Friday 28 January 2022

Update from Gus: Continue working remotely where possible

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to 2022! I trust you all enjoyed some downtime with your whānau and friends over the break. The Gilmores spent two weeks in the lower South Island. It was great to be able to get out of Auckland and to explore Queenstown, Wanaka, Cromwell, Dunedin, Oamaru and Christchurch. I had such a restful break and for the first time ever I switched off my computer and phone and I hope you did too.

Covid-19 response – updated advice due to Omicron outbreak

The ELT met yesterday to review new information we received regarding the Omicron outbreak. There are many unknowns with modelling, but this information shows that cases are likely to rise over the next two to four weeks, potentially peaking in March. The positives are that it is not overlapping with winter and most people’s vaccinations are fresh. Also, based on other countries data, reductions in cases are being seen after six to eight weeks so it may be a relatively short plateau for us.

All of the health advice is telling us that a 'vaccine plus' approach is our best protection, i.e. vaccinations including a booster plus other measures such as mask use, handwashing, scanning and isolation.

With this new information, we have adapted our plan around flexible working to ensure we’re doing all we can to protect our Unitec whānau. We will review our plan WEEKLY and update you each week.

The plan for next week is:

• Campus remains open, but we are discouraging unnecessary access to campus. If you can work remotely, please continue to do so. 
• All teaching scheduled for next week that can be done online should be done online. Classes that cannot be taught online may proceed under our Red settings.
• You do not need to gain permission to come onto campus, however if you do come onsite, please observe all health and safety directives around mask wearing, scanning in and keeping distance from others. And if you haven't done so, please upload your My Vaccine Pass and complete the Health and Safety induction.
• Most on-campus events are likely to be cancelled or moved online over the next few weeks. We are cancelling all scheduled pōhiri. The marae spaces (wharekai, wharenui, Puukenga teaching space) may still be used for classes but teaching staff will need to set up and host these activities themselves; the marae team will not be available.
• Any teams on campus should plan carefully so they are split into ‘bubbles’ to mitigate the risk of spreading Covid-19.
• Please cancel all work travel outside of Auckland.
• We encourage everyone to get your booster vaccination as soon as you can, to boost your immunity to the virus.

We do understand that this is disappointing for those who were looking forward to spending more time on campus. We are putting these measures in place to protect our staff and students, and mitigate the risk to health, as well as business continuity. We, like you, are hoping we can all return to campus in a few weeks, once the worst of the Omicron outbreak is behind us. Thank you for your understanding and your resilience in these challenging times.

Please also take some time to read our draft Covid-19 policy and send your feedback by 11 February.

Takitahi – aligning our efforts towards our purpose for 2022

ELT has finalised our 2022 Takitahi, so now it's time to work on your team's Takitahi, as we plan for success in 2022, through aligning our efforts throughout the organisation to make sure we’re all contributing towards achieving our purpose:

Led by Te Noho Kotahitanga we manaaki the success of our learners and communities

In memorium

I want to take a moment to remember four of our valued staff members who passed away last year. Please read the heartfelt tributes written by team members where we remember Anna Smith, Krystina Kaza, Darrell Edwards and Andrew Happy. 

Rest in peace - Moe mai rā

The year ahead - but first, a long weekend

As we launch into our work for the year, and anticipate the achievements and challenges 2022 may bring, I wish you good health and happiness. I look forward to working with you all.

Enjoy the long weekend whānau, and I'll be back in touch next week, where I'll share the plan for the following week in this ever-changing situation, as well as the results from our staff engagement survey. 

Ngā mihi

Gus Gilmore
Chief Executive