Florida A&M University has extended telecommuting rules through April 30, on the heels of the White House announcement to stem the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) this weekend.
“We encourage staff, where possible, to work from home or remotely to maintain central operations of the University,” said FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D. “This is an unprecedented time, and we are counting on faculty and staff to do all they can to maintain the academic and fiscal integrity of our operations during this difficult period. Our students and their parents are counting on us.”
On March 17, the University announced plans to transition to temporary remote work for most employees through Sunday, April 6. However, with the Sunday announcement by President Donald Trump, the rules are being extended to April 30.
In the interest of safety and preventing the spread of COVID-19, Robinson has urged supervisors to encourage their staff to work remotely as much as possible to promote social distancing. Employees need to fill out telecommuting forms, signed by their supervisors, before they begin to work remotely. Meetings, including the weekly Leadership Team meetings, have migrated to Zoom and other forms of remote communication.
Remote instruction has been extended to the end of the spring semester. Summer Sessions A, B and C will also be conducted remotely or online. The University has distributed more than 300 laptops to accommodate faculty and students who will be teaching and learning online or remotely.