To our staff colleagues,

On behalf of the university, we want to express our profound thanks to all staff working at Rice during this unprecedented situation. Time and time again, whether in hurricanes Ike and Harvey, or now with COVID-19, you have demonstrated your commitment, competence and compassion.

Our top priority is always the health, safety and well-being of our faculty, staff and students. This is why we have taken the following actions:

1. When a staff member informed us of exposure to the novel coronavirus, we took fast and decisive action to ask 14 employees and students to self-quarantine. We are grateful that all have passed their quarantine period and have returned to work.
   
2. We are sending the vast majority of our undergraduates home for the semester. This is not just for their safety, but also for the entire community. One of our primary strategies for reducing the risks to our community is to practice social distancing as prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reducing the total number of people on campus, and their proximity to each other, reduces the possibility of transmission to those who continue to work on campus.
   
3. We have limited gatherings to no more than 25 people, with separation of at least six feet between individuals where possible.
   
4. We have enacted higher intensity cleaning protocols for the past several weeks in all of our facilities, and that will continue.
   
5. We are strictly limiting the number of visitors to campus who are not integral to our academic mission. For example, we have limited access to Fondren Library to Rice ID holders and cancelled rentals to outside groups for all Rice facilities.

Because of these measures, working on our campus is no more risky than moving around our city as you go about your life outside Rice. In some ways it is safer. Moreover, we are taking a number of additional precautions to make the campus even safer for our staff, consistent with continuing our academic mission:

1. We are directing supervisors to maximize opportunities for flexible work arrangements that reduce the number of employees on campus, while maintaining support for teaching, research, and critical campus operations. Our goal is to reduce staff on campus on any given work day by approximately one third to one half, while maintaining an in-person presence in all offices. We recognize that some campus services require staff members to be physically on campus and we ask that supervisors be creative and flexible.
   
2. When employees are at higher risk for COVID-19 as defined by the CDC, managers and employees are directed to work together with Human Resources on alternative work arrangements.
   
3. Some of you may face child care obstacles with school closures across our city. Work with your supervisor to make alternative arrangements where possible.

Staff with questions about alternate work arrangements should contact their supervisor and the Human Resources office. Help for working remotely from home or another location can be found here. If you are unable to work physically on campus or remotely, you may use Paid Time Off (PTO). If you do not have PTO available, you should consult Human Resources and the university will temporarily advance you PTO.

Again, we want to express our deep appreciation for the way Rice employees have risen to the occasion and kept Rice running smoothly during this tumultuous period. Together, we will face whatever challenges may arise and uphold the values that make this university a special place to work, teach, learn and discover.

Kevin Kirby
Vice President for Administration

Joan Nelson
Associate Vice President for Human Resources