Stay at Home Order

Today, Governor JB Pritzker issued a stay at home order for the state of Illinois in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Starting Saturday March 21 at 5 pm until the end of the day April 7, all residents are subject to stay at home order.

During his press conference the Governor said “Illinois residents will still be able to go to the grocery store, pharmacy, medical offices or the hospital.  You can fill your cars up with gas, go running, hiking, walk your dog and many will still go to work.”  What does change is all non-essential businesses must stop operating and non-essential employees must work from home if they can, but the fundamental building blocks that keep our society safe and steady will not be closing down.

So, what does this mean for Bradley University? The U.S. Department of Homeland Security deems colleges and universities as critical and vital infrastructure, so restrictions may vary compared to other businesses and organizations during this time.

First and foremost – classes will resume online Monday, March 30. That will not change. We will continue teaching online through the end of the semester.

Bradley recently transitioned to an alternate workplace scenario for most employees and will continue to operate under those guidelines with a few more restrictions.

• Employees who requested to work from campus based on personal preference, but were not deemed essential, will no longer be allowed to do so. Please work with your supervisor to transition to remote working. We are reviewing which employees are deemed essential.
• All essential personnel should continue reporting to campus.
• Move out from the residence halls will be suspended as of 10 p.m. today (March 20). Those students who have already been approved to stay in the residence halls, Student Apartment Complex or St. James will be allowed to stay. Those who are living in other locations, including Main Street Commons, must work with their landlords.
• Faculty and staff will be allowed to return to campus to pick up items they need so they can work remotely, but we ask that your time on campus be short and all CDC recommendations on social distancing be respected. These trips to campus should be limited. 

Here is a summary (subject to change) of operations we have determined to be essential and we expect to continue on campus at this time:

• Health Services will remain open for students with limited hours. Please call first to make an appointment. Walk-ins will not be accepted per CDC recommendation.
• Limited student housing for those with extenuating circumstances.
• Limited dining services will be available in Williams Hall. Details can be found here.
• Building systems and custodial services (at reduced levels)
• Laboratory access for the care of animals, plants, cultures and tissues as well as the upkeep of equipment
• Police 
• Building systems 
• IT services associated with onsite support of campus IT infrastructure and remote learning
• Human resources services will continue, but primarily remotely
• Counseling services will be offered via Bongo appointments beginning March 30. No onsite services will be available at this time.

All employees should change their outgoing voicemail, check voicemail regularly, respond to emails as often as possible and review the FAQ’s posted on our website. Please stay up to date with ALL emails sent to you about COVID-19, as they include new information pertinent to you. We know these times are frightening and raise lots of questions. We urge you to remain calm and do you best to stay healthy by following the guidelines set forth by the CDC.

–Sent to the Bradley family on 03/20/2020