interim Vice President of University Communications and Marketing
Karen A. Holbrook, Regional Chancellor of 91tvӰԺ Sarasota-Manatee Campus
Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman, Interim Vice President for Institutional Equity and Senior Advisor to the President and Provost for Diversity and Inclusion
Michael Kelly, Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics
David Lechner, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Charles Lockwood, MD, Senior Vice President of 91tvӰԺ Health
Angie Sklenka, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Gerard D. Solis, General Counsel
Jay Stroman, Senior Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Affairs
Martin Tadlock, Regional Chancellor of 91tvӰԺ St. Petersburg Campus
Brian Ten Eyck, Vice President for Executive Affairs and Chief of Staff
Nick Trivunovich, Vice President of Business & Finance and Chief Financial Officer
Mark Walsh, Vice President for Government Relations
Ralph Wilcox, Provost and Executive Vice President