This has been an incredible week for Chapman University and I find myself even more proud than ever to be part of such a strong community. The level of commitment I am seeing to our academic mission is inspiring and I need to express my appreciation and gratitude. The situation with coronavirus is changing very rapidly, and our campus is not just reacting but strategically planning for how to manage as this continues to evolve.
As this week comes to a close, it’s important to provide a few updates.
- Earlier today, President Trump declared a national state of emergency in response to the coronavirus. This action will help release funding to California to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to provide the needed testing for diagnosis.
- In our continued effort to increase social distancing, we are lowering the threshold for attendees at events to under 50 people, effective Monday, March 16, 2020. Any in-person Chapman event with more than 50 attendees, on-campus or off-campus, will be postponed or canceled.
- We have also learned that many K-12 schools throughout Orange County, including the Orange Unified School District, are closing effective Monday, March 16, 2020. I know this presents many challenges to working parents. If this impacts you, I would like to urge staff members to speak to their supervisors about using your paid time off allowances (vacation or sick time), as needed.
- We are actively working and preparing for the potential need for a remote workforce, and both Human Resources and Information Systems & Technology staff are developing resources to support that effort. As of today, we are planning for normal operations on Monday, therefore staff should report to work as usual.
I know this is a stressful time for all of us. At moments like this, community is more important than ever. My hope is that we are all providing support to each other and remembering that we are in this together.
