Coronavirus update Tuesday, March 17

Dear members of the Whitman Community,

Given the constantly evolving effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, we are adjusting in-person access to facilities and changing expectations regarding telework for members of the Whitman community.

Staff Teleworking

We are now recommending that any staff member who is able to work from home, transition to doing so now.  It is important that you consult with your supervisor to make arrangements and agree on expectations.  We also ask that each of you work with your supervisor to complete the telework agreement that you received in BambooHR. Staff who would prefer to work on campus or for whom teleworking is not a possibility will be allowed to work on campus while maintaining proper social distancing. Staff who need remote access to Colleague or Millennium should contact Mike Osterman at 509-527-5419 to ensure computers are set up for this access. We are working on creative ways to come up with student work opportunities and there will be more information to come.

Building Hours

In response to the transition to teleworking for most staff, and a desire to minimize contact, many buildings will have restricted access or have reduced hours starting at the end of day tomorrow March, 18, 2020. 

The library will be closed to all faculty, staff and students except for authorized employees. Library staff are working on a process for access to books and enhanced access to virtual services.  You will receive more information on these resources in the coming days.

Reid Campus Center will be closed to students. Staff at the Campus Center Post Office and Whitman College Book Store are working on how to manage alternative access to services.

All academic buildings and Memorial Building will also be closed to students.

All athletic and fitness facilities are closed except to authorized employees.

Building access policies and hours are likely to continue to change. Please go to our  coronavirus website for the most up-to-date information.

In-person Meetings and Instruction

Students should expect that staff will be working from home, but will be available remotely. Call ahead or email to set up a virtual meeting.

Because faculty will also be working remotely, there will be no in-person instruction.  All meetings with students will happen online including one-on-one meetings, small group meetings or any other configuration of faculty-student interaction.

Community Support

As we physically distance ourselves from each other it’s important that we find new ways to interact and support one another remotely. Now more than ever we need to get creative and continue to build community in ways that are safe given our new reality. 

I want to thank all faculty, staff and students for your flexibility and hard work as we make adjustments so that we can continue student learning even in these extreme circumstances. Your collective thoughtfulness demonstrates what I love so much about the Whitman Community and I look forward to the day that things are back to normal.

Kathy Murray
President