COVID-19 emergency paid leave reminder

The University will continue to provide emergency paid leave for employees and student workers affected by COVID-19 for the 2023 calendar year. This emergency paid leave is available for employees and student workers who:

• Are unable to work due to COVID-related illness
• Need to quarantine or isolate because of exposure to COVID-19
• Must care for someone or a child who is ill with COVID-19
• Need time off to get a COVID-19 vaccine or have an adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine

For more information, including how to request time off under this policy, see Emergency paid leave.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination

To ensure the University meets the federal executive order first noted in President Gabel’s October message, all staff must fill out the "Report a Vaccination or Exemption" form located in MyU in the My Info tab under Vaccination. The deadline to complete the form is Friday, December 3, 2021. More information about the requirement can be found on the Vaccine Certification page, and step-by-step instructions are also available.

Positive Coronavirus response procedure

As we return to campus, University Health and Safety has issued a response procedure in the event of a positive coronavirus case. If a workspace is affected, it should be left unoccupied for 7 days. After 7 days, the virus is no longer viable, and regular cleaning should easily disinfect the space.

If the workspace must be occupied within 7 days, it should be left undisturbed for at least 1 day. Afterwards, all potentially affected and high-touch surfaces and equipment should be cleaned with soap and water and then disinfected with an EPA-approved disinfectant. For more information on how to respond to a positive coronavirus case on campus, visit Cleaning Work Areas Occupied by a COVID-19 Case.

Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) spending update

As of June 30, 2021, the Twin Cities campus has provided students with $11,329,711.40 of the roughly $12.4M the campus has received. Currently, we are still processing emergency grant requests, with One Stop serving as the intake for these requests. The Twin Cities quarterly report can be found on CRRSAA Reporting document.

Zoom recording storage changes

To ensure future cloud storage capacity, the Zoom cloud storage duration will be reduced to a maximum of 180 days after January 29, 2021. Afterwards, the recordings will be moved to the trash folder. Zoom recordings used to be saved for 455 days. However, due to the increased use of Zoom during COVID-19, this time frame was reduced to ensure storage capacity. If you want to retain your recordings before they are deleted, you must download the files, which can be accessed at umn.zoom.us.

Video files, however, tend to be large, which can slow down your device. So we recommend storing your zoom recordings on one of the following University-funded cloud storage options:

• Google drive
• Kaltura MediaSpace

If you have any questions, please contact Technology Help.