September 1, 2021
7 p.m.
Dear Tulane Community:
On Monday, August 30, an update from President Fitts, Provost Forman and COO Patrick Norton was sent to our community regarding the state of the university in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Classes will be canceled for two weeks to allow our students, faculty, and staff time to ensure their personal safety, secure their homes, and make plans for temporary relocation as needed.
At this time, your safety and that of your families is our top priority. We ask those who have the capability to work remotely now to do so. For those of you who cannot work remotely and have not evacuated away from New Orleans, we expect you to shelter in place and concentrate on your health and safety. Regardless, salaried and hourly employees will be compensated for their regularly scheduled time (i.e., not including overtime) during this hurricane period, until further notice. Ultimately, we plan to return to on-campus operations in the near future when power is restored to the city and critical services are in place.
Departments essential to our on-campus operations have been identified and leaders of these departments have been instructed to continue coordination with their staff regarding work schedules and on-site attendance expectations. Managers, please verify work time for staff who worked but were unable to record their attendance using Kronos due to power failures before and after the hurricane.
Employees will receive regular updates regarding the planned return to workplace, as well as the progress of our campuses and city during this period of recovery. An email, which will be monitored 24/7, has been established to respond to your questions and concerns.
Thank you for your support and flexibility,
Patrick Norton, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Jonathan Small, Associate VP, Human Resources & Institutional Equity
