Official Statement

Coronavirus Update for the Harrisburg University Community

September 30, 2020

Announcement to all Harrisburg University Employees: Remote Work Update

Harrisburg University has continued to actively monitor the trends, developments, and science of COVID-19 with one primary concern in mind: keeping the HU Community safe and healthy. After seven months, I appreciate that you may be experiencing “COVID fatigue” and would like nothing more than to return to campus and to resume our past “normal.” You are not alone in that wish. However, during these past several months, this pandemic has required us to make difficult decisions in unprecedented and unpredictable times. The passing of time and changing circumstances have not made these difficult decisions easier. Consequently, after multiple discussions among leaders of the HU Community and after reviewing the current COVID trends that remain significant and ongoing in Pennsylvania, we have decided that all employee operations will continue remotely until Monday, January 4, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. unless otherwise instructed. Returning to campus prior to this time and potentially compromising the health, safety, and welfare of the HU Community would be irresponsible under current circumstances.

Staff directly involved in the life-support of our students such as student services, student housing, security, maintenance, information technology, and student mental healthcare personnel will continue to have access to campus. Only staff from these functional areas, in addition to facility cleaning and maintenance (e.g., maintenance of aquaponics facilities), may continue entering University facilities on a regular basis. Additionally, HU personnel who are directly involved in the provision of food and supplies to our students may continue entering University facilities.

As we have operated since March, HU will not staff student facing functions including but not limited to the Registrar’s Office, the Library, the Office of Admissions, the Business Office, the Office of International Students, and the Financial Aid Office from University facilities. Rather, these functions should remain staffed during normal business hours by employees working from home. All other functions should also continue to be staffed from home offices, including all course delivery. Faculty are asked to remain in regular contact with their program lead, and to continue to offer regular office hours electronically. All other HU employees should remain in regular contact with their supervisors and maintain normal working hours.

Employees who work their regular hours remotely, will continue to receive their regular pay based on their normal work schedule. Standard protocols for PTO apply for applicable employees if you are unable to work due to illness or if you need to take personal time.

Requirement to Maintain Confidentiality of Business Information and Educational Records

Employees must take all necessary precautions to secure sensitive and confidential information and prevent the unauthorized access to University equipment and proprietary information. This includes but is not limited to student, employee, alumni, and donor records and information. Employees must also take appropriate steps to ensure the security of all work-related materials, data, and equipment and protect HU information from improper disclosure to, or access by, other persons, including other members of the employee’s household. The performance of job duties remotely and the handling of confidential information must comply with all applicable HU policies. Compliance is an essential requirement in this arrangement.

NOTE: Any HU employee needing 1) financial resource information, 2) legal resource information or 3) help coping with anxiety and stress should contact the confidential Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-316-2796.