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Cornell University

Office of the Assemblies

Questions | EA Staff Feedback Forum #3: Open Forum

EA Open Forum | July 9, 2020 Questions/Feedback   Topic: Appreciation for University leadership
  • I'd like to express my gratitude to university leadership, the EA, and the strategic comms teams for all the communication efforts since the beginning of the pandemic. I personally have felt as if I have a good understanding of the university’s priorities, actions taken, and potential actions the entire time. As someone who finds comfort in having as much information as possible during times of unknown, I very much appreciate all the efforts that have gone into keeping the community up to date.
  • Would appreciate access to this slide set if possible. Thank you for all you are doing to help us navigate this challenging time! So grateful.
  • Please thank President Pollack for such a candid response to my earlier question and thank you for bringing it to the table.
  • Yes, thank you so much for the transparency and the town halls! Very appreciated.
  • Also, appreciation for the noticeable attempt at fairness and a holistic approach.
  • Yes, great job with the clear communications and thoughtful decision-making.
  • Thank you to Campus Sustainability Office too.
  • Thank you, Joel, for the comment on involving police.
  • Thank you Jeramy and Joel for this response.
  • Thanks to you all, this has been really helpful.
  • Thank you all so much for these updates.
  • Thank you and very much appreciated!
  • Thank you! I know I feel better after listing to this Zoom meeting.
  • This is very much appreciated and helpful.

Topic: Benefits/Campus Services

  • Will the childcare grant still be available, pending eligibility as it was before, for 2021? 
  • Has there been a resolution regarding parking passes? Per the Employee Assembly last week, it appears that many staff will continue to work remotely for the Fall 2020 semester. I personally would like to stop paying for a service that is not rendered to me. My questions:
    • What is the chance of being able to get my parking pass back come Spring 2021? 
    • Will I have to go to parking services to get my pass or can this be done all online? 
    • How parking services handle the influx and re-issuance of parking passes when staff return to campus.
  • How is the university planning to adapt or rethink transportation for students around campus? The #30 TCAT is typically packed shoulder-to-shoulder during certain hours of the day. What other options will be available for moving around our large campus?
  • Because so many have been working from home, will parking fees be reimbursed? Many of us have parking permits being paid out of our bi-weekly pay but are not using them.
  • Could we please address the question about reimbursing parking fees to staff, since we have been working remote since the beginning of March?
  • But no reimbursement for parking back to March, correct? We’re only not being charged since July 1, is that correct?
  • Thank you Joel. This information was very helpful and clear. It is great we will have the option not to pay for parking for the Fall since most of us will be working from home.
  • Clarification needed on parking – it would help to plan if we had a longer plan available. For example, if I can work from home for only 3 more months, I would not give up my permit. If I knew I wouldn’t come back until fall 2021, I might consider giving up my permit. If I give it up, I won’t get it back. Not a problem once my child has graduated.
  • Please do not use CUPD to enforce public health measures on campus. In the current national climate, that would not be well received by our community.
  • Though we may not be charged for parking starting July 1, those of us who have a pay-for parking permit have not used them since mid-March and were told we could not turn them in (only that they wouldn’t be auto-renewed). Are there plans to reimburse the permit fees for the time we were not on campus?
  • Does the Childcare grant funds rollover to use in 2021?

Topic: Campus Reactivation/Operations

  • What are the expectations of staff who witness community members not adhering to the guidelines and policies for distancing and masking? Given the inherent power dynamics within our work environments, what is the plan for policing the policies, and what are the sanctions for those who do not adhere?
  • There are a great many concerns about testing and submission of medical information (the check in App) for community members who will be on campus. The Big Brother aspect of this cannot be understated. Related to confidentiality/ information security, how can members of the campus community learn exactly what their rights are with submitting this info, where it is stored, who can see it, and what happens in the event of a breach?
  • Will the University re-assess the on-campus opening of the Ithaca campus as we watch the Covid-19 outlook worsen in certain states (NYTimes; July 6, 2020) and with the possibility of it getting even more precarious after a busy July Fourth holiday weekend? Is "Option 0" still on the table in the event that Covid-19 cases continue to move in the wrong direction?
  • Has it been determined where and how often staff, faculty, and students will go for baseline and routine covid-19 testing, and how that will be integrated with social distancing, getting to classes, and general safety? Getting to test sites will likely involve people walking in groups or taking TCAT busses. Of particular concern to me is how this might be managed in bad weather. Will Cornell be working with TCAT to ensure safety of staff and faculty who are dependent on this service? Also, will Cornell be providing masks for our campus community. and will information be disclosed to the general public if cases are diagnosed among our faculty, staff, and students?
  • Are there plans to implement virus and/or antibody testing for faculty and staff in addition to students for the Fall semester?
  • What answer are you giving when asked by students about why there is not a tuition discount given many students will be mostly virtual or all virtual? We share about the value of a Cornell degree and that most things in higher education are fixed costs, but I would love to hear how you would answer this type of question if/when you get it from students or parents. Thanks!
  • Since so much needs to be changed for the upcoming academic year, please require that we put the needs of Black and disadvantaged students first while we redesign procedures and services. (Both undergrads and graduate students) Let’s plan with their needs foremost in mind, in order to demonstrate our commitment to removing racial inequities. For example: in fees, deadlines, and reducing administrative steps; in improving access to food, supplies, transportation, and student employment; in policies for requesting accommodations, and handling absences from class; by explaining the "hidden curriculum," and making procedures clear. Thank you.
  • Why can't TA's have the option to teach online if they are not comfortable teaching in person?
  • Has the senior administration given consideration to the two petitions circulating by the student-run group #dobettercornell, and if so, how are the calls for change being addressed?
  • Since the decision has been made to open the campus in fall 2020, do you know when will the hiring freeze be lifted?
  • For departments that are shorthanded due to people leaving and the positions being unable to be filled due to the hiring freeze. Do you have any indication when the hiring freeze will be lifted? 
  • When will we receive news regarding the university's plans for the Statler Hotel? If parents and other guests are not allowed to stay on campus, what will the university do for all of the freshman parents who were counting on staying at the Statler for Freshman Orientation, especially in light of the fact that other hotels are fully committed for these dates?
  • Why are we still opening the campus physically for the Fall Semester from Sep 2 until Thanksgiving break with the increased COVID-19 numbers in many states, it seems very unsafe?
  • How about Statler hotel? Do we reopen at the same time, any related things in general?
  • Once our students return in September, will there be an effort on Cornell's part to restrict their travel, for example to NYC or home on the weekends? Will a promise to stay put in Ithaca until the Thanksgiving break be included the student behavioral agreement?
  • Could you please provide guidance for staff on the best practices for reporting safety concerns regarding new policies? i.e. overcrowding in our area, ongoing mask compliance issues, etc... What is the best course of action for staff to effect change in a positive way under these kinds of circumstances?
  • Is Cornell working in coordination with Ithaca College to help them in testing their students, in the mindset of keeping the entire community safe?
  • What recourse does Cornell have if students living on and off campus refuse testing, quarantine, mask wearing, social distancing, and other COVID-related requirements?
  • As a show of solidarity across Campus, would you consider requiring all employees to wear a mask at all times during working hours. The hardest working staff members are in public spaces all day doing strenuous activities, so they are required to mask all day. I think it would boost moral greatly if they knew senior leadership and staff working comfortably from their homes were also experiencing the discomfort of masking all day.
  • 1) Will we have temperature scanners at building entrances? 2) What are the plans to enforce keeping those with symptoms, or without masks, from entering campus buildings?
  • Two questions – 1) Will the university have a dashboard on the website reporting all the results of the COVID-19 testing of the people who are part of the Ithaca campus? (Similar to the excellent Tompkins County chart that’s updated every day.); 2) Since hundreds of researchers are now saying COVID-19 is airborne, what is the level of recirculation of air in campus buildings? What percent of the air is new and how often? Does ventilation need to be improved?
  • Will student coming to the Ithaca campus in September be required to follow quarantine restriction as outlined in executive order No.205? How will this be monitored? Per this executive order, “All travelers entering New York from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate, over a seven day rolling average, will be required to quarantine for a period of 14 days consistent with Department of Health regulations for quarantine.”
  • I am wondering if simply offering a course like described here would work around the new Trump mandate? https://www.reddit.com/r/gatech/comments/hms88u/petition_for_universities_to_create_a_onecredit/. Thanks, proud of how Cornell’s leadership has addressed these remarkably strange times.
  • Numerous op-eds, articles, and tweets from faculty around the country and others in higher ed have been critical of many universities' plans to re-open this fall, calling them unrealistically optimistic. As an example, Stephen Gavazzi, a professor at Ohio State University, has tweeted (https://twitter.com/StephenMGavazzi/status/1278782991221784578) and published an article in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephengavazzi/2020/07/02/student-covid-19-parties-this-is-why-cornells-logic-is-so-sketchy/#50fc84c028b9) targeting Cornell and Professor Frazier's modeling study, calling it flawed, and calling Cornell naïve for thinking they can exert that much control over students' behavior. How do you respond to those kinds of critiques?
  • Provost Kotlikoff spoke to the choice that Faculty have in teaching in person or virtually and referenced that many faculty members are in an age range that increases their susceptibility to the symptoms of and even potential death from COVID-19. What safety options are you offering the rest of the Cornell Community that are also in the same situation as faculty, keeping in mind that many of them do not have the ability to do their work remotely?
  • Per a New York Times article earlier this week, there is suspicion that COVID-19 could be transmitted via exhaled airborne aerosols that can linger in the air for hours.  This obviously would be an issue for classrooms used "in-person" instruction.   There could be an infection risk if two classes in a row used the same space. What is Cornell's position on this issue, and if it is a concern, how should we remediate classrooms after a given session? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/health/coronavirus-airborne-aerosols.html
  • Because of my health history, I am in a vulnerable group as classified by the CDC. Should I work with my supervisor or do I need to file and ADA Accommodations request to continue working remotely until things are more settled?
  • When does orientation start? We have been asked to participate but need the dates. Thank you!
  • In the modeling, was the adolescent brain and the very high end likelihood the reward of partying/gathering will absolutely outweigh the estimation of the risk? The “compact” without enforcement will not work. Who and how will enforcement occur?
  • Is there a reason you couldn’t require this for Ithaca students but still have classes remotely?
  • Does the testing apply to students living off campus? How to control out of control parties?
  • Has it been confirmed that there will be enough supplies to perform mandatory testing of students every 5-7 days as proposed?
  • Aren’t those graphs based on different assumptions? What would the graphs look like under similar testing conditions?
  • How will accurate contact tracing happen for party guests when hosts don’t know all the names of all the party guests?
  • Who pays for the testing? How fast are results?
  • Will the supported quarantine in hotel, etc., also be available for staff, or just students who test positive?
  • Why is it that you can mandate testing for off-campus students if there are some in-person classes, even if a student does some of all their classes online, but you can’t mandate it for off-campus students if all classes are online?
  • Is there anything in the daily check to prevent people from just lying about symptoms?
  • What role, if any, will the local biotech firm, Rheonix, play in contributing their patented rapid-results COVID-19 assay testing services to the Cornell community’s pooled and individual tests queues?
  • How will behavior be enforced when there is a party of many kids ignoring protocols? What consequences will they face? Please be specific.
  • The parties are already happening, and police and Cornell are not responding to reports. Example – may over July 4th weekend in neighborhoods were many Cornell undergrads live.
  • There have been technical difficulties reported regarding the Daily Checks. Who should people who aren’t receiving the emails contact?
  • Who will be staffing the testing and analysis of the pooled tests to meet the need of testing all students 1x/week?
  • Were the numbers projected in the study only student numbers, or did they include potential hospitalizations of faculty and staff?
  • What about monitoring and safety after Thanksgiving and return of students that live and rent in Ithaca? What does the model show with this?
  • How rapidly do the best tests to which we have access provide results? Can you share the name of the test so we can look up false positive/false negative rates?
  • If we have to change strategy (e.g. switch to remote coursework because of an outbreak), what will be the impact for our international students on campus? Will they risk deportation?
  • Is it true that students are being asked to quarantine prior to traveling to Ithaca? Does a student completing their 14-day quarantine at home rather than once they arrive on campus comply with what Gov. Cuomo has required of anyone coming into NYS?
  • Will testing be available for staff and faculty returning to campus?
  • With states like California, Florida, Arizona and other states with increasing COVID-19 cases, it is wise to even think it would be safe for our students to get on a play and fly not only from those states highly infected, but from the other states too?
  • It’s great to hear that optional testing will be available starting next week for students who are arriving for June 1, July 1, Aug 1 lease starts. Are there details available yet about: 1) which type of test, 2) where testing will happen? Thanks.
  • Recalling from my own college years, both in undergrad and specifically graduates, and as you mention students do visit family and friends, and likewise, friends and family visit throughout the year. Especially with the students that live off campus and those in graduate school. There is the possibility that within the week of testing, and capabilities of contact tracing, that we are not accounting in our projections and models for this “random” behavior and we could have a contact get out of our ability to trace. What will we do at that point?
  • Will students be required to quarantine immediately upon arrival, i.e., no trips to Wegmans, Target, etc. when they get into town?
  • Where will quarantines be set up? There are no sports this fall – will we be utilizing any of those spaces?
  • Does the move-in plan for students contemplate the 14-day self-isolation mandate by the state for people arriving from any of the states on New York’s list? (i.e. Texas, Florida, Arizona, etc.)
  • Why is your confidence in good behavior so low for students living off-campus if classes are all online, and so high for students living on- and off-campus if some classes are in person? Can’t you still do your aggressive public messaging campaign with off-campus students taking all online classes?
  • I have a scenario that is currently happening. I am not going to put names or places due to sensitivities but am happy to talk in more details one on one with the appropriate people. An employee’s live in child’s (adult though) significant other tested positive. So rather than everyone go get tested in the household, they followed this timeline: child tested, wait for results, came back positive, then employee tested days after the initial positive and waiting on results. That employee was on campus prior to child/S.O. being positive and came into contact with many, many people. No announcement and no one has been contacted or asked to get a test done. Why wouldn’t every be told of the possible exposure and asked to get tested immediately? This situation has the potential to effect 30 plus employees. Why are we allowed to sit and wait for test results before notifying everyone to at least get tested?
  • Who pays for student/staff Covid tests?
  • The return of students is causing great anxiety for some of our academic staff, especially when their research was just recently reactivated. Is there a plan for how research will be impacted should a COVID breakout happen on campus? Could research be shut down again?
  • Is there a unified Ivy League or other consortium of institutions together to lobby or sue the POTUS or Federal government to significantly provide aid to cover extra cleaning/care costs due to COVID-19?
  • Thank you Joel, if time allows could you speak to some of the steps taken to aggressively oppose the ICE order and protect our international student safety.
  • With regards to the “cannot have zero risk” statement from the slides: How do we weigh what level of hospitalization and death to Ithaca community members is “allowable”? I’d like to question the framing of the statement that “even more illness is likely without reopening,” which seems to be centering on Cornell student audiences and erasing other Ithacans/county residents from the cost-benefit calculations.
  • If the confidence in off campus behavior is so low, and most off campus students arrive before mandated testing begins, how does gateway testing reduce the impact? Those students will be here untested anyway, and then students living in the dorms will arrive and double the population, having not had to go through the mandatory quarantine.
  • Professor Daniel R. Schwarz posted his Twitter on Jul 6 “At universities, including Cornell where I teach, students and faculty this fall will find new class & social arrangements challenging, but with enthusiasm, adaptability, & passion for learning, we will find new ways of working together & making the most of our opportunities.”
  • Will faculty and staff be subject to the same frequent COVID testing mandate as the students who return for in-person instruction?
  • How are we appealing to Cornellians to the rally ahead?
  • What role does Tompkins County, City of Ithaca, and Cayuga Heights have in all of this?
  • What is the guidance for hosting on-campus extension workshops for industry employees?
  • Have there been steps taken / communication with the residents of the city of Ithaca regarding their concern for public and community health with the return of students?
  • If a student refuses testing and is denied campus access and/or forced to withdraw from classes, they will still be able to remain in Ithaca and not have any oversight on their behavior and infection status. Has this situation been taken into account in the models?
  • My new roommate moving in at the end of the month is a new master’s Cornell student coming from another state where COVID is currently spiking. Can he get a free optional test before classes start? If yes, where can he do that? We have rigorous protocols, including a 2-week quarantine, but it would be better if he could have access to a free test before September. Thanks!
  • Will there be an option to hire work-study students, such as in dining and in the libraries that depend heavily on student workers?
  • With classes being held on Labor Day, will that no longer be a holiday for staff?
  • It can be argued that messaging and punitive measures have not been effective in getting Greek organizations to comply and behave safely, as evidenced by the recent death of a Greek student. Why do you expect this campaign to be so much more effective and successful?
  • Will the findings and the memberships of the functional review committees be made available for review by the community? I appreciated that the reports of the reactivation committees were made available for review.
  • Thank you for all this information. Might there be an increase in campus mental health support availability at the student and/or faculty and staff level for the upcoming year?
  • Are we going to have spaces available for students to utilize for studying spaces outside of the residence halls? Otherwise it seems as though we are highly concentrating them to the residence halls, putting the staff there at more risk and having to put more work on holding students accountable to the behavioral contract.
  • Does the projections that show the difference of the hospitalization rate for bringing the students back/keeping them solely online only apply to the Cornell community? Or does it project Ithaca community as a whole?
  • Will testing be available for all staff, or just those working on campus?
  • Is VP Lombardi including professional and graduate students in the health ambassador program?
  • Where is leadership in planning NYC campuses (excluding WCM) / offices reopening?
  • What will be the plan be for parents/family members who will be helping their child move back to Ithaca and say they are coming from one of the high risk states? They could certainly bring the virus, be here for a few days, and then leave. Thank you all for your hard work!!
  • We are learning that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are more susceptible to infection and negative outcomes for COVID-19. How is the university supporting employees who identify themselves in these categories?
  • Labor Day this fall is on the calendar as a day of instruction. Are non-faculty staff members expected to work that day?
  • So many of us have children in the public schools – is Cornell working with them on their planning and the impact on the university employees?
  • What will determine when the Statler Hotel can re-open to outside guests? Will guests need to complete “Daily Check” like Cornell staff?
  • Will staff and students be provided with a mechanism to report concerns about social distancing and mask use? Will CUPD be allowed to enforce the same?
  • With the February 9th return to campus, will there be further adjustments to the academic calendar in Spring 2021?
  • FSAP is a phenomenal resource that I would recommend any of my fellow staff to utilize. Unfortunately, they are especially understaffed and can see clients only about once a month. Is there a possibility for FSAP to hire additional professionals?
  • Will the air handlers and HVAC systems of campus facilities be modified to reduce the spread of the virus? Will the university put medical grade air purifiers into buildings?
  • Will a social contract like the one discussed for students be implemented for faculty and staff? Even with the new University requirements, we see employees not following the requirement.
  • What about masks vs. face shields? Any evidence for preference?

Topic: Furlough and Layoffs

  • While you have communicated additional measures to address the FY21 budget deficit, do you foresee any other furloughs or potential layoffs to staff?
  • Given that the financials provided with the reactivation announcement showed a balanced budget after reductions in retirement contributions and salaries, do you anticipate further budget shortfalls that will require additional measures, such as staff reductions? Do you anticipate layoffs?
  • Hi Martha, with a grim budget projection for 2021, do you see a downsizing (layoffs)for custodial workers on campus? Thank you!
  • Is Cornell going to be able to avoid layoffs? How worried should I be?
  • Are furloughs or layoffs still on the table to make up the FY21 budget deficit?
  • We’ve heard “we grew back those jobs” a lot but in truth, we didn’t grow back the jobs that were cut. Building Care lost many jobs during 2008-2009 but those jobs did not grow back.
  • Is part of the administrative review going to look at organizations that shrank during the 2008 down turn and did not grow again & now may shrink again? Leaving people doing work that used to be done by several people with no relief in sight.
  • Will the decision on public school return have any impact or influence on staffing cuts/levels? If working parents are forced to continue covering childcare/schooling and jobs, coupled with covering long term vacancies and potential retirements, how will the university support productivity?

Topic: FY21 Budget Deficit Measures

  • During the reduction of salaries decision making process was there any consideration taken for single income households? As a single parent, the salary reduction may impact me more than those with two income households.
  • The State/Contract college compensation cuts were scaled based on employee's total compensation ranging from 0%-5%. Why aren't the Endowed employees' CURP cuts scaled in a similar fashion? A Contract employee earning $50,000 will see a pay cut of $500 while an endowed employee earning $50,000 will see a CURP cut of $3500. That is a 7-fold difference in employee "sacrifice" to deal with the University's fiscal challenges. Also, the top-tier of Contract college cuts for those earning over $250,000 (5%) is still lower than the 7% across the board CURP cuts that hit even the lowest earning endowed staff.
  • Can you explain why Contract College employees are subject to a sliding scale pay reduction between .5-5%, while Endowed employees are taking a 7% across-the-board reduction in CURP? In example at $40K a year, a contract employee appears to take a salary reduction of $200, while that same employee on the endowed side is subject to a $2800 reduction. How is this a fair implementation of financial burden to employees?
  • Why is the University only willing to take an additional approx. 0.2% (15M) from the Endowment, but have taken up to 9-10% of employee pay through SIPs, CURP and Salary Reductions, that will not be repaid?
  • Does the University intend to make the TDA reduction permanent to save costs? If this is only temporary, will the University pay the amount temporarily reduced when the cash situation has improved? Has the University considered reducing regular pay instead of deferred tax pension amounts, considering the adverse tax implications, or giving a choice, or was this too complex?
  • 1. Is the University planning to return the money they receive from the salary reduction program to employees when it is in a better financial situation? Or if an employee were to leave Cornell? In effect, an interest-free loan from employees to Cornell. 2. Given that staff are not receiving a SIP this year, can the University increase its base percentage for future SIP from 2% to 3% or 4%? And in this way, "make up" for having not given employees a SIP this year. 3. If an employee takes the retirement incentive and the position is not filled, can the remaining staff in that department (who must take on the retiree's duties) be exempt from the salary reduction? 4. Why were circumstances like household size and one-income vs. two-income households not considered when implementing the salary reduction program? 5. Is the salary reduction program enough that the University does not also have to consider layoffs?
  • Are all employees (faculty and staff) receiving the retirement/salary reduction, or are just staff?
  • Why are essential employees who have not stop working during Covid-19 losing income? It seems like the wrong way to thank essential employees who have continued to work with reduced hours but not with reduced work. Also, essential employees have still had to pay gas/ other expenses, while other employees have been able to remain at home. Overall it just seems like alternative steps could have been made so essential employees’ income, who without us the college would be in a worse financial situation, was not touched.
  • Are you able to guarantee that on July 1, 2021, employees will receive back their 7% in retirement contributions? Also, can you assure us that the decision to take away from employee benefits was VERY well thought out and was an absolute last resort?
  • Do the salary reductions (contract) and cuts to retirement contributions (endowed) apply to faculty and staff or only staff?
  • Outside of salary cuts at the senior leadership level and other voluntary salary reductions, are current faculty compensation packages being cut or modified (like they are with staff) to help with the projected University deficit?
  • Slide seven of the FY21 budget slides linked in the 7/2 message from President Pollack and Provost Kotlikoff indicates that $25M will be saved with "reductions in common support functions". I know it was well communicated that the 5%, 10%, and 20% budget reduction planning scenarios were happening, but it now seems like one (or a combination) of these scenarios are now necessary (and quite possible already happening) given the fall operating announcement. Assuming this is correct, when can staff expect to hear more about these "reductions"? I understand it's a difficult decision to make and then also communicate, and any information you are able to provide about this, or even a timeframe of when we can expect to hear more is appreciated.
  • Salary reductions for contract college employees during the coming fiscal year will have a long-lasting, negative effect on retirement benefits for those in the NYSLRS, and who are within 3 years of retirement, because benefit calculations are made using the 3 highest years of salaries. What will be done to offset or avoid potential reductions in retirement benefits for NYSLRS enrollees who are within 3 years of retirement?
  • You have stated that payroll costs account for more than 60 percent of the university’s operating budget and have therefore proposed a pay reduction for the Contract College to help address the looming budget shortfall. As members of the research community (Post-Doc's, technicians, etc.) are paid by a lab's individual grant funding (soft money) and 0% is paid by Cornell how is it justified that those individuals are required to take a pay reduction as their salaries have no detriment toward Cornell's overall operating costs?
  • Why should essential workers, who for some, have come to campus every day throughout this pandemic sacrifice their retirement contribution while some "idle" workers are still being paid their full salary while staying home? Plus, now we see where some of the idle workers’ pay will be reimbursed by the state.
  • Thank you, Mary, for this opportunity and to Paul Streeter and his team for all of their work and preserving as many jobs as possible. I just have to state: During this pandemic, the Animal Hospital and Diagnostic Labs has been tasked to work harder and more hours to meet the needs of the community. While deemed "essential", also as NYS Employees, on top of not having a pay increase we have our salaries cut. All of the staff are here on campus, and have been working, since the first day NYS went into "lockdown" in an uncertain, emotional time, while others around the University are able to work in the relative safety and comfort of their homes. I would be remiss if I didn't ask, on behalf of my colleagues in the Animal Hospital and Labs, if this extra work and burden, unique to the rest of the University can be acknowledged, and perhaps rewarded in some way?
  • There is a perception that the retirement contribution decrease that Endowed employees experienced as a result of COVID-19 impacted their total compensation package much more severely than the salary/wage decrease that Contract College employees experienced, particularly for those earning lower amounts. I understand that the cuts needed to be applied to Endowed and Contract employees in different ways. Would it be possible for you to speak to why the impact of these cuts needed to vary as well?
  • Once COVID-19 is behind us and Cornell is financially back on track, is there any plan to pay back employees some or all of the monies taken in the pay cuts?
  • Essential employees have been faced with the added stress of working on-site since the beginning of this pandemic. They will now be faced with an increased volume of work and density on campus when students return, a hiring freeze making it difficult to fill needed vacancies and reduced pay or 403(b) contribution. In addition, the local public schools have yet to announce their plans for fall semester which could greatly impact staff availability. With all of these challenges, have you considered lifting the hiring freeze, or reducing the financial impact for positions that are essential and cannot work remotely?
  • Does the canceling of sports save the University any money?
  • Is there a particular reason why faculty salaries/retirement contributions are not impacted? Unfortunately, this feeds into the culture of the staff vs. faculty dynamic that exists on campus and affects the overall morale and value of staff.
  • What is “Reductions in Common Support Functions”?
  • Can you expand on “reductions in common support functions”?
  • What are considered a Common Support Functions?
  • If a staff member was interested in opting to reduce hours, how can we be assured we will be hired back to full time?
  • How does the salary reduction for contract college employees affect retirement options for those close to retirement (3-year ave. salary)?
  • What does “reducing common support functions” mean?
  • What are “Common Support Functions” in the FY21 Cost Reductions slide? It is one of the largest budget lines in this plan: 25 mil
  • If I were approved for retirement, once I’m retired will you refund my portion of the contribution that was withheld?
  • There is a very high probability of significant equity market losses from Covid-19 economic effects in the near future. Are protections in place to protect the endowment?
  • Can you clarify whether the choice to reduce hours would be in lieu of a salary reduction? Or would it be both? Thank you.
  • Down the road as the financial situation ameliorates, would Cornell be able to establish fundraising efforts for the endowment for a more general “emergency” allocation for these types of extraordinary situations?
  • I was told by the Office of Social Security to contact Amanda Jamison in the HR to acquire forms 564 and 40B in order to enroll in Medicare Plan B since I’m going to retire on Sept. 15 of this year per VIRP. I called 5-3936 and left a message and did a CU directory search but don’t see her name in the HR roster. Is she the person with whom to speak? Please advise.
  • President Pollack – your recent email made it sound like the CURP and Pay reductions were to be able to sustain higher projected requests for student financial aid in the upcoming year and that did not sound fair to the hard working Cornell employees that are providing for their own families during these trying times. Can you comment on this impression?
  • Will classes that are being offered completely online be open to non-Cornell students as a way to generate income?
  • Not sure if this has been or will be asked, but how did leadership come up with and decide on 40K as the minimum pay amount, in regard to contract college employee salary reductions? Thank you.
  • If a staff member was interested in opting to reduce hours, how can we be assured we will be hired back full time? From an employee perspective, I would rather have a bank of unpaid leave days that had a limit, rather than go into a part-time agreement that I was unsure about.
  • How much has been spent so far and will be spent on COVID-19 related expenses to create a safe campus for the fall semester?
  • Does the current budget take into account continuing to pay employees whose work will be limited or eliminate when students leave campus in November and until students return in February?
  • Cornell owns many assets such as land and mineral rights to those lands. Some of these assets can be sold and/or used to help with the financial impact. Has there been any thought of using these assets to alleviate the hardships that the staff will have? I would also add that there are 0% loans available as well that could help.
  • Any info yet on student hiring for our running of our offices PLUS hitting Financial Aid goals?
  • How does the hiring freeze apply to campus work study positions?
  • I was essentially forced into a higher level administrative position a few weeks ago without any say in the matter. I’m wondering if you can speak to when I may be able to see my monetary promotion in the future? Will it have to coincide with the end of the hiring freeze?
  • When did the hiring freeze begin, and does it apply to all? Some colleges are welcoming new faculty this summer, while selected staff are being laid off.
  • Will remote workers be expected to participate in the weekly testing?
  • In light of the pandemic financial implications we are currently experiencing, are certain benefit programs, namely, the employee degree program and the ability for staff to take courses, impacted at all?

Topic: Working Remotely

  • I understand the necessity of cutting salaries and retirement contributions for the next year, but most of us are also incurring additional expenses working from home (furniture, equipment, increased utility bills, etc.). Some of us have been informed that we will be working remotely permanently, even after the current situation clears. What measures are being considered to address these expenses? Thanks.
  • Now that many staff recognize that we're looking at working from home for the foreseeable future, has there been any discussion among University leadership about potential expenses staff may incur in setting up functional remote workspace? (I.e. upgrading home internet; ergonomic concerns, potential liability/insurance needs, etc.) Thank you.
  • Are graduate student TAs being given the same opportunity to teach remotely as faculty are being given?
  • Not every job can be done from home, so what happens if you are a TA and you simply don’t feel safe to teach in person?
  • The existing remote work arrangements do not require a remote workplace agreement. This has allowed supervisors flexibility with their teams and has been a great benefit. Will Cornell continue to allow remote work without a formal remote workplace agreement to continue?
  • Can you provide an estimate time frame for staff to be working remotely?
  • Can you give a little clarity to the concept of how we appear “open” but keep staff working remotely? I’m hearing concerns that there be some staff presence so that students feel like campus is actually open, but that conflicts somewhat with the concept of work that can be done remotely do so. Should we plan to have some kind of staff presence in departments?
  • One issue that has come up for many staff and faculty working remotely is poor internet options in rural areas. Local providers are overwhelmed and unable to expand current services. I am sure that other institutions and businesses in the region are faced with the same challenges. Since this impacts the safety and economy of the state, could Cornell initiate conversations with the NYS Public Services Commission to make sure that our state government is aware of this issue and work with internet providers to be able to expand or enhance services quickly to address it?
  • How is the mental health of staff going to be addresses as many of us are told to maintain our remote work? I worry about many who are quite literally alone here in Ithaca, and how mental wellbeing may be negatively impacted by being required to isolate throughout the year, especially during the winter. Will staff have the opportunity to decide to come into their offices so we can still maintain some kind of human contact?
  • Can the university offer support for how to use technology to facilitate remote work?