Coronavirus COVID-19
COVID-19 Response Frequently Asked Question for Goodwin University Employees
latest update 4.29.20
These FAQs will be updated regularly. Please be vigilant about checking your Goodwin University email for news and updates.
As part of our coordinated efforts, we have established a Command Center for all communications and key operational decisions. Please send any questions to ask@goodwin.edu. As always, see your department’s senior leader with urgent or time-sensitive concerns. To ensure that all employees remain well informed, President Scheinberg will regularly send out email communications to share important news and updates.
As of March 18, 2020, we are asking most office-based employees (faculty and staff) to work from home until further notice. A select group of employees will be asked to work on campus as needed, observing “social distancing” protocols.
Please communicate with your direct supervisor to determine whether this arrangement applies to you. If your supervisor is unsure, he or she should contact your department’s senior leader. Regardless of your work location, please make every effort to communicate with your teams and colleagues to ensure that all of our important work is done in a seamless fashion.
Please discuss this with your supervisor to determine if there is an opportunity for you to perform tasks in other departments that are experiencing a significant amount of work and could benefit from your support.
If you require access to your campus work space, please contact your supervisor to determine if this is possible and to coordinate access.
Based on guidance from federal and local officials, we have determined that students will continue to operate online through the end of the spring 2020 semester. Please refer to the President's April 17th update on the main COVID-19 page for updates on the summer semester.
At a minimum, you will need to have a computer that can access all of the software (e.g. MS Office) and websites (e.g. SonisWeb, Paycom, etc.) that you typically use in your role. You will also need internet access and the ability to check your voice messages regularly. Finally, you will be expected to send and receive emails, make and receive phone calls, and attend meetings remotely as requested. Please note that you will be responsible for the cost of your computer, internet access, and mobile phone service at home.
Hourly/non-exempt employees are required to track their hours worked each day. Employees should maintain a regular work schedule, and supervisors should check in with their teams to ensure that each person is working and reporting their hours in a timely way. If you need a password reset for Paycom, email Meghan Murphy at MMurphy1@goodwin.edu or Lori Loening at LLoening@goodwin.edu.
Goodwin offers an Employee Assistance Program through Anthem, which provides 24/7, confidential resources. They can be reached at 888-209-7840 (ask for a Resource Advisor) or by going to www.ResourceAdvisor.Anthem.com (program name is AnthemResourceAdvisor).
We continue to have a variety of support services to meet student needs. If you are aware of a student who is experiencing academic or financial distress, partner with the student’s academic advisor to contact Student Affairs or the Business Office. In addition, counseling services are available for telephone and video conferences with students. Please contact counselingcenter@ihssbhc.org.
For now, we have determined that all on-ground student programming and events through May 11 are cancelled. Given the governor's latest directives, and keeping in mind what is ultimately in the best interests of our community, we have made the decision to postpone our Commencement ceremony, which had been planned for June 6, as well as all related events. We believe that it would be unwise to gather literally thousands of people together under a tent, with the continuing threat of transmission among our extended Goodwin families. A survey will be sent to students to gather their thoughts on what a future ceremony might look like, and updates will be shared as plans are finalized. For additional information please visit the commencement section of the website.
To check voice messages remotely, dial 860-913-2000; once the person starts talking, hit 9, then type in your extension number, then your password upon the prompts. As an alternative, you can also have your voice messages go directly to your email. To set that up, send a School Dude to IT.
In response to your requests, you may currently donate to the food pantry by visiting the Goodwin Foundation webpage and selecting the "Transitions Giving" icon. You can select the “Student Response Fund” icon to contribute to students with financial emergencies. The Foundation is also exploring additional opportunities to donate using cash apps. As always, the Foundation can also accept personal checks.
Now that we have experienced our remote capabilities, we are open to the idea and we can consider on a case-by-case basis.
As with all illness and other personal priorities, if someone is unable to work, they should use their available paid time off. We are continuing to assess the new law and how it will impact Goodwin’s practices, and will share more information before the law takes effect on April 1, 2020.
Yes. Thanks to our state-of-the-art telephone system, all of our service department colleagues can be reached by dialing their office phone number. As always, they can also be reached via email.
An email was sent on April 23 to all constituents highlighting the plan for the May 11 semester start. Classes will begin the semester in an online format. We will continue to seek guidance from the governor's office regarding clinicals and equipment-based courses.
Goodwin University has received additional guidance from the Department of Education regarding Federal Work Study and the COVID-19 school closures. Eligibility for continued disaster relief payments will depend on each FWS student worker's individual Financial Aid package. Students who are no longer eligible for disaster relief payments will no longer be paid. The conditions for payment and FWS disaster relief payment eligibility will follow the Department of Education's April 3, 2020 UPDATED Guidance for interruptions of study related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the 2019-2020 Federal Student Aid Handbook. Goodwin University is developing remote work opportunities for student workers where possible, but work is not guaranteed. If a student is interested in remote work during the COVID-19 school closure, please reach out to Stephanie Kaczowski, Federal Work Study Coordinator, Financial Aid Department, at 860-727-6965.
We have removed immunization holds for the spring 2020 semester.
Considering that a large percentage of those exposed to COVID-19 are healthcare workers, we want to take of them so that they can get back to taking care of everyone else. If you are aware of a student in this situation, please reach out to Student Affairs.
Essentially, there will be no change to our focus and scope. We will continue to be on-ground, and we will continue to leverage the flexibility we have now gained with our ability to operate online.
All collegiate-level courses (100-level courses and above) will continue to use letter grades. Courses not for college credit (ESL, Developmental Math, and Developmental English) will switch over to a pass/fail grade. Stay tuned for more information on this as it becomes available.
Adjunct pay was not cut, however clinical instructor hours were reduced based on the reduced availability of clinical instruction work. Once we are able to resume on-ground clinical experiences, we do expect that clinical instructions hours will again be available.
This decision is not one that Goodwin can make; it is done by the Department of Public Heath and on a state-by-state basis. We do have a group of nurses who will graduate on-time in two weeks. We were able to work with accreditors to find alternate assignments for them to complete and graduate on-time.
Please reassure students that this is not the case. Goodwin as a community should be proud of our prompt decision to donate PPE. In most cases, this equipment is inexpensive and would be sitting around not being used. We would never consider imposing those costs on the backs of our students. Also, if you have small supplies of PPE that you are looking to donate please reach out. We are happy to collect them so that we can make another large donation to the area hospitals.
Building maintenance is one of the categories considered “essential” under the governor’s executive order. These vendors are able to maintain social distancing while continuing to work.
We have been able to locate more laptops. If you are aware of a student in need, please reach out to Student Affairs.
We have already placed an order to replenish our supply of PPE, so once we return to campus the equipment will be avaible and can be given to students and faculty as they go to clinical sites.
Cohort 4 for faculty and cohort 1 for staff are currently on hold. We will attempt to get up and running once we are back on campus. We are also working to initiate a magnet school cohort.
Yes, the information we gather from this semester is important so that we can it as a reference point. The responses collected will be reviewed in context.