Dear Staff Colleagues,

As we navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we do so together, as a community. Entering another week away from campus amid this global crisis, I wanted to reach out to you directly. In these past weeks, much has changed for Santa Clara, as well as for you and your families.

As the crisis unfolded, we mobilized to remote learning, equipped our faculty with new tools for teaching, and moved out over 3,100 students from our residence halls. We also transitioned most of our staff to remote work. I am incredibly grateful for all of you who, along with our faculty, have supported these transitions. I realize that adjusting to these circumstances has been challenging and is an ongoing process. I am also grateful to those staff members who maintain critical functions on campus, including serving our remaining students who live on campus.

We are in uncharted and quickly shifting territory. Since our shelter-in-place began, we are learning about what our staff needs to sustain their remote work, including technology requirements, collaboration tools, new team protocols, and best practices for employees and managers. With the new order for shelter-in-place until May 3, we are focusing on how we can stay connected and effectively work remotely. For me, one of the greatest challenges in the transition is missing the meaningful human interactions that used to happen so organically throughout the day.

As we look ahead, I have asked Molly McDonald and John Ottoboni to help me coordinate our staff’s ongoing transition to a remote work environment and to streamline communications. In collaboration with Staff Senate leadership, Molly and John will engage with the staff to set up new channels of communication, learn more about staff needs, and implement plans to address employees’ and managers’ needs. In the coming days, they will be reaching out to you about next steps. 

I miss seeing you around campus. You are invaluable members of the University community, and my cabinet and I want to provide you the best support we can during this time. Thank you for your commitment to the University and all your hard work and flexibility in these unsettled times. You and your families remain in my prayers. We will get through this, relying on the help of God and one another.

Gratefully,

Kevin F. O'Brien, S.J.
President