Dear AU Faculty and Staff,

With classes meeting and our hybrid workplace arrangements underway, our community is coming together once again. Our in-person activities are possible thanks to the community-wide commitment to our health and safety protocols, including vaccinations, mask wearing, testing, and contact tracing. As always, we are all responsible for compliance with these measures, and we have created a quick reference guide to quickly locate our directives and policies and understand the steps to take.

Having a community of care also means supporting our faculty and staff with the necessary flexibility and resources to care for themselves and their family members and dependents during this time. While the return to in-person K-12 learning is an important step forward, it also raises understandable questions and concerns around what happens if school-aged children are sent home due to exposure, illness, or quarantine.

We published new guidance for faculty and staff that addresses a range of possible scenarios, and outlines leave options for situations involving quarantine, positive COVID tests, and local school closures or restrictions. The options include scheduling flexibility, short-term alternative class arrangements for faculty, and timesheet procedures. Faculty-specific information can be found on the Provost’s website, and staff information is available on the Human Resources website.

Questions about the faculty guidance can be sent to provost@american.edu and to employeerelations@american.edu for staff guidance. Thank you for your continued dedication to our community, our shared health and safety, and our mission. Please be well and take care of yourself and your loved ones. 

Sincerely,

Peter Starr
Acting Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Seth Grossman
Vice President for People and External Affairs & Chief of Staff

Beth Muha
Assistant Vice President, Human Resources