Nearing the Final Stretch of Fall 2020

Dear Students, Staff, and Faculty,
 
It’s hard to believe that for many of us Fall 2020 is in the final wind-down phase, and those of you taking and teaching undergraduate classes will soon be finished with that part of your work for the term. I wish you all a very strong finish.
 
Before our residential students scatter for the long break and our faculty and staff enjoy a much-earned Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to send my Thursday update a week ahead of schedule to express a heartfelt thank you for making this term the best it could be in difficult circumstances. Despite challenges posed by COVID-19, our budget shortfall, and the change in presidential leadership, you have done a great job in supporting our students and each other. There are too many people who have gone above and beyond to list here, but I would like to highlight a few that are at the top of my mind this week.
 
Our colleagues in Health Services have done a top-notch job dealing with a number of COVID-19 cases that surfaced this week. The majority of these cases were associated with an off-campus student gathering held on November 7th. Through contact tracing associated with the first two reported cases, these staff, aided by staff in Athletics, discovered a cluster of what is now 25 cases, including nine residential students. Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) was immediately notified and played an integral role in helping us execute a timely response protocol. Partnering, again, with colleagues in Residence Life and Athletics, the Health Center Staff worked throughout the weekend and into this week tracing all the close contacts of those who tested positive; directing them to be tested and quarantined; and moving affected residential students into on-campus isolation spaces. Impressively, within a day of Health Services and Student Affairs staff collecting information that suggested widespread testing should be done, they partnered with the VCPH to offer a pop-up testing program on campus on Sunday and Tuesday. Nearly 400 people, including almost all residential students and the vast majority of local athletes, were tested at these clinics. Others are submitting outside test results to comply with the mandate. Until students receive results, Health Services is reminding all of us to abide by the Cal Lutheran Compact.
 
More specific COVID-19 related guidance will be sent to all traditional undergraduate students and their families in a separate email. Staff, please check in with your Vice President, Associate Vice President, or Dean to hear what, if any, changes will be in place regarding on-site staffing levels in your respective offices for the remaining weeks in the year. I have delegated to each VP the authority to make decisions about what on-site work level best serves the institution from now until the start of the Spring term when we hope to have many more in-person classes and a more populated campus.
 
I am also so thankful to all of those who have helped us get to the final phases of approving key policies (HR006 Harassment, Discrimination, Biased Conduct and Retaliation Prohibition, Bias Incident Reporting System, Clery Compliance, Emergency Notification, and Timely Warning Notification) that should further advance a strong and healthy campus ethos. Key constituents around campus have reviewed these documents and suggested edits, and we are close to finalizing them. Within the next couple weeks, we expect to post the final iterations for all to see the fruits of our collective labor. Thank you to all who contributed to the formulation and refinement of these policies and procedures.
 
The important conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion continue. I and other Cabinet members have a handful of meetings scheduled with affinity groups in the next few weeks to discuss what the concept of equity should look like at Cal Lutheran. I also expect these conversations to advance our collective thinking about the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion structure. It is important that a number of us weigh the pros and cons of a vertical-type structure (e.g., one that is led by a specific senior manager expected to help us meet certain outcomes) with a horizontal-type structure (e.g., one that embeds DEI responsibilities across a number of areas with measurable metrics in each). Or, perhaps, we aim to create a hybrid model.
 
As you can see, there are many balls in the air right now, and we are doing are best to keep them all in play. We have worked to prioritize pressing issues and address those that have an immediate impact, while ensuring that other critical issues are not sidelined and forgotten. But as we all head into the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to thank you for all you are juggling right now as you remain focused on our mission. As a small token of my appreciation, I ask that you start your holiday weekend two hours early on Wednesday, November 25 yet receive a full day’s pay. If your day typically ends at 5:00 p.m., you may leave the office at 3:00 p.m.; if your day usually ends at 3:30 p.m., you may leave at 1:30 p.m. Please be mindful of how your holiday activities, including in state and out of state travel, impact our community.
 
We move forward, together.
 
Lori E. Varlotta, Ph.D.
President