To the Members of the Monmouth University Community:

As you are aware from our previous updates, as well as from the abundance of information being shared publicly, the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues to spread. We continue to monitor this situation and take guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), and local county health officials.

University Sponsored Travel

Following the March 2, 2020 guidance from the NJDOH advising universities to postpone or cancel study abroad programs that could expose students and staff to the potential community spread of COVID-19, I have made the decision to suspend all University-sponsored spring break study abroad travel, effective immediately. The university is working with the students and faculty to examine the ramifications of the suspensions, including financial penalties. At the moment, only the travel portion of the courses are suspended, which means that faculty will be working on alternate protocols to deliver other units and course content.  I’ve asked faculty members to communicate directly with their students.  As of now, this suspension applies to international trips and travel only. All domestic trips, conference travel, and other travel on university business during the next few weeks, including spring break travel, remain unaffected by this suspension. Please stay tuned for periodic updates as we continue to monitor the situation and comply with CDC and other government issued guidelines.

As for upcoming trips in the summer, we will continue to monitor the situation and provide ongoing guidelines.

Given the rapidly evolving situation, I feel it is important that we take all available precautions to support the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff. While this means that some students and faculty must forgo opportunities for global learning and service at this time, we will continue to monitor the situation for future planning purposes and will assist affected students who have concerns related to academic progress and recouping costs from our travel partners.

Personal Travel

Since the situation is changing daily and will likely continue to do so in the coming weeks, we encourage you to monitor the CDC and the U.S. Department of State websites regarding your personal travel plans, and consider postponing personal international travel until the CDC lifts its travel warnings and feels that COVID-19 is under control.

If you are planning any personal travel to an international destination, we highly recommend that you inform yourself on the healthcare system status of your travel destination, and that you stay advised of potential disruptions to your re-entry to the United States and your ability to return successfully to the Monmouth University campus.

We may advise members of the University community who travel internationally to an area of concern to remain off campus for 14 days due to the incubation period for this virus.  If you feel ill during this time and/or have a fever, you should contact your health care provider or call the Monmouth University Health Center prior to being seen. You may call the Health Center for a telephone screening at 732-571-3464 so they may best direct your care.

General Practice

Whether you plan to travel or not, I urge you to be especially diligent in practicing behaviors that help prevent the spread of disease, including washing your hands, avoiding shaking hands, covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or an elbow or shoulder if no tissue is available), and staying home if you are sick.

We will continue to update you as necessary through email and on our COVID-19 information webpage. The Crisis Management Team will continue to monitor this situation and lead the coordinated response for our campus.

Thank you for your cooperation as we work to keep our campus community healthy and safe.

Patrick F. Leahy
President

To the Members of the University Community:

I am writing to follow up on Vice President Nagy’s February 7, 2020 communication regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the University’s preparedness in this area.

As you know, the virus that causes COVID-19 has continued to spread beyond the initial outbreak in China and is now in many countries, including the United States, albeit a relatively small number of cases. Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization suggests that the virus may affect more people and it is prudent for all countries and organizations to prepare accordingly.

Please be assured that the University is doing so. University officials are monitoring the situation carefully and working with the appropriate local and state public health officials to stay abreast of this rapidly evolving situation. In addition, the University has activated the Crisis Management Team to lead our coordinated efforts on campus.

During the course of the past week, we have been in touch with all of our students studying abroad and our study abroad partners to discuss the situation and to ensure appropriate planning and precautions are in place. We currently have students studying in Australia, Germany, and England. There are no students studying in Italy at this time. We will continue to assess the situation as it may relate to study abroad and faculty-led programs for spring break, summer, and fall semester travel and make decisions regarding these programs in consultation with our partner institutions and appropriate University personnel.

All of us should be reminded that there are many preventive measures for us to follow to prevent the spread of the flu, the coronavirus, and other common viruses. Among them are:

• Wash hands often with soap and water. If not available, use hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home while you are sick and avoid contact with others.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
• Place used tissues into a wastebasket and then wash your hands.

The recent global events can produce a wide and fluctuating range of emotional responses, which may vary from person to person. As always, Counseling and Psychological Services staff are available to consult with members of the campus community regarding any distress, and they can be contacted at 732.571.7517 or MUCounseling@monmouth.edu.

Please stay tuned for regular updates as this situation unfolds.

Patrick F. Leahy
President

Dear Members of the Monmouth University Community:

I want to share with you two organizational changes which are important for you to know. 

The first change is that Dr. Zaneta Rago-Craft, Director of the Intercultural Center, will report directly to Dr. Rekha Datta, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President.  This change will allow the important work of the Center to be fully immersed in the life of the University supporting faculty, students, and staff.  I shared this with the President’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion and feel it is important to share with all of you, too. 

Secondly, Paul Dement, Director of Government and Community Relations, will return to the Office of University Advancement to coordinate all our external efforts in a more concentrated way. 

These changes will go into effect January 2020, and I am very grateful for everyone’s flexibility in this process.  Please feel free to send any questions directly to me.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick Leahy
President

Dear Members of the University Community:

One week ago on Wednesday, November 13^th, we launched our Strategic Planning process with a fun community activity – the Strategic Plan-a-thon. As a result of that effort and a four-day electronic version of the event, over 1,000 ideas were shared with the Strategic Planning Steering Committee. Participation was wide spread among our students (343), faculty (258) and staff/administration (450) and we so appreciate your taking the time to come out to kick our process off.

The Steering Committee has begun reviewing these ideas and formulating from them common themes for further development.

The next step in the process will be a series of forums, targeted to specific groups and open sessions, to be held during the week of December 2, 2019. The following outlines the schedule for the forums:

DATE	GROUP	TIME	LOCATION
Monday, December 2	Staff/Administration	12:00 pm – 1:00 pm	Edison  E201
Tuesday, December 3	Open	3:00 pm – 4:00 pm	Affilito Conference Room, Stafford Center
Wednesday, December 4	Open	1:30 pm – 2:30 pm	Bey Hall 229
	Students	3:30 pm – 4:30 pm	Anacon A
	Faculty	4:30 pm – 5:30 pm	Wilson Auditorium
Thursday, December 5	Open	10:30 am – 11:30 am	Club 107-108

We hope you will join us for one of these sessions as we work to develop our new Strategic Plan.

Sincerely,

The Monmouth University Strategic Plan Steering Committee

Dr. Patrick Leahy, Co-Chair	Mary Anne Nagy, Co-Chair
Nina Anderson	Jennifer Lawlor
Demi Ardic	Dr. Tracey Mulvaney
Naser Haroon	Dr. Zaneta Rago-Craft
Dr. Christine Hatchard	Bea Rogers
Dr. Christopher Hirschler	Dr. Robert H. Scott III
Amanda Klaus	Dr. Nancy Uddin

Dear Members of the Campus Community:

I am writing to invite your participation in a Strategic Plan Kick-Off event to be held on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Anacon Lobby of the Rebecca Stafford Student Center.  In addition, there will be a session available at the Graduate Center Lobby from 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The “Strategic Plan-a-Thon” will be an opportunity for all members of our community – faculty, staff, and students – to share their thoughts focusing on three key words: Start, Stop, and Enhance through a post it note placed under each heading.

Members of the Steering Committee will be there throughout the day to assist you with what I hope will be a fun community exercise to kick off this important project. 

Light refreshments will be served.

Please take a few minutes out of your day to stop by to participate in this important endeavor. 

Sincerely,

Dear Colleagues:

I invite you to help me kick off our Family Weekend events by showing your school spirit.  This Friday, dress in Blue & White, or wear your Monmouth University imprinted clothing to celebrate a number of recent academic and athletic accomplishments.

Our undefeated #1 seed women’s soccer team will get an early start on the weekend when they host a MAAC Semifinal game against #6 Niagara at 5:00 p.m. Thursday on Hesse Field. 

On Friday, we will cheer on our nationally-ranked Field Hockey team as they open postseason play as the top-overall seed in the America East Championship, on Friday at 11 a.m. on So Sweet A Cat Field.

Our Blue & White Day will also celebrate the recent successes of our Debate Hawks, Model UN Team, and the winning members of our second Intercollegiate Real Estate Academic Competition, who bested teams from Baruch CUNY, Lehigh, Montclair, Rutgers and Villanova on November 1.  Earlier in October, the two pairs of Debate Hawks took first and second place at the Brad Smith Invitational Debate Tournament at the University of Rochester.  Both teams went undefeated with 6-0 records before heading into the playoff rounds, marking the first time the Debate Hawks took both a first and second place team award.  Other competing schools included NYU, West Point, Rochester, and the New School. 

At the end of October, members of our Model UN Team won four individual speaking awards at the prestigious Oxford University Model United Nations competition, besting Oxford, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics in the process. 

Our Family Weekend will also showcase a home game for our football team, who soundly defeated the #4 ranked team in the country – Kennesaw State last weekend and earned its highest national ranking in 27 years.

Let’s Go Hawks!

Patrick Leahy, Ed.D.
President

TO:	Members of the Campus Community
FROM:	Dr. Patrick F. Leahy President
RE:	Strategic Plan Steering Committee
DATE:	October 24, 2019

****

In my Convocation address on September 11, 2019, I announced that the University will undertake a strategic planning effort over the course of the next eight months that will provide direction for all of our initiatives as we work collectively to set a new path for Monmouth.

I’m pleased to announce the members of the Strategic Plan Steering Committee that will oversee this process over the next three months.  The faculty members were elected by Faculty Council and FAMCO; students were appointed by the Student Government Association; and the administrators and staff members were identified by the newly formed Staff Council and other nominators.  The Strategic Plan Steering Committee members are as follows:

Co-Chairs:
Dr. Patrick Leahy
Mary Anne Nagy

Faculty Members:
Dr. Christopher Hirschler
Dr. Christine Hatchard
Dr. Nancy Uddin
Dr. Robert H. Scott III

Students:
Demi Ardic
Naser Haroon

Administration/Staff:
Nina Anderson
Amanda Klaus
Jennifer Lawlor
Dr. Tracey Mulvaney
Dr. Zaneta Rago-Craft
Bea Rogers

Our process will be comprehensive, inclusive, collaborative, and outcome-oriented. You should anticipate learning from the committee soon on how, as a community, we will proceed to ensure a successful strategic planning process.

Join me in thanking these individuals for their service to our community.

If you have any questions regarding the process, please contact Mary Anne Nagy or me directly. 

Thank you.

Dear Colleagues:

With sadness I share the news that Professor Emeritus Robert Rechnitz passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 13.  Dr. Rechnitz’s influence on generations of students during his more than 30 years as a professor of English and American Literature, as well as his contributions to the entire University as a generous friend and benefactor, will never be forgotten.  

Dr. Rechnitz was named Professor Emeritus in 1996 and was recognized with the Maurice Pollak Award for Distinguished Community Service in 2001 at our Founders’ Day celebration and convocation. 

His legacy at Monmouth extends to almost every area of our University, including scholarship and internship opportunities for students, academic programming, and substantial investment in Monmouth University’s Center for the Arts and Urban Coast Institute.  Robert and Joan generously funded the showcase instructional arts center named in their honor and officially dedicated in 2013. They were also the lead benefactors of the successful $5 million Challenge Grant campaign to support the Urban Coast Institute’s Marine Science & Policy Initiative.  More recently, they established the endowed Rechnitz Family Urban Coast Institute Chair in Marine and Environmental Law & Policy.

His philanthropic commitment to the arts, healthcare, the environment, and civic improvement across our entire region enhanced the quality of life for many who were not fortunate enough to know him personally.

Our flag will remain lowered half-staff in his memory, and I will share details about additional memorial services planned as they are available.

Sincerely,

Patrick F. Leahy
President

Dear colleagues:

At our Fall Convocation in September, I announced the creation of a Staff Council that will serve as an advisory body to gather feedback from staff constituents and advance ideas to share with the Cabinet and with me. 

The goals of the Staff Council are:  to consider issues and provide counsel on matters that impact the university and to foster greater communication to all members of the university community.  

In order to launch this initiative quickly, I asked senior administration for an initial slate of nominations of individuals for me to appoint to the Council.  It is my sincere hope that the members of the Council represent an active cross-section of staff members from across all divisions. 

I asked the individuals listed below to serve an initial term on the Staff Council for the 2019-2020 academic year, and am grateful that each has accepted this responsibility.  Going forward, immediate agenda items will include: designing standard procedures and developing a process to elect new members. 

The first meeting of the Council will be Thursday, October 3. At the meeting, members will be briefed on their role and responsibilities, and elect a Chair.

Al Acerra	Police Department
Karen Blaney	Information Support
Bill Byrne	Facilities
Mike Callahan	Veteran Services
Jon Cascone	Rec, Fitness, Intramurals
Carolyn Ciervo	University Advancement
Kathy Dabney	Student Activities
Liz Gensemer	Undergraduate Admission
Mary Kate Kane	School of Education
Nancy Kusch	Finance – Bursar’s office
Mark Mohrman	Athletics – Communications
Karen Morrow	Office of the General Counsel
Rosaly Rivera	Human Resources

Please join me in thanking our colleagues for supporting this important initiative. I fully expect that you will be hearing more from the Staff Council in the near future. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick Leahy
President

Dear colleagues:

One of my core beliefs and a foundation of the University community is providing all students and employees an equal opportunity to succeed at Monmouth and to be free from discrimination.  It is a responsibility that we all share.  The attached Reaffirmation of Monmouth University’s Equal Opportunity Policy is provided to you for your information.  Department heads should ensure that a copy of this Reaffirmation is posted on the department bulletin board and the previous one removed. 

We are required by law to adopt and publish a policy against discrimination. We are also required to publish grievance procedures to provide for prompt and equitable resolution of discrimination/sexual harassment complaints.  In order to comply with these requirements, a copy of the Monmouth University discrimination and harassment policy can be found on-line at https://www.monmouth.edu/equity-and-diversity/discrimination-and-harassment.  Links to a copy of the most recent “Procedures for Reporting and Resolving Complaints of Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Against Non-Faculty Employees” and “Procedures for Reporting and Resolving Complaints Regarding Discrimination/Sexual Harassment [Faculty]” can be reached from this page. A hard copy of these documents may be obtained by calling the Office of Equity and Diversity at x7577.  Please take the time to peruse and familiarize yourself with this important University policy. 

Finally, attached you will find a Complaint Procedure Notice which department heads should post on department bulletin boards or other conspicuous location within your department.  When posting this notice, please remove any previous notice which may be on the bulletin board. 

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

Dr. Patrick Leahy
President