President Bob Iuliano announces new initiatives for the summer directed towards helping employees relax and recharge from the past year.
Dear Colleagues,
When speaking with our student-athletes each season, a common refrain among Gettysburg coaches is to “leave it all out on the field.” As we eye our final four weeks of the spring semester, following a year as labyrinthine and arduous as any in our lifetimes, I want to express to you—resoundingly—that we indeed have left it all out on the field for our students.
I have worked in higher education nearly all of my entire adult life. Never have I seen a group of colleagues so committed to the mission of an institution or to the wellbeing of its students. This is a testament to not only the values of this community, but also the resilience and character of each one of you. Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, to make this College such a special place for our students to live and learn.
After an academic year that has required so much of us—and, in turn, so much of our families and loved ones—I fully recognize the mental, physical, and emotional fatigue that many of you are feeling. It is important that we use the summer months as an opportunity to all recharge and recalibrate, particularly as we seek to set a more traditional, post-pandemic rhythm in the year ahead.
With this goal in mind, I would like to announce some new initiatives—supported by the President’s Council—for this summer at Gettysburg College.
- Two Additional Days Off: This summer, we are pleased to provide all employees with two additional days off: Friday, May 28, before Memorial Day Weekend, and Friday, July 2, prior to Independence Day. Both days will be considered College floating holidays (coded with FH on timesheets). Employees who work in offices and departments that do not have the flexibility to take off either May 28 or July 2 will have floating holidays to use before Thursday, September 30.
- Vacation Time: All College administrators will be permitted carry 10 vacation days from 2020-21 academic year to use by Thursday, September 30. In addition, I would strongly encourage all Gettysburg employees to take full advantage of your allotted vacation days this summer. To be at our very best, we all need time away from our day-to-day work. Please schedule this time in advance and use this opportunity to relax or pursue activities that give you joy.
- Summer Hours: The College’s summer hours will begin on Saturday, June 5, and will continue until Friday, August 13. If you have questions about summer hours, please be in touch with your supervisor for more information.
- Zoom-Free Fridays: Departments and offices are encouraged to implement Zoom-Free Fridays this summer. As we know, we have all been in a lot of meetings this academic year to make an educational experience possible for our students amid the pandemic. This has resulted in a bit of “Zoom fatigue” across our campus community. Let’s try, where possible, to limit our virtual meetings to Mondays through Thursdays, and allow Fridays to be more open.
- Employee Enrichment Program: The Human Resources Office, in collaboration with their campus partners, is planning its second Employee Enrichment Program. The event will take place between June 7-9. All Gettysburg employees will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of personal and professional development sessions, held inside and outside—in person and virtually. Our HR colleagues are in the early stages of their planning, however, some of their initial programming includes a campus horticulture tour, outdoor yoga, a fly fishing demonstration, a campus-wide scavenger hunt, and a tour of the Innovation and Creativity Lab. Employees will have the opportunity to win prizes for their participation.
- Gettysburg College Spirit Day: We are excited to host a Gettysburg College Spirit Day this summer. If you would be interested in helping to make this a memorable day of fellowship and celebration for our campus, please contact Darrien Davenport. We are open to ideas on how to make this event truly Gettysburg Great for our employees!
Again, I want to thank you for your extraordinary efforts in this most extraordinary year. While we want to finish this semester strong, including by hosting a safe and unforgettable in-person Commencement Ceremony for this special class of seniors, we would not have made it this far without all of you.
I cannot fully express my appreciation at working alongside such a dedicate group of colleagues. Please take the time over the coming months to recharge and THANK YOU!
Best,
Bob