Remote Work Through Winter Quarter

From an email circulated late yesterday afternoon:

To: Faculty and Staff

Dear Colleagues:

I know you have made extraordinary efforts to continue serving UCLA’s mission of education, research and service amidst the challenges of the past six months, and the entire campus leadership team thanks you for your perseverance and dedication.

In order to continue to limit the number of people on campus and thereby reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, we ask those of you who have been successfully working remotely to continue doing so through March 19, 2021, which is the end of winter quarter. This follows a recommendation from UCLA’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Task Force. Discussions about the status of winter quarter instruction are underway and we will share information as soon as it is available.

As with our previous announcement that extended remote work, this change does not apply to personnel who have been working on campus, to those associated with the ramp-up of UCLA research or to instructors and support staff who receive approval to conduct their winter courses with an on-campus component. Some staff at UCLA’s K-12 schools may be asked to return to work in person sooner than March and will receive advance notice if applicable. As needs change, certain other faculty and staff may be asked to return to campus sooner than March as well.

The extension also does not apply to UCLA Health, David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) and School of Dentistry staff who are directly engaged in clinical care or training. UCLA Health and DGSOM employees and clinical trainees who are currently working remotely will receive additional directions from their leadership by December 1. Those working remotely in the School of Dentistry will also receive additional guidance shortly.

Staff and faculty should confirm with their supervisors and department heads whether this extension of remote work applies to their positions. Any personnel coming to campus for non-healthcare work must adhere to UCLA’s requirements for COVID-19 symptom monitoring (PDF). Additional information is available at Bruins Safe Online.

We will continue to work closely with public health officials to meet our goal of having everyone return to campus when it is appropriate to do so. In the meantime, I hope that this announcement will be helpful as you plan for the months ahead. I encourage you to read information we’ve provided on how to work effectively from home, which is available on UCLA’s COVID-19 website.

We look forward to sharing updates as decisions about winter quarter instruction and other campus operations are made. Thank you again for ensuring the Bruin spirit remains a source of inspiration and hope during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Beck

Administrative Vice Chancellor