Finals
With finals being administered remotely this week, exams will continue as scheduled. Instructors are urged to be flexible in handling individual situations, such as students who may rely on campus Wi-Fi to complete their final exams or who experience power outages due to weather. In these situations, students must be given the opportunity to complete an alternative assessment or a make-up exam. In addition, instructors should not travel to campus to administer a remote exam during a change in normal campus operations, nor should students travel to campus to take an exam.
Employees
While segments of University employees continue to work remotely during the pandemic, Penn State is clarifying its guidance for all employees in the event of a change in normal campus operations:
- Essential employees reporting to campus for work: Employees who currently report to campus for work and have been previously identified as performing duties essential to maintaining campus operations should report to campus as directed. These employees will receive Campus Closure Compensatory Time for hours worked, subject to guideline maximums.
- Non-essential employees working on campus: Employees who are not identified as performing duties essential to maintaining campus operations, who are unable to perform their work remotely, and are currently required to report to campus for their job, should not report to work. These employees will receive Campus Closure Pay, subject to guideline provisions.
- Employees working remotely: If an employee is working remotely (because of the COVID-19 pandemic, under an approved telecommuting arrangement, or otherwise), and the employee continues to be able to work, they should perform their regularly assigned duties. Employees working remotely are not eligible for Campus Closure Compensatory Time. An employee working a rotating schedule of on-campus and remote work should plan to work remotely, regardless of rotation schedule. Supervisors of remote employees should be flexible to allow employees the option to use accrued vacation or personal holiday time and flexible hours during a campus closure or transition to remote operations, where feasible.
- Employees working at an alternate work location: If an employee is working at an alternate location, such as attending a conference or training, the employee is not eligible for Campus Closure Compensatory Time if they are able to continue their work responsibilities.
You can sign up for emergency text alerts at https://psualert.psu.edu/psualert.