Dear Colleagues,
As we approach Election Day on Tuesday, November 5, we encourage our community to look into voting options in their state, such as early voting and voting by mail. The university will maintain all operations, including all teaching, research, and service activities on Election Day. Please review the election-related resources and recommendations below for our faculty and staff community.
HR Policy 609: Voting Time
Time away from work for voting may be used during early voting days and Election Day. Upon request of an employee, the University will permit two hours of paid leave for an employee to arrive late or to depart early from work to exercise the right to vote under HR Policy 609: Voting Time. This applies to all employees, regardless of where the employee is registered to vote.
Employees are expected to provide their manager with advance notice if their plans to vote will require them to take time away from scheduled work hours. Managers should grant employees flexibility and provide paid time off, if required.
Teaching Resources
For faculty, if you are teaching on November 5, you might consider alternatives such as asynchronous learning or assignments that can be completed in lieu of an in-class assignment for the students unable to attend due to voting.
We also want to highlight the CNDLS resource on navigating Difficult Conversations in the classroom.
Additional Resources
We have also created a Georgetown Election 2024 website that includes information on how members of our community are engaging with the 2024 election and how you can participate in our democratic process, take care of yourself and support one another.
We are coordinating closely with city and federal safety officials as we prepare for Election Day and will respond appropriately if additional actions are necessary.
As we approach Election Day, we hope these resources will help our community exercise their right to vote and find time to reflect and care for themselves.
Sincerely,
Robert M. Groves
Provost
William M. Treanor
Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center
Norman J. Beauchamp Jr.
Executive Vice President for Health Sciences
David B. Green
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer