The following message from CofC President Glenn McConnell was sent to the campus community on May 17, 2018.

Dear Campus Community:

The College has been closely monitoring the ongoing situation regarding the closure of the westbound lanes on the I-526 James B. Edwards/Wando Bridge. The administration and I recognize that this closure is resulting in major commuting issues for many of our employees and students. Currently, the South Carolina Department of Transportation believes the repairs to the bridge should be completed by June 11.

As a top ten employer in the metro Charleston area (by number of employees) and as an institution that routinely works with our local and regional partners to solve issues we face as a community, the College will immediately adopt a flexible work schedule for those employees directly affected by the ongoing closure. During this time, the College will remain open and fully operational and the academic schedule will remain unchanged.

Over the next few days, supervisors and division heads should reach out to their employees to determine who is directly affected by the bridge closure. While the bridge is being repaired, supervisors and division heads are encouraged to temporarily allow flexible schedules, to the extent possible, for impacted employees. These flexible schedules will aid in reducing commuting times and congestion on the roads. We understand that some positions at the College are not suitable for flexible scheduling given the nature of the work performed. However, if flexible scheduling is permitted by a supervisor or division head, the following criteria must be met:

·       Any change of work schedule requires written supervisory or division head approval in advance;

·       Employees are still required to work all scheduled daily hours;

·       All departments/offices are expected to remain open (even with possible reduced staffing) during normal operating hours;

·       The flexible schedule arrangement may be halted at any time at the discretion of the supervisor or division head.

Examples of flexible scheduling may include (but are not limited to) such options as:

·       Permitting employees to work from home for part of the morning and/or at the end of the day;

·       Permitting employees to arrive on campus earlier in the day and depart earlier in the day;

·       Permitting employees to arrive on campus later in the morning and depart later in the day;

We encourage supervisors, department heads, and division heads to be flexible with impacted employee scheduling during this temporary bridge lane closure. Many of our employees spend a great deal of time commuting on a regular basis, and if we can do anything to help reduce the increased commute time during this event, I’m certain we will all benefit. 

 Sincerely,

Glenn

 

Glenn F. McConnell ’69

President

College of Charleston