Several community members have asked about our return to campus given Governor Baker’s announcement about the cancellation of K-12 in-person classes through the rest of the academic year. As a reminder, on April 17 I said that if Governor Baker closes K-12 schools for the remainder of the K-12 academic year, then Salem State will extend remote work accordingly. As such, no one will be required to return to campus before the end of the K-12 academic year.
However, I am also aware that some employees may prefer to return to campus when the Governor lifts his order on the opening other businesses. For this purpose, we are awaiting further direction from the Governor as this will impact our decision-making—specifically as to when individuals will be allowed to work on campus on a voluntary basis. Human resources will provide more on this process at a later date. As always, any decision regarding our employees ability to return to campus will be made with the safety and welfare of our community in mind.
Regardless of when this happens, a return to campus does not mean a return to normal operations. Processes and staffing patterns will be different. The HR Task Force is considering what this return looks like and what adjustments need to be made. Details about this effort, and our potential return to campus, will continue to be shared as information becomes known.
John Keenan
President