March 15, 2020

COVID-19: Update 19 [Administrators Working Remotely]

To be consistent with national efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, all administrative employees, with limited exception, will begin telecommuting effective immediately. The College will continue to use the coming week to prepare for remote teaching and distance learning, continuing our daily practice of cleaning the facilities, and maintaining general operations and administrative functions.

Pay will continue for telecommuting, flexible and all other schedules arranged by your department manager. In all instances, employees should take direction from their immediate supervisor regarding the nature and location of their work in the coming weeks. If you are not able to telecommute because the nature of your work does not suit those practices or your office is closed, then your pay will continue without the need to use leave credits. This includes full-time, part-time and student employees.

Regardless of your telecommuting situation, in adherence to recommendations made by California Governor Gavin Newsom earlier today, we are encouraging any employees over 65 to participate in home isolation.

As administrative operations are still functioning, albeit some with limited hours, students and faculty can still get in touch with individual departments. While we are applying social distancing during this time, departmental meetings can still occur via Highfive, Zoom or conference call. Questions about your existing classes or coursework should be directed to your Department Chair, Directors or Coordinators. Similarly, the Center for the Student Experience, the Center for Academic Advising and Success, the Financial Aid Office and Enrollment Services all remain available to answer questions remotely as determined by individual offices and staff members.

It is vitally important that all individuals—students, faculty and staff—take appropriate precautions in their day-to-day lives to minimize exposure, which includes social distancing, washing your hands often, covering your cough or sneeze, staying home when you are sick and consulting a doctor as soon as you feel ill and avoid gatherings of 50 or more people per new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If individuals ignore these recommendations and expose themselves to the virus, you create an exponentially greater risk to the ArtCenter community as a whole and delay our ability to resume normal operations.

As stated previously, we recognize that COVID-19 and, now, the increasing sense of isolation may be causing stress or anxiety for people in our community. Students in need of emotional support are encouraged to contact the Center for the Student Experience to consult with a campus mental health counselor. Staff and faculty should consult with our Employee Assistance Program.

For general questions about the College’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, please contact the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at ehs@artcenter.edu. Otherwise, please contact the appropriate administrative office as needed.