Dear Campus Community, 

 

As I’ve mentioned in recent messages, the questions I receive most frequently now revolve around the status of fall quarter and how are we preparing for an eventual resuming of on-campus operations. The purpose of this message is to provide information about the work we are doing to prepare for various scenarios. You will also find information about opportunities to voice questions or ideas through a series of virtual office hours with campus leaders.

 

Working Groups

As we transitioned from responding to the initial impact of COVID-19 to looking ahead, we have established several working groups. The purpose of each group is to quickly but thoroughly evaluate issues and scenarios for a specific area. Our ultimate goal, of course, is to bring everyone back to campus, but we must do so in a way that protects the health of our community as first priority. 

 

The below list of working groups is focused on finding our best path forward.

•    Instructional Continuity led by Tom Smith and Ken Baerenklau

•    Research Ramp-up led by Rodolfo Torres

•    Public Health led by Asma Jafri and Nate McLaughlin

•    Budget and Finance led by Gerry Bomotti

•    Operations & Support Recovery led by Sharyl Murdock and Sheila Hedayati

•    Student Services Continuity led by Christine Mata and Jennifer Brown

•    Instructional Technology led by Richard Edwards

•    Employee Health Assistance led by Don Larsen and Katherine Hansen

•    Student Health Assistance led by Kenneth Han and Denise Woods

•    Testing led by Deborah Deas and Rodolfo Torres

 

In addition to the above, there are many other campus groups who have reorganized themselves and their work to best respond to this crisis.

 

Beyond the work on our campus, I have been meeting with campus leaders from other universities to help inform our efforts and how to best align return-to-work efforts across the state.

 

Virtual Office Hours

If you have questions or suggestions, we want to hear them. Alternately, if you just want more information about the problems we are working to solve, you are invited to participate in a series of “Office Hours” hosted over Zoom by campus leaders. Below is a list of planned Virtual Office Hours events.

 

5/15, 3-4 p.m.: Peter Hayashida, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement; and Rodolfo Torres, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development

 

5/21, 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Gerry Bomotti, Vice Chancellor for Planning, Budget, and Administration; and 

Brian Haynes, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs 

 

5/29, 1-2 p.m.: Kim Wilcox, Chancellor

 

6/5, 10-11 a.m.: Tom Smith, Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor; and Mariam Lam, Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer

 

To register for one of the Virtual Office Hours sessions, please visit: https://ucriverside.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_200lOHzcelTHpTT

 

During my spring Campus Update, I mentioned that it will take all of us for UCR to be its best. Thank you for everything you are also doing to help us continue to move forward.

 

Sincerely, 

 

Kim A. Wilcox,

Chancellor