By Kristen Mitchell
George Washington University President Thomas LeBlanc expressed his gratitude to GW’s staff for their ability to adapt quickly and take on new and expanded roles amid the COVID-19 outbreak during a virtual conversation with staff on Wednesday.
“I’ve been hearing many stories from our students and faculty about the staff who are going the extra mile for them,” he said. “I want you to know I realize how fortunate we are here at GW to have such a dedicated and caring community of staff to support our university.”
Dr. LeBlanc reiterated GW’s commitment to centering all decisions about how to respond to the current situation around safety and the welfare of the university community. He applauded the work of designated on-site employees and the staff leading the Pandemic Readiness and Response Task Force , and said GW’s front-line health care providers have been “nothing short of heroic.”
More than 800 staff members joined the “GW Staff Conversation with President LeBlanc” event, which was moderated by Vice President and Chief People Officer Dana Bradley. Dr. LeBlanc addressed questions submitted prior to the event about planning for fall semester, how GW is contributing to the larger public health effort and whether the university is considering staff layoffs or furloughs. A recording of the event is available.
Planning for the future
The university is currently not planning layoffs or furloughs this fiscal year, which ends June 30, and is actively taking steps to avoid these kinds of difficult personnel actions. There may come a time, however, when the university needs to reevaluate this position, Dr. LeBlanc said.
“While I don’t want to add to anyone’s anxiety you may be experiencing, I do think it’s really important to be honest about the seriousness of the current budget situation, and the uncertainty of the upcoming fiscal year in particular, our fall enrollment,” he said. “We’re not making any decisions lightly. We’re looking comprehensively at our options, we’re consulting widely, and I don’t expect we’ll use any one measure to address the challenges among us.”
University leaders also are evaluating compensation as part of larger discussions about GW’s budget. The university will look seriously at forgoing merit increases this year and implementing salary freezes. Dr. LeBlanc said university leaders will have more to say on this type of action in the days ahead. He also said the university does not currently anticipate making any changes to staff benefits.
Staff also submitted questions about whether senior leadership will be taking pay cuts. The president said this proposal has been a significant topic of conversation among his team, and he expects the administration to make an announcement in the near future. Senior leadership feels strongly about changes to leadership compensation to support the goal of reducing the burden of any other staff actions that may need to be taken, he said.
Dr. LeBlanc published a letter to the GW community on Monday addressing these topics.
Returning to campus
Dr. LeBlanc also addressed questions about when it will be safe for GW staff to return to campus since the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland have different stay-at-home orders.
Like many D.C. employers, GW will be assessing this timeline with a regional perspective, since each jurisdiction has slight variations. Regardless of the different timetables and contingencies, the university anticipates that our “new normal” will continue to require everyone to maintain social distancing for the foreseeable future.
“There’s just so much uncertainty about what the next few months will look like,” he said. “I’d very much like to welcome everyone back to campus as soon as possible. But we just can’t do it until it’s safe.”
Dr. LeBlanc remains hopeful that GW will have in-person instruction and a residential academic experience for the fall semester. University leaders are meeting frequently and addressing contingency planning for enrollment and retention, academic programming, student life, public health, research and the budget. Decisions about fall semester and future planning will be communicated as they are finalized.
The university has continued heightened cleaning procedures in all campus spaces while essential staff and some students remain in Foggy Bottom. These practices will continue for the foreseeable future, and the university will continue to confer with public health authorities on any additional actions that should be taken once stay-at-home orders are lifted.
Dr. LeBlanc also was asked how he thought COVID-19 will affect the higher education landscape. The pandemic has introduced more uncertainty into planning for all colleges and universities, he said, but GW’s core missions of teaching and research are as important as ever.
“We may need to alter how we work, or the ways in which we fulfill our mission, but we have always needed to evolve to remain relevant,” he said. “I’m confident we’ll be able to do that in this situation too.”
Foggy Bottom today
The university has been supporting GW’s health care enterprise and continues to stay in close communication with colleagues at the GW Medical Faculty Associates and GW Hospital. GW has made space available on the Foggy Bottom campus for our providers who aren’t able to travel home to be with their families while they are caring for patients and is providing drive-thru COVID-19 testing for eligible individuals.
Dr. LeBlanc encouraged staff to continue living the “OUR GW” priorities and values during the virtual learning period by continuing to care for one another during these “uncertain and challenging times.”
Like much of the staff, Dr. LeBlanc continues to carry out his regular duties remotely. He has been participating in regular virtual meetings with senior leadership, the Board of Trustees, the Faculty Senate representatives, student government leaders and others across the university. He and his wife, Anne LeBlanc, are following social distancing guidelines and staying home as much as possible.
“Every now and again, Anne and I get out for a walk in the neighborhood. It’s nice to get out, but it isn’t the same when we walk around campus, the GW community is not here. It’s very quiet, it’s very lonely,” he said. “I can’t wait to have everyone back.”
The GW community is urged to continue monitoring GW’s COVID-19 website and FAQs, which are frequently updated with new information.
