March 16, 2020

Dear UD Community,

As communicated over the previous few days, and in alignment with the announcement shared by President Assanis yesterday, we are continuing to evolve our plan to sustain operational continuity for the University while taking precautions to keep our campus safe and minimize the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. It is important for us all to stay connected, as we make arrangements for several individuals to work remotely. This is a challenging time, and we need the talents and strengths of everyone to succeed! I want to thank everyone in the UD community for your eagerness to help, to find solutions and to support our student body during these very challenging days.

Going forward, there are a number of important points you should be aware of related to the operational continuity for the University.

1. Building Security: Most University buildings have been secured, and they can only be accessed by persons with a valid University of Delaware ID or key, or by directly contacting UD Police. Please be mindful of this fact, and do not admit any non-UD employee into a University building.

2. Mail Service: All major carriers have been notified to forward all campus deliveries to the central receiving office in the General Services Building (GSB), located at 222 South Chapel St., Newark, DE 19716. Departments do not need to change their shipping address. Staff will sort and prepare mail for when the campus re-opens. More information can be found here. If there is a critical need to receive mail sooner, please email Kirbysl@udel.edu or Tpeters@udel.edu.

3. Academic Continuity: IT will continue to work with campus partners to optimize functional tools to facilitate the distance learning transition:

• The Faculty Commons is suspending its physical operations, but virtual support will be available starting Tuesday, March 17. Discover how to get in touch at https://sites.udel.edu/commons/continuity/virtual-bar.
• CTAL continues to work with faculty via Zoom, email or phone. Contact CTAL to requesting a consultation here, email ctal-info@udel.edu, or leave voicemail at 302-831-2027.
• Faculty with existing UD Capture Classroom Recording requests cannot use their classrooms to record until spring break ends on March 30 and normal UD Capture service resumes. Requests to record in the classroom via UD Capture must be submitted by March 20. If you do not have UD Capture for the spring semester and would like to begin, complete a new request form. New requests are processed within one working day; confirmation is sent upon activation. Check the UD Courses Search Page if you’re not sure if you’re using UD Capture.
• The Library is suspending its physical operations, but library staff are providing services remotely. Access services at library.udel.edu/continuity.

4. Health and Safety: All employees are reminded to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect the health and safety of themselves and others to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and its impact. It’s important that we maintain the health of our community. Do not hesitate to reach out for support or to recommend that a friend or colleague seek support. UD faculty and staff enrolled in one of the UD health plans are eligible to access the State’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Work/Life program, which provides professional counseling. In addition, at this time, we are limiting the cleaning and disinfecting over the next two weeks to the residence halls and clinics, which are deemed critical. We will continue to evaluate protocols over the next two weeks with our director of custodial services in consultation with senior leadership to ensure the safety of our personnel with continued cleaning.

While many individuals are able to complete their work remotely in the current environment of reduced on-campus operations, essential personnel are required to be onsite to maintain operational continuity. The six specific areas that meet this criterion are listed below:

Thank you again to the entire UD community for your cooperation and understanding during this period. If you have any questions, please contact supervisors or the office with primary responsibility related to your concern.

Sincerely,

John Long
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer