School Closure COVID Leave

July 31, 2020

 

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

 

I hope that you are all safe and well. As the fall semester quickly approaches, we are working with department chairs and faculty to handle questions regarding staffing. One specific issue that has arisen for some faculty is the closure of schools in the region. Faculty with children whose schools or daycares are closed due to COVID-19 and who, as a result, are not able to work may be eligible for leave programs through Dec. 31, 2020. If you would like to discuss options for rescheduling classes or adjusting other duties or possibilities for leave for the fall 2020 semester, please use the link on the Faculty Affairs website at http://fresnostate.edu/academics/facultyaffairs/new/index.html to notify us so that we can connect with you and work with you and your chair to consider possible means of addressing your needs and the departmental staffing needs, with creativity and flexibility. We will do our best to quickly address questions and to navigate any inquiries through the process for reviews and approvals. Please let me know if you have any questions. 

 

The attached document very briefly sets out the criteria for eligibility and the process that we will use to make arrangements for schedule or other workload adjustments and leaves where necessary. More detailed information on leave programs can be found in the University's COVID-19 web information.

 

Please also remember that, in the spring, the University administration, the Academic Senate and the CFA consulted on ways to support faculty during the move to the virtual environment. For example, until Sept. 2, you have the option to request to stop the tenure clock for the coming academic year based on reasons related to COVID-19. As another effort to support faculty, the University is including a letter in each PAF regarding student evaluations and peer reviews from spring 2020 and will continue this practice for fall 2020. For more details about the adjustments made in various areas affecting faculty, please see the FAQs on the Faculty Affairs website. Please let us know if you have any concerns or questions so that we can work to address them.  

 

Thank you for all that you are doing to maintain the academic mission of the University.  Please let us know how we can help.  

 

Marsha L. Baum

Associate Vice President, Faculty Affairs