Interim guidance on face masks, distancing in meeting spaces
The Coronavirus University Restart Team (CURT) and senior leadership are introducing interim guidance, effective immediately, that allows faculty, staff, and students who are fully vaccinated the ability to safely unmask when participating in meetings in campus conference rooms, meeting rooms, and research areas— excluding clinical care areas and classroom settings. See an FAQ on the University-wide changes now in effect.
The Medical Center campuses this week implemented this change, and it is now being broadened to be University-wide. Given Governor Andrew Cuomo’s announcement yesterday about the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions statewide, this should be considered interim guidance. Senior leadership is currently considering the implications of this new guidance, and when the University issues new guidelines, the updates will be communicated quickly and broadly.
Planning is also underway—in cooperation with academic deans—to provide updated mask-wearing and social distancing policies for the University’s classroom settings, which will affect not only fall semester classes but also summer classes currently being held at some schools.
Please note that Dr. Chat Bot continues to be mandatory every day for students, faculty, and staff who plan to be on campus, including at the Medical Center or any University-owned or -leased space. This is required of both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
In today’s issue:
The Office of Equity and Inclusion has released reports on discrimination and harassment and sexual misconduct
June’s edition of HR Intercom includes information on the Career Path Modernization Project and HR policies
The next event in the REAL Conversation series on Friday explores the historical context of Juneteenth
Reports on discrimination and harassment, sexual misconduct released
The University is committed to providing a safe environment for the campus community to work, learn, live, and socialize together without fear of sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination. As part of that mission, the Office of Equity and Inclusion recently released two reports. Discrimination and Harassment: Prevention and Response Across the University serves to educate the University community about efforts to prevent discrimination and harassment and how the University responds to incidents, and Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response is published to inform the community about the University’s efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to reports of sexual misconduct. These reports include data from 2018 to 2020. Subsequent reports will be released annually in October. If you need additional information, contact the Office of Equity and Inclusion.
Go Green: Project tells history of greenhouse gas emissions
Utilities and Energy Management staff have collaborated with Rochester students to complete a StoryMap titled “History of University of Rochester’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” The interactive project encompasses not only energy consumption at the University but also energy generation as a whole.
A new study that included Jonathan Carroll-Nellenback, a computational scientist at the Center for Integrated Research Computing, and Adam Frank, the Helen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, shows that even the most conservative estimates of civilizational expansion can still result in a galactic empire.
HR Intercom highlights the Career Path Modernization Project and more
This month’s issue of HR Intercom, a newsletter with information about Human Resources programs and materials, includes information on the Career Path Modernization Project, HR policies, and more.
Nutrition Kitchen: Make your summer ‘plant-tastic'
Join April Ho, a clinical dietician from Well-U’s lifestyle management team, to create a meal using in-season vegetables. June’s recipe will focus on incorporating seasonal vegetables into your meal.
Tuition reimbursement: taxable or non-taxable?
Graduate tuition assistance benefits that exceed $5,250 in a calendar year are taxable wages unless the course satisfies the requirements for a tax-deductible job-related course under IRS rules. If you believe that your proposed graduate-level course satisfies the requirements for a tax-deductible job-related course under IRS rules, complete the graduate tuition reimbursement tax exemption form for each course when you complete the employee tuition reimbursement application available at Rochester.edu/benefits/tuition.
Take the Simon Medical Management Experience
The Simon Medical Management Experience provides an opportunity to virtually attend class and participate in a roundtable discussion with current students. The session will begin with an in-depth look at the MS medical management program. Register here to join on Saturday, June 19, from 8 to 11 a.m. EDT.
Policing, Bridge Building, and the Quest for Safe Communities
Bill Doherty, a professor of family social science and an adjunct professor of family medicine and community health at the University of Minnesota, and Guy Bowling, cofounder of Police and Black Men Minneapolis, will present a special virtual Grand Rounds, “Policing, Bridge Building, and the Quest for Safe Communities,” today, Wednesday, June 16, from noon to 1 p.m. EDT. Learn more and register here. This presentation is only open to University staff, faculty, and students.
Keep on Pushin’: Juneteenth and the Evolution of Emancipation
Presented as part of the REAL Conversations series, join Scot Brown ’89 and the University’s Black Alumni Network to recognize Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Featuring opening remarks from President Sarah Mangelsdorf, this program will explore the historical context of Juneteenth, the importance of Black cultural wealth, the evolution of emancipation, and the expanded notion of freedom while honoring traditions and practices of persons of African descent. Learn more and register for the event, taking place at noon EDT on Friday, June 18.
Learn about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine for expectant and lactating parents
The Department of Public Health Sciences and the ROC City Baby Café are hosting a virtual presentation, “Ask the Doc: A Conversation about the Importance of the COVID-19 Vaccines for Women.” Marielena Vélez de Brown, deputy commissioner of public health for the Monroe County Department of Public Health, will discuss how the COVID-19 vaccines work, with an emphasis on the importance of vaccination among pregnant, breastfeeding, and interpartum women. The presentation takes place on Monday, June 21, at 5:30 p.m. EDT via Zoom. No registration is required.
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