Category: All Updates

COVID-19: Danforth Campus Digest (May 8, 2020)

Updated guidance on personal travel, parenting during a pandemic, Ask the WashU Doctors: tips for staying healthy, new hours for DUC dining and Quadrangle Pharmacy, learn about the university’s response to COVID-19

Planning for our return to campus

We are working toward a phased approach to returning employees to campus. This will begin in June with a very small number of faculty and staff whose physical presence is necessary for managing essential laboratory research or remote teaching activities. We also continue to plan for the fall semester.

Staying the course

After careful consideration and guidance from our infectious disease experts – and given the orders still in place in our local jurisdictions – we will not be making any changes at this time, and our alternate operations will continue until further notice.

COVID-19: Danforth Campus Digest (April 28, 2020)

Town hall for Danforth Campus and CFU planned for tomorrow, Ask the WashU Doctors: Understanding protective masks, take a moment for well-being on Zoom, valuing employee wellness, a ‘home away from home’ for our frontline employees, learn about the university’s response to COVID-19

COVID-19: Danforth Campus Digest (April 21, 2020)

Alternate operations extended, travel update, new hours for Habif Center, valuing WashU employee well-being during the pandemic, workplace tips for social distancing, how to hold safe Zoom meetings, learn about the university’s response to COVID-19

Difficult steps we must take

There are a number of additional steps that we must take now to preserve our financial resources and keep the negative impact on our employees to the lowest levels possible.

Planning for the university’s future

In the interest of transparency and keeping you informed, I am writing today with a series of important updates, with additional information to follow soon.

Message to WashU Students

As we continue to prioritize the health and safety of our community, we’re constantly reviewing new developments and making adjustments to university policies and procedures. With summer fast approaching, we’re writing today to share with you some important updates about summer programming.

COVID-19: Danforth Campus Digest (April 10, 2020)

Employee and contractor safety, give thanks to medical personnel and first responders, online staff professional development, know how to sew? You can help the community, making a difference in St. Louis, learn about the university’s response to COVID-19

COVID-19: Danforth Campus Digest (April 6, 2020)

Updated campus screening instructions, spring semester update, crisis fund established to help students and employees, support resources for employees and students, learn about the university’s response to COVID-19

Message to Danforth Campus students

We are writing today to share some important updates to Chancellor Martin’s message that was sent to the university community on March 11.

Student health and well-being

Dear Students, There are many unsettling transitions happening in such a short period of time, and I want to reiterate to you that putting your health and safety and that of our greater community is the university’s highest priority. What we are all seeing unfold regarding COVID-19, along with the resulting university decisions, may result […]

Changes to hiring process for Danforth Campus

It’s important for us to be forward-thinking and take reasonable steps to protect our financial security. With this goal in mind, as well as awareness of the challenges of on-boarding new employees during alternate operations, effective immediately we are instituting a hiring freeze for the Danforth Campus and the Central Fiscal Unit (CFU).

Message to the university community

In order to be consistent with the duration of the Stay at Home orders in place in local jurisdictions, we are extending the university’s alternate operations period until April 22.

Update from Harbison House

As we all are settling into this new phase of our lives, it’s a good time to take stock of where we are as a university community, and how we got here. Over the past two weeks, we’ve responded to the evolving situation in some rather astounding ways.

The importance of staying home

No later than Monday, March 23 – or sooner, for those departments that have been able to make the switch quickly – we do not want anyone on campus, other than employees who are required to perform essential work that requires a physical presence on campus.

Important COVID-19 update

I’ve learned within the past 24 hours that four members of our university community have tested positive for COVID-19. While this news is certainly troubling, and we are concerned for our employees and students, it is not entirely unexpected that we would have cases confirmed in our community.

May Commencement: Sharing difficult news

Yesterday I shared the incredibly disappointing news with our graduating students that we have made the difficult decision to cancel May Commencement, given the risk to our community as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.

Important message on alternate operations

Our primary responsibilities at this time are to take care of ourselves, support our families, do all we can to slow the spread of the disease, and help the university maintain its essential role. In order to help us meet our responsibilities, the university is taking a set of major steps.

Gratitude for faculty and staff

We are reviewing our guidelines on pay and benefits for faculty and staff, and taking a close look at university operations to protect our community moving forward. More information will be forthcoming.

Housing closures and move to online instruction

Danforth and Medical Campus classes will shift to online instruction. Beginning March 23, there will be no in-person courses taught in the classroom or any other setting until at least April 30, 2020.