Community News

3/19/2020

Dear Colleagues,

The FSU Executive Committee is committed to the physical health, mental health and financial security of all UMass Boston students, faculty, and staff, as well as that of the larger UMass community. We believe UMass can and should be a leader in ensuring these values as we work remotely.  Thus far, while UMass students, faculty and librarians have been allowed to work remotely in the interest of public health, many staff have not been offered the same freedom and assurance.  They need our support.

3/18/2020

Corrected 3/18/20, 2:00PM

Dear Colleague,

Things are changing quickly, so we want to share with you additional information that we gathered from various sources and from a meeting some of the executive committee members had with the Administration yesterday.  We asked many of the questions members have been asking, so see the answer to your questions below. 

Preparations for teaching/research/work for the semester

3/16/2020

Dear Colleague:

Our sisters and brothers in PSU, CSU, GEO and other unions on the UMass Boston campus need your immediate assistance. The University is still requiring “essential” employees to come to campus tomorrow and for the rest of the semester. The definition of essential has been left up to supervisors and in some areas it is being defined very broadly. Please circulate the following petition to FSU members so that they can demand that that Interim Chancellor Newman keep the community safe:

3/12/2020

Dear Colleagues,

The FSU Executive Committee informed you in an email on Tuesday, March 10^th that members of the Executive Committee and the Core Bargaining Team were meeting with the Provost on Wednesday afternoon. 

This email is to update you all on what we learned at our meeting with the Provost yesterday and what we know as of this morning. The University’s response to the coronavirus outbreak is very fluid right now.  We will continue to communicate as we receive more information. 

3/10/2020

Dear Colleagues,

The FSU Executive Committee writes to inform you that at our meeting today, Tuesday, March 10^th, we discussed at great length the Interim Provost’s memorandum, about UMass Boston’s plans to respond to the Covid-19 virus, which includes preparing for restricted access to the physical campus to safeguard our community’s health.