IT Community Message - 5/26/2020

Preparing for the "Post" World

I've been sitting on a lot of calls and zooms recently – all debating how we bring things back to normal. I think the first recognition is that it's not going to be normal, but may be better stated as "more normal" than what we've been doing with our work lives in the last almost 2.5 months now.

I see a strong commitment to bring as much back onto campus as we can, but to do so will require a level of personal accountability & vigilance that has not been asked of us previously. Making this all the more complicated is this sense of "feeling our way" to ensure we don't get ahead of guidance from the Governor's office or Orange County Board of Supervisors. My thoughts on what this means:

• Stay flexible: We are figuring things out, testing, piloting as we can. Just as we figured out what was need as we all went home, I expect the "phase back in" will have its own set of fits-and-starts. Que sera, sera. You can help us by rolling with it.
• Stay resilient: Resilience is "the capacity of any entity – an individual, a community, an organization, or a natural system – to prepare for disruptions, to recover from shocks and stresses, and then to adapt and grow from a disruptive experience." I think that fits perfect for us.
• Stay vigilant: We've all developed some new skills: awareness of viruses, how to reduce the risk of exposure & transmission, etc. Those skills will come in handy as we come back, venture out, re-engage and also deal with summer allergies, colds and the like. These are all part of life, but we all need to understand that you'll look at me a little differently when I sneeze because of allergies.
• Recognize our community responsibilities: You may be asked to do things upon returning to campus; things you haven't had to do before. In many cases it may not be mandatory, maybe even a little off-putting to you in some way. But before you decide, please think about this: Who are we here for? Our students, our patients, and each other. If you don't want to do it for you; do it for the others in our community. It's the best way to demonstrate that we're all in this together.
• Continue to practice tolerance: Tolerance, respect and appreciation for diversity have long been values we've upheld at our institution. We've always preached them as part of being a community that values diversity and inclusion. We might find this situation will test these values and our reactions in situations in ways we've never considered before.

I don't know how many of you have become avid readers throughout all this, but if not here's one that I think is worth reading as we bounce back: vanityfair.com/news/2020/05/masks-covid-19-infections-would-plummet-new-study-says

As always, keep up the great work. Be well, be safe, be great... and see you soon

Tom