University of Hawaii floats plan to reopen campuses to public, end telework policy
The University of Hawaii has made tentative plans to reopen its campuses to the public Tuesday and phase out its pandemic telework policy, with all staff back on campus Aug. 3.
As the state emerges from some pandemic restrictions, the university aims to resume full, in-person services at its offices July 6. It reached out last week to the unions representing its staff and faculty and asked for their feedback on the reopening plans by Friday.
“We believe it is an appropriate time for the University of Hawaii to transition to on-campus operations and activities,” Jan Gouveia, vice president for administration, wrote in a letter to the Hawaii Government Employees Association.
She outlined tentative plans to open all buildings and offices during regular business hours at all campuses July 6. All employees would be expected to return to work on campus as of Aug. 3.
“The COVID-19 Voluntary Telework Policy will be rescinded as current COVID-19 conditions no longer warrant the need for employees to work from home,” Gouveia wrote, assuming the plan goes forward.
The pandemic telework policy was adopted Sept. 1, encouraging all offices to approve employees’ requests to voluntarily telework, “where job functions are suitable to be performed remotely and the employee can be as functional and productive as when they are in the workplace.”
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Signs indicating that campuses are closed to the public are due to be removed by Tuesday.
The Hawaii Government Employees Association has shared the reopening plans with its members and asked for their input, according to Caroline Sluyter, communications officer for the union.
The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, which represents faculty, reported on its website that it is reviewing the plans and will respond to UH officials by the Friday deadline.
The academic year starts Aug. 23 for UH Manoa students. When registration opened in April for the fall semester, about 60% of courses were to be completely online, nearly 20% in person and the rest in a hybrid format allowing both modes of instruction. The campus expected to transition to largely in-person courses by spring.
