From: Chancellor Matos Rodriguez <ChancellorCommunications@cuny.edu>
Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2020 11:20:00 PM

To: Michael Mandiberg

Subject: Telecommuting plans

OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR
Dear CUNY staff and faculty,

As we prepare to open another week amid the extraordinary circumstances posed
by the coronavirus crisis, | want to express my heartfelt appreciation for your
professionalism, and for your commitment to CUNY and its mission. Your stability
and solidarity, even in these times of uncertainty, have made it possible to do the
work needed to chart a course forward for the University.

| was humbled by your composure last week and this weekend in the face of the
news that our offices and campuses were touched by the outbreak. | know that
you are concerned for your own health and that of your loved ones, and | share
these concerns with you. | understand that the sustained climate of anxiety we all
must endure can weigh heavily on our minds. Yet, we have continued to do our
part in ensuring the maintenance of our academic and business operations. The
sense of mission and urgency was CUNY at its best; thank you.

Faculty, staff, students and administrators across the University have been hard at
work, preparing for our upcoming transition to distance learning modalities. Last
week, we also distributed guidelines for flexible work arrangements, and we
advised all college presidents and provosts to swiftly enact these
accommodations where possible. The goal will be to run our campuses under the
distance learning modality with as few employees on campus as possible.

As advised in a CUNY Alert earlier this evening, only those who have been
designated as essential staff need report to work on Monday, March 16, to their
campuses and CUNY Central, beginning a transition to distance working for all
non-essential staff. Essential staff have already been designated; however, if staff
have any questions, please contact your supervisor. Please note that
telecommuting is only possible with the approval of your supervisor. School
presidents and deans can decide at their discretion what facilities in their


campuses, such as libraries and laboratories, are essential. Dorms and food
pantries will remain open.

Further, | have instructed all campuses and CUNY Central to finish their
telecommuting plans as soon as possible. All supervisors should finalize
establishing the structures and channels that will enable employees to do their
jobs remotely, and to ensure that all hardware and software is fully functional.
Supervisors should implement remote check-in plans, and all employees should
be receiving details about their work schedules and other expectations of job
performance for the duration of this arrangement.

These telecommuting plans should be fully activated no later Wednesday, March
18, but | have encouraged all campuses and supervisors who are ready to
implement earlier to not wait until then; the sooner, the better.

Managers of CUNY staff who are not able to remotely perform all of their job
duties should look for ways to minimize everyone’s potential exposure, including:
where possible, combining remote and on-premises work; staggering schedules to
enable employees to use public transit during off-peak times; implementing
staffing rotations; condensing work weeks, with more hours but fewer days as
during the summer; and, for those who are working on-site, utilizing stringent
social-distance strategies.

Please be assured that |, along with my senior leadership, have been aggressively
evaluating our policies and developing new protocols and processes to safeguard
your health and wellbeing while we all work together to maintain CUNY’s
essential services. As we continue to respond to the ever-changing developments
of this pandemic, we will keep you apprised.

We are undeniably living and working in unprecedented circumstances, but it is
not the first time that CUNY has wrestled with dire times. We navigated
Superstorm Sandy, the September 11 attacks and other events that presented
innumerable but not insurmountable challenges. Each time, we pitched in, pulled
through and emerged stronger, and | have no doubt that this will again be the
case. | have never been more proud to be a part of a community that is driven by
a common, laudable vision.

Together, we are honoring this University’s promise to provide equal access and
opportunity for all, no matter the circumstances.


Thank you for your patience and hard work.
Sincerely,

Felo