To: OSU Community

From: Edward Feser, Provost and Executive Vice President

March 20, 2020

UPDATE SUMMARY

  • OSU defining critical functions.
  • All employees and staff will be directed to stay home and work remotely if they are not staffing or accessing a critical function.
  • Additional employee leave and assistance explained.

UNIVERSITY DEFINING CRITICAL FUNCTIONS
Pursuant to Gov. Kate Brown’s Executive Order issued Thursday, March 19, 2020, OSU is in the process of defining critical functions that will continue while others are suspended. Work within all OSU campuses and facilities will be limited to only critical functions. Those not staffing or accessing such functions should stay home.

Critical functions will include, but not be limited to, the operation of university residence halls and student housing, dining services, selected administrative services, campus safety programs, some research activities and facilities, medical facilities, delivery of remote instruction, and other activities critical to OSU’s emergency response and resiliency efforts. Further information on critical functions will be provided to units by their Human Resources Strategic Partners and list of critical OSU functions and facilities will be available by Tuesday.

EMPLOYEE LEAVE AND ASSISTANCE
To the best of its ability, the university will seek to maintain the employment of its faculty, staff and students. We do not yet know the extent of the pandemic’s impact on university employment.

Future employment will be determined by the level of financial support from the state, ongoing enrollment numbers, and the university’s required level of operations. Employees who are not able to work due to the university’s COVID-19 response – or due to their own personal wellness or family circumstances – may use the following leave, if eligible:

  • First use: OSU-provided 80 hours of paid COVID-19 leave. This paid leave is pro-rated to the FTE of an employee’s current appointment. This 80-hour benefit is consistent with recently required federal COVID-19 benefits and is not meant to be in addition to federally mandated time.
  • Then use: Accrued personal sick leave, personal leave and accrued vacation that an employee may have available.
  • In addition: All employees have supplemental leave programs. Academic and professional faculty may request use of the Unearned Sick Leave Advance program. Classified employees and Graduate Assistants have use of donation programs contained within the respective collective bargaining agreements between their union and the university.

For more information about leaves, workplace/remote work options and benefits, please visit the Human Resources website.

The university’s COVID-19 website continues to be updated and improved daily. Throughout these challenging and changing times, I continue to admire and appreciate the ingenuity, effort and resilience of our faculty, staff and other employees.

Stay well. And thank you for all you do for OSU.

Edward Feser, Provost and Executive Vice President