OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Wednesday marked the first day the majority of staff at the University of Nebraska system were required to work remotely, following the recent announcement by NU system President Ted Carter.
In a letter to all faculty and staff Tuesday night, President Carter directed all university system employees to stay home unless deemed essential. The move is happening across all four campuses, including the University of Nebraska-Omaha and University of Nebraska Medical Center. Staff need to be off campus by Friday April 10th at the latest. If a staff member is deemed an essential worker they’ll receive a signed letter from their chancellor or president.
“We all felt it was imperative to have our faculty, students and staff safe,” said NU regent Timothy Clare.
“This is about protecting the UNO students, faculty and staff and also protecting their families and the communities,” said Dr. Jeffrey Gold, the chancellor at UNO and UNMC. Dr. Gold said the decision will help faculty and staff who are at a more vulnerable level of risk of contracting the coronavirus. The decision comes in light of ensuing pressure on Governor Pete Ricketts to place a similar stay at home order across the state.
“We wanted to set an example and we wanted to do what we could to flatten the curve,” Gold said.
“This is important as a university to be a good partner to the communities we call home, to the state of Nebraska, and this is us doing so,” said Deb Fiddelke, the chief communication and marketing officer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She said essential personnel still working on campus include staff such as campus safety, dining employees and custodial staff taking care of the nearly 750 students still living on campus. The majority of these students are international students who are not able to return home at this time.
“It is someone who’s physical presence is required on campus to do their job,” Fiddelke said. “Someone who cannot work remotely to do their job.”
However, Fiddelke wanted to remind alums and the community that even during these changes, the university is not closed.
“Students are learning, teachers are teaching,” Fiddelke said. “The important work that we’re doing to make sure students receive their degrees and continue their education is ongoing every single day.”
The stay at home order is in effect across the NU system for two weeks. A university spokesperson said the system will reassess then. The NU system has 51,000 students and 16,000 employees.
This measure is just the latest by the NU system to help slow the spread of coronavirus. Nebraska Athletics previously canceled its annual Red-White Spring Gamewhich was slated to take place April 18th and the system moved all May graduation ceremonies online at its four campuses.
Watch reporter Phil Bergman’s story in the above video.