In light of the extensive input received from staff, the administration has clarified plans for office operating hours on the new campus. The initial proposal called for office staff to work from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm with a one-hour lunch break. That has now been modified so that office hours for individual staff will not be mandated, but rather, the 8:30 am to 4:30 pm period will be established as "core business hours" when all offices are required to be open and able to provide full service to clients.
"We believe that extending core business hours will enable us to provide a level of service that should reasonably be expected of a 'world class university,' said Paul Donoghue, vice president of planning and administration. "However, we recognize that the move to the new campus will represent a significant change in well-established workday patterns for many in the AUC community. We want to give managers and staff flexibility so that they can decide how best to organize themselves and provide the coverage necessary to ensure service." Some offices and departments already provide extended service beyond the current 8:30 am to 3:30 pm period and their experience may prove valuable to others who will need to prepare for this transition.
The new core business hours will not be implemented until January, 2009. President David Arnold noted that: "There will need to be a settling-in period as we adjust to life on the new campus and with Ramadan scheduled to begin September 1, trying to change to our new core business hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm would prove very difficult. A January implementation will allow us all to plan for the change in an orderly fashion."
During the first semester on the new campus, offices not already providing service beyond 3:30 pm will be asked to submit detailed plans to their respective area heads for review.
March 16, 2008
