Research Operations Year-End Closure

The University will close all campuses during the late December holiday season.  For the Twin Cities campuses, the University will be closed 10 days from December 24, 2010 to January 2, 2011.  This closure will affect research operations, so it is important that we begin planning now.

Faculty will have access to their offices and labs similar to other University holidays such as the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, although many buildings will be slightly colder than usual.  Research Animal Resources will maintain regular animal care and veterinary services, but researchers should assume that other University, collegiate, and department research support operations will be closed during that time.  Civil service and bargaining unit employees will be on holiday December 24, 27, and 31 and unpaid furloughs December 28, 29, and 30 and are not to be scheduled to work.  Faculty and P&A staff will be available to work December 28, 29, and 30, but will be encouraged to work off site, if possible.

As researchers plan for this closure, they should assume:

• Buildings will be locked but accessible through normal security.  Buildings will be colder than usual.
• Civil service and bargaining unit employees will not be available to work.  They will be on holiday and unpaid furlough.
• Faculty and P&A staff will be available to work, but will be encouraged to work off site, if possible.
• Graduate assistants and professionals in training will be available.
• Research Animal Resources will provide regular animal care and veterinary services.  Its business office will be closed, and animal ordering and transport services will not be available.
• Other University, collegiate, and department research support operations, including shared resources such as glass washing, core labs, and shared research equipment will be closed.

Certain research operations cannot close down — they need to remain open to maintain research equipment, cell cultures, plants, animals, and other research assets, and to protect the continuity and integrity of the research. There may also be some instances where it is impossible to schedule critical research around the University closure.

In instances where researchers need:

• Civil service/bargaining unit employees to work, or
• RAR and other University, collegiate, and department research support operations,

The lead PI is asked to prepare a plan that identifies:

• The research to be maintained/conducted, and why.
• The building and rooms.
• The research staff needed to work.  If any civil service and bargaining unit employees are required to work, then we need to know the three other days in this fiscal year when they will take their unpaid furlough.
• Any centrally managed (University, collegiate, or department) research operations needed to support the research.

The plans should be submitted by November 12 to the PI’s collegiate Dean, who in turn will forward them with his/her recommendation to the Vice President for Research.  They will be reviewed to assess the criticality of the research during the closure, to ensure compliance with civil service/bargaining unit human resources policies, and to facilitate coordination of facilities and other central/shared research support that might be needed.  Final approval will rest with the respective Senior Vice Presidents, after consultation with the Vice President for Research.

Researchers should contact their collegiate Associate Dean for Research with any questions regarding this process.

The information in this post was emailed to Twin Cities research faculty on Oct. 25, 2010.