Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for all you do to support our students and the mission-critical research and work of the University.
Due to the demands of the current health crisis, we appreciate faculty and staff have had to make adjustments, at times putting in additional hours and balancing a full workload with personal and family responsibilities.
Following Hurricane Sandy, The University has maintained a Volunteer Database to gather information on those staff and faculty who are willing to make themselves available for various tasks during crisis and emergency situations. This list has been used when our campus was impacted or closed due to weather, medical, safety or other emergencies. Then, as now, members of our campus community responded admirably and volunteered to help in ways beyond their traditional roles here at Lehigh.
The prolonged nature of the pandemic has uncovered unique needs for support. For example, a group of volunteers has helped to staff on-campus COVID-19 testing tents, providing directions and answering questions. Staff have also worked remotely to assist with contact tracing and to staff an internal phone bank, answering questions from Lehigh students and families. We anticipate these needs to remain through the spring and for others to surface.
We have updated the volunteer form to reflect the University’s current and anticipated needs during the pandemic, with both remote and on-campus opportunities.
We thank the contributions of those who have already volunteered and urge all to consider visiting the Volunteering in a Crisis page where you can learn more, find out if you are eligible to participate, download the FAQ document and sign up for the areas you are interested in supporting. The most immediate need is assisting with the administration of asymptomatic surveillance COVID-19 tests for the spring semester.
Enrolling does not mean that you are required to volunteer when a crisis occurs. Should the need arise, you may be contacted and can make your decision to volunteer at that time. While these do not involve additional compensation, volunteers can expect to receive any relevant training and support as needed during the time they are volunteering.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the COVID-19 Response Team at incovid@lehigh.edu.
We are grateful for your support and dedication to the University and our students during this extended crisis.
Sincerely,
John D. Simon ’19P
President
Nathan Urban
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Pat Johnson
Vice President for Finance and Administration