The following message was sent to the Drexel community on March 18.
Dear Students and Colleagues,
We’re moving ahead today with our decision to close all campus facilities to the public on Friday, March 20, leaving minimal on-site staffing until further notice, while continuing core University operations and planning for the start of the spring term.
During this transition, we are taking the following steps to assist our students and promote the well-being of everyone in the Drexel community amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic:
- Students who live in Drexel housing are encouraged to move out of their on-campus spaces on the weekend or sooner. All residential students are encouraged to remove their belongings and will have the assistance of the company that runs our fall freshmen move-in this weekend and early next week. However, students who cannot clear their rooms will now have the option to leave their belongings in their rooms at their own risk, although Drexel Public Safety will continue to secure and check in on all residences. More details, including information about when to retrieve belongings left behind, will follow for on-campus residents this afternoon.
- For the duration of the campus closure, Public Safety will be fully operational, and Drexel police will be mounting extra patrols as needed.
- While campus buildings are vacant, Drexel Environmental Services will be going into all classrooms and non-lab areas and wiping down light switches, door hardware, surfaces and the like with an approved disinfectant.
- As noted yesterday, all professional staff are encouraged to work remotely. The University's existing Social Distancing Policy allows Drexel to enact unique protocols in unprecedented situations that span weeks or months, such as the coronavirus pandemic. Such protocols will supersede other policies that apply to emergency situations, such as Essential Personnel. While we will not be implementing the compensation guidelines for Essential Personnel, we are aware that some professional staff may be in positions that cannot accommodate telecommuting. As we monitor the situation and provide updates, these individuals should utilize sick time to ensure they are paid for any unworked hours.
- In adjusting University operations, we are curtailing non-essential spending and recommending that department managers survey their inventory of business-critical supplies. Effective close of business on Friday, March 20, all recurring auto-deliveries will be discontinued. Please contact sourcing@drexel.edu should your area need to continue delivery of those supplies in quantities appropriate for expected staffing levels, as well as to discontinue any additional recurring services not needed. There should be no additional purchases to support work-at-home arrangements, such as laptops, which instead should be borrowed from Drexel IT.
Please monitor Drexel's Response to Coronavirus for updates, and utilize the CDC's prevention tips website. For general personnel questions, please contact the Service Center, where representatives are available 24/7 at 215.703.2335.
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation during this difficult time, and please continue to follow recommended guidelines to keep yourself and others safe.
Sincerely,
John Fry
President
Helen Y. Bowman
Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Operating Officer
Paul E. Jensen
Interim Nina Henderson Provost