Submitted by Ashley Arrocha, Staff Constituent Advisor

The MIIS community is preparing for a campus reopening in the fall.  This is being met with both excitement and trepidation.  It is safe to say that we all want to return to a sense of “normalcy,” but what that looks like after more than a year of successful remote working during a global pandemic is unclear.  The focus of this memo is to share with the IBA some of the lessons staff learned from remote work and staff input on the possibility of returning to in-person in the fall. 

In preparation for the transition to fall, the Staff Advisory Team (SAT) recently hosted an All Staff Meet-up to create the space for colleagues to reflect and share our individual and collective experiences over the past thirteen months.  The conversation was framed around the five questions listed below.  I have summarized the main feedback from this discussion.

1. What is a highlight from your remote work experience?

• The flexibility of work location and schedule help facilitate work/life balance.
• We are learning to do work differently with increased efficiencies for the Institute and staff.
• More flexibility with time to meet with students and colleagues.
• We have quieter and uninterrupted time to complete projects which support increased job efficiencies and effectiveness.
• We are building stronger ties with colleagues at the College. Everyone being on Zoom for meetings has facilitated a new and much needed democratizing of meetings.
• Many have increased family closeness and more time with children.

2. What is working well for you that you want to keep moving forward?

• The use of technological tools that have allowed us to pivot to a remote working environment successfully.  We will need to continue to utilize these tools as we embrace a more hybrid educational environment.
• The flexibility of working from home has allowed more time for exercise, meditation, and overall self-care.  Moving forward, we need to ensure that self-care is integral to our daily routine.
• Reduced negative environmental impact – more balanced in-person and remote work options.

3. What helpful practices/tools have you adopted in the past year? 

• Running effective Zoom meetings with multiple participants.
• Learning to better access information electronically and eliminate the need to print paper.
• Switching it up between Zoom calls, Jabber video calls, and telephone calls when it comes to meetings.  Exploring the concept of “walk and talk” meetings.
• Blocking out time for a break to walk or stretch.  This is easier to do at home than in the office.

4. What are some of the pain points you have experienced?

• The lack of in-person relationship building and connections with colleagues. This is incredibly important for the health of any organization.
• Balancing helping kids at home with work demands and finding the right amount of time to complete work as a result.
• Increased utility bills due to working from home as well as unreliable technology at times.

5. What worries you about fall planning for a return to work?

• The main concern is that a more hybrid working environment where remote work is supported and normalized will not come to fruition. There is a strong interest in flexible policies going forward.
• Disruption to the work/life balance element.
• Returning to work on campus while still managing unpredictable children’s schedules as we continue to navigate this pandemic.
• Welcoming students back to a campus that is not fully open and managing student expectations around this.
• For staff who are working outside of Monterey, there is a concern relocating to Monterey due to the very high cost of living and housing constraints.

Additionally, staff was asked to complete a survey to help the leadership gauge our interest and comfort level in returning to in-person work.  This approach taken by the leadership to engage each staff member via this survey supports a fair and equitable decision-making process.  This survey will help MIIS leadership and managers determine the most informed and appropriate plan for returning to in-person work in the fall. 

During this time of uncertainty and challenges, staff continue to be resilient and adapt to changes.  We have demonstrated that we can effectively work remotely without compromising on quality and service.  As we turn our focus to reopening the campus, it is vital that we embrace a future where the “bricks and mortar” working environment is not the standard but rather one component of a healthy and thriving community.