May 17 Status Letter
Dear Colleagues:
The Office of Research and Innovation has been working diligently on preparing a phased plan for re-entry into research and creative scholarship activities on the WMU campus. The plan is guided by a number of goals and principles and has been strongly influenced by plans developed by other institutions, their experiences, and best practices. The process has been reviewed by the Covid-19 Response Coordination Team and the President’s Cabinet. While the campus remains closed, Katie John has worked with the governor’s office and confirmed we can start to return to outdoor fieldwork only.
“Section 10(e) - Subject to the enhanced social-distancing rules described in section 11(i) of this order, workers who perform work that is traditionally and primarily performed outdoors, including but not limited to forestry workers, outdoor power equipment technicians, parking enforcement workers, and outdoor workers at places of outdoor recreation not otherwise closed under Executive Order 2020-69 or any order that may follow from it.”
As such, we are allowing those faculty engaged in outdoor fieldwork to apply to de-hibernate the work that occurs outdoors. Currently, Deans are working to communicate this opportunity as a pilot to those faculty that pursue outdoor fieldwork. Amy Naugle, on behalf of our committee, is spearheading an additional pilot of the planning process for on campus research and creative scholarship to test this system prior to any return to on-campus indoor work. That pilot will launch immediately and will be communicated to the representative faculty selected to test the approval system as well as to the research deans and chairs.
The WMU process will be run through InfoReady at https://wmich.infoready4.com/.
Again, please note the campus remains closed at this point and this pilot is not intended to “green light” any on campus indoor research activities. Only outdoor fieldwork that does not require overnight travel is currently under consideration for de-hibernation. An announcement of the the next phase of review of proposals for the resumption of laboratory research at WMU can occur will be communicated once all approvals and plans are in place and coordinated with other areas such as facilities and public safety. Faculty are encouraged to visit the InfoReady site to see the requirements and consider their options under the framework to restart minimal on site work.
ORI will hold a Web Ex town hall to discuss the test of the system and to provide more information on next steps FRIDAY MAY 22, 12:30 at https://wmich.webex.com/meet/terri.kinzy. We are aware that Governor Whitmer announced EXECUTIVE ORDER No. 2020-90 Resumption of laboratory research activities (LINK https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MIEOG/2020/05/15/file_attachments/1453002/EO%202020-90%20Emerg%20Order%20-%20research%20laboratories.pdf) and our program will be assessed to assure it is consistent with the order, WMU policies and procedures, needs and availability of other WMU resources including buildings, facilities, public safety and procurement and integrated into the strategy and process led by the WMU COVID-19 Response Coordination Team.
I want to thank our committee, the Deans and Research Deans, Kay Mortellaro, and the University Libraries for their hard work on this important step.
Sincerely,
Terri Kinzy
Research Re-engagement Planning Committee: Lofton Durham (ORI Faculty Fellow; Associate Professor, Theatre), Terri Goss Kinzy (Vice President of Research and Innovation), Koorosh Naghshineh (Chair, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering), Amy Naugle (ORI Faculty Fellow; Professor, Department of Psychology), Heather Petcovic (Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences)