In order to aid in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and to promote the health and wellness of our members and the campus community your chapter leaders have decided to cancel all UUP events for the month of March.
Our members deserve regular and timely updates from administration concerning COVID-19. UUP has met with Management and shared a list of concerns and questions, which included the following:
- More regular and more complete communication to the Campus Community (faculty, staff, and students) as to what plans are being discussed regarding a response to COVID-19 for the remainder of the semester;
- Clarification on the use of sick time and other accruals, as well as a way to incentivize faculty and staff who may have insufficient accruals to stay home when they are ill;
- Clarification on the provisions that will be made by student service offices to accommodate incoming students who may be impacted by travel restrictions;
- Clarification on a work from home policy and accommodations that can be made for staff unable to work from home (instructional support staff, facilities and maintenance staff, etc.);
- Clarification on ‘essential employee’ designations and processes if the governor calls for a shutdown;
- How collaborations with local organizations such as Brookhaven National Lab or other essential campus visitors will be impacted;
- How students will complete their labs or components of courses that cannot be taught remotely.
We appreciate that there is a dedicated link on the University’s website, but given the rapid developments, it needs to be updated more frequently. Communication needs to be sent out to the campus community as decisions are made. We should not wait for department heads to inform employees and students.
In addition to our work at the chapter level, our UUP Statewide leadership has been working with SUNY and key stakeholders in state government for answers to our pressing questions.
Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions. The absence of clear communication to the campus community is very concerning. We invite you to share any questions or concerns not already addressed in this survey form.
In Solidarity,
UUP Stony Brook Center Chapter Leadership