Updated “Back to On-Campus Work” Guide

From Dr. Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer
and Gary Nicksa, Senior Vice President for Operations

As Boston University begins Phase 2 of our four-phase reopening process, we thank everyone for sharing your comments and concerns about the plans for a safe and gradual return to a residential campus. Please know that the health and safety of the entire BU community remain our top priority, and that we are working closely with public health experts, epidemiologists, and other experts to prepare for the likely contingencies. In the last month, we have developed many new protocols, requirements, and advisories for BU employees, all of which can now be found in one place: the Back to On-Campus Work guide (Phase 2 Re-Entry, Summer 2020), which is published on the University’s Back2BU website. We hope that you will find the guide a valuable resource during this period of transition.

Phase 2, which starts Monday, July 13, includes the return of medical and dental students to campus, some in-person healthcare services, and the continued gradual ramp-up of campus-based research. For the majority of faculty and staff, daily COVID-19 routines will not change during Phase 2. Those who have been reporting to work on campus since Phase 1 will continue to do so, and most of those who have been working from home since Phase 1 should continue to work remotely, with the exception of faculty and staff whose presence on campus is required to support the limited return of teaching, clinical activity, and ongoing resumption of research. Phase 3, which begins in August, will bring further workplace changes, which are explained in the guide.

The Back to On-Campus Work guide is the best place to find answers to many of the work-related questions that you may be asking. It details the dozens of safety protocols that will affect the work lives of all faculty and staff during this phase of our reopening, from commonplace safeguards like face coverings and social distancing to sophisticated on-campus COVID-19 testing. The guide also points readers to the many resources and services available to support our community’s health and wellbeing. It even suggests the safest way to eat lunch: bring your own, and don’t share.

Given the evolving nature of this pandemic, many of these new protocols and advisories may change over the coming months, and so we encourage all faculty and staff to regularly check the Back2BU website for updates. Thank you for taking the time to read through the guide and for your diligence, teamwork, and continued commitment to safety as we work through this extraordinary time together.

Updated “Back to On-Campus Work” Guide – 7.13.20