March 17, 2020

From:   Michele Goetz, Associate VP/Executive Director, SDSU Research Foundation

As you know, the university is now requiring all employees who can telework to do so. SDSU Research Foundation is following suit with the goal of minimizing personal contact while still continuing operations.

SDSU Research Foundation Staffing
As of Monday, March 16th, all central staff employees for whom it is feasible to telework, are teleworking. Please be assured that business operations are functioning as close to usual as possible. This includes processing paychecks, expenditure documents, responding to grants management issues and submission of proposals.

Communications
Since most of our staff are teleworking, please be sure to use email for communication. We will also be posting communications to our website. FAQs for SDSU researchers and for SDSU Research Foundation employees are already posted: https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/important_notices_coronavirus.html. Please also check the university’s COVI19 site for updates.

Proposal Submissions
If you are working on a current proposal submission or are expecting to start one in the next three weeks, please notify your development specialist.

Grant Funding Notices/Bulletins
We will continue to send out grant funding notices via email.

No-cost Extensions
If you plan to request a no-cost extension on your grant, please email your grant specialist for assistance. The SRA team is updating the current template to simplify the process.

Processing Expenses
If you have expenses to be paid and have not sent them to your grant specialist, please hold them until our digital signature system is rolled out on March 19. The SRA team is reviewing paperwork that you have recently sent to your grant specialist and we will submit for payment if possible. If there are any questions or additional information needed to process the request for payment, you will be contacted by your grant specialist.

Payroll
If you have not already signed up for direct deposit, please do so immediately by contacting Ruby Cotton at rcotton@sdsu.edu. This will eliminate the physical mailing of paychecks and ensure paychecks reach you in the most expeditious manner.

AP Reimbursements and Check Delivery
In an effort to expedite payments to employees, employees should be signed up for ACH/Direct Deposit. If you have direct deposit already established for payroll, your information is good for any reimbursements issued via Accounts Payable. as we will be reducing our check runs to no more than once a week. Any requests for physical checks will be limited and we have immediately halted any manual pickup of checks. Checks in process will be mailed to the address listed on the reimbursement request.

Check and Cash Deposits
This week, the SDSURF cashier will be open on Friday March 20th by appointment only between 8:00 and 12:00. Please contact Vicky Kern, Director of Accounting and Reporting, at vkern@sdsu.edu to set up a time if you need to make a deposit. Due to the evolving nature of this situation, we will assess the need going forward and will communicate if, and when deposits can be made.

Research Foundation Facilities
A minimal maintenance staff will be available to ensure support of research foundation buildings, properties, and remaining essential tenants. The main entrance access schedules for all buildings will be changed to an “after-hours” schedule, beginning Wednesday 3/18/20, meaning buildings will only be accessible via a research foundation issued access card or fob. If you require any special access outside of this schedule, please call (619) 594-5761 or email sdsurffacilities@sdsu.edu.

Janitorial services will continue and all spaces will be cleaned per their usual schedule. Our service provider utilizes commercial grade cleaners and disinfectants and has implemented necessary measures to minimize the risk of exposure at our off-site properties. For example, they have added procedures to regularly sanitize all high touch areas within building common areas, such as door handles, rails and surfaces, and they have installed hand sanitizer dispensers in the lobbies of each building and on each floor. While our vendor has assured us they have adequate supplies at this time, we are unable to accommodate requests for additional quantities for individual use. We encourage you to follow best health practices by washing hands, not touching your face, and implementing social distancing.

Mail Delivery
Mail and package deliveries from SDSU Logistical Services may be impacted. We are coordinating procedures for our staff to periodically pick up mail and packages from SDSU Logistical Services, and will be determining how to deliver them to research foundation departments and projects.

Contacting facilities: the answering service will be forwarding all calls to our maintenance staff. Please report any maintenance issues to (619) 594-5761 or sdsurffacilities@sdsu.edu. For any building/property related emergency, such as a flood, please call (619) 594-5761 for faster response.

Digital Signatures and Electronic Document Submission
We’ve been able to automate some important processes and encourage you to utilize these resources.

MyRF Electronic Document Submission. We are launching processes to accept scanned documents via MyRF. Starting March 19, you will be able to submit Purchase Requisitions, Disbursement Requests, and Journal Vouchers and supporting documentation electronically in MyRF. MyRF users can submit and approve documents with their MyRF credentials instead of a wet ink signature. After logging into MyRF, you will see two new links: a Document Processing Link that will allow you to upload and electronically approve documents, and a Document Processing Listing link that will allow you to track the status of your documents. More details will be shared when this functionality is live.

AdobeSign Electronic Signatures. Other documents and forms can be signed electronically and submitted through SDSU’s AdobeSign. Log in with your SDSUid credentials and select Fill & Sign to upload and sign documents. You can then email the executed document to the appropriate individual or submit through MyRF. Adobe has published a set of quick Tutorials to get help you get you started.

Telecommuting
If you are a non-essential employee (both central staff and project staff) you should work with your supervisor to begin teleworking immediately if you have not already done so. Managers should complete and return via email the Temporary Telework Application Agreement form and the Manager Checklist to Human Resources at sdsurfhr@sdsu.edu.

Temporary Telework Application Agreement Form: https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/pdf/is_temp_telework.pdf

Temporary Telework Guidelines https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/pdf/is_temp_telework_guidelines.pdf

Please be assured we are still available and ready to assist you. Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate this new work environment!

Access to campus recreation and library facilities will now be restricted for use, and university buildings are no longer open to the public to ensure that social distancing guidelines can be followed. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directs that people should avoid gatherings with more than 10 people.

Also, effective 6 p.m. tomorrow evening, March 18, SDSU will lock all buildings. Those faculty and staff with key and card access will continue to have access. Those who do not have keys must contact their deans or director to request access 24-hours in advance. As many faculty and staff are in the process of obtaining needed office supplies and equipment to work from home. SDSU Parking & Transportation Services is authorizing faculty and staff to temporarily park in special permit (SP) spaces to help ease this process.

Mail Services

Delivery services will halt until further notice, and offices are asked not to submit new delivery orders at this time. If you have a delivery forthcoming, please visit the LS Mailroom Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., for mail pickup until further notice.

In Closing

Some of our community may not be fully aware of the immense scale and quality of efforts led by our students, faculty and staff in response to COVID-19. Some of the work you, yourself, are doing to support the success of our students may not be well known. We thank each one of you for your support during this time.

Our SDSU community is full of solutions-minded individuals who have stepped up and stood out to take the greatest care of our community, and communities beyond our campus, moving instruction, tutoring, counseling services, team meetings, training sessions and other important offerings into virtual spaces.

More information regarding other SDSU-specific COVID-19 decisions and updates are available on the university’s public-facing site.

Adela de la Torre
San Diego State University President

Salvador Hector Ochoa
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Christy Samarkos
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs