April 21, 2020 | Update from the COVID-19 Response Team

April 21, 2020

April 21, 2020 | Update from the COVID-19 Response Team

Dear RVU Family,

Today marks the 3-month time period of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States, recorded on January 21, 2020 in Washington State. Unfortunately, the number of reported cases and deaths remain high with no definitive signs of rounding the outbreak peak.

It is sad to see millions of Americans being so negatively impacted by this pandemic physically, mentally, and financially. The brewing of negative emotions during a long lasting crisis is not unnatural and often includes feelings of depression, frustration, anger, and impatience. These emotions have regrettably led to some ugliness with some Americans reacting with racist acts against Asian Americans and protests against government around the country. Let us be mindful to always endeavor for positivity and prevent any negative emotions from affecting our own behaviors negatively.

The core values of RVU provide positive guidance for our university and should be reflected upon when negative thoughts threaten to invade even the best of us.

Your well-being is important to us. Here are a few reminders and updates since our correspondence last Friday:

Support for your well-being: As personal stress is on the rise, please remember we have the following free services available to you.
- Students can call (888) 893-5462 to speak confidentially with an expert on professional guidance. You are also welcome to reach out to RVU’s Mental Health Counselors.
- Employees can utilize our EAP’s EmployeeConnect, which offers counseling services, online articles on various personal well-being topics, and other resources to assist during difficult times. If you feel isolated, concerned or depressed, the EAP offers up to five (5) free, confidential telephonic or video-based one-on-one counseling sessions - Just call 888-628-4824. Additional Employee Resources are on our COVID-19 website.
Employee Pulse Survey: The HR team has contracted with Gallup organization to gather employee opinions related to how you are being impacted by the pandemic work situation. This is a confidential survey requiring 3-5 minutes. Gallup will provide RVU with aggregate group-level data to assist our efforts to provide you with further needed support and to communicate more effectively. The results will be shared with our employees. The survey will launch tomorrow and is due by Monday, so be on the lookout!
Campus re-opening decisions: “When will RVU re-open?” is probably the #1 question on everyone’s mind. We, as a team, have made the decision that we will re-open the campuses when we have all the necessary data to make such well-informed decisions. Our decisions will be based on our guiding principles and strategic plan. We will not make decisions based on emotions, politics or public sentiment. The health and safety of all of you are our highest priorities.