As
you all know, the changeover to January 1, 2000 has the possibility of causing
problems that will affect not only computer systems but also major utilities
and other services. For almost two
years, two campus groups have been meeting about preparing the University for
Y2K; a technology focused committee and the Y2K Community Issues
Committee. As we get closer to January
1, 2000, it certainly appears that
within the United States, we will experience, at the most, only minor problems. However, the Y2K Community Issues Committee
has developed recommendations and contingency plans to deal with unexpected
circumstances. This plan has been
approved by the University’s administration.
Returning to
Work after January 1, 2000
Before
returning to campus or reporting to work for the first time after January 1,
2000, check to see if the campus is open by calling one of two toll free Y2K
hotline numbers: (1) 1-877-787-2922,
or (2) 1-877-787-2870. If you are local to the Richmond area, you
may call the University Bulletin Board information number at 289-8760. Status information will also be available on
the university’s web page at http://www.richmond.edu. If the University is closed, staff will
follow established emergency closing procedures for a snow/winter storm.
Returning to
School on January 9
Before returning to campus for the start of the spring
semester, students and faculty should check for campus readiness by calling one
of two toll free Y2K hotline numbers:
(1) 1-877-787-2922, or (2) 1-877-787-2870. If you are local to the Richmond area, you may call the
University Bulletin Board information number at 289-8760. Status
information will also be available on the university’s web page at http://www.richmond.edu. Do not report to
campus in January without checking one of these sources first. If the University is closed, information
will be provided on contingency plans.
Preparing Your Office, Home and Residence Hall Computers for
Y2K
Information
Services advises all faculty, staff, and students to power off and unplug all
computing equipment and other sensitive electronic devices before they leave
campus for the holiday. This will
prevent any possible problems resulting from the most likely Y2K problem: power surges and/or brown outs.
Bookstore Plans
The
University Bookstore has been working with suppliers to ensure that textbooks
for spring semester classes will be in stock before faculty and students leave
campus in December. This will eliminate any possible problems with product
availability and shipping after the start of the New Year. Students have the option of purchasing
textbooks for spring semester before leaving campus for the holidays.
International Travel
If
your holiday plans include international travel, it is important that you have
information on the Y2K readiness of the country that you are visiting. Please consult the information available on
the following web page: http://www.richmond.edu/~y2k/international.html . Please be advised that the Department of
State has made a decision to authorize voluntary departure of eligible family
members and employees who can be spared from duty in embassies in Russia,
Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova. U.S.
citizens travelling in those areas should be aware that U. S. embassies might have only critical staff on duty
during the century date change period.
Because of Y2K associated problems, it
might prove difficult for some students to return to the University in a timely
manner even though the University is beginning the spring semester as
scheduled.
1.
If the student returns to campus one to five days after
classes have started, the student is to contact his/her professors on arrival
in the classroom for the first time to secure necessary information.
2.
If the student returns to campus six to ten days after
classes have started, the student is to contact the appropriate dean, who in
turn will notify the student’s professors of the situation.
3.
If the student returns more than ten days after classes have
started, the student will be required to contact the appropriate dean and to
develop a curricular plan that may include reducing the number of courses for
the student. This plan will be designed
to provide the student with the best chance for academic success. The dean will consult with the faculty
involved prior to approving the student’s plan.
Contingency
Plans for the Possible Late Start of Spring Semester
As
stated above, it is very unlikely that issues related to Y2K will cause a delay
in the start of the spring semester.
However, to be prepared for a delay in opening the campus, the university
has adopted the following plan to allow the university to compensate for losing
up to 15 class days.
1.
For each class day lost through five days, the University
would substitute Saturday classes beginning with the first possible
Saturday. The University would use
consecutive Saturdays. School of
Continuing Studies would use Friday evening classes as a substitute.
2.
In the highly unlikely event that the University loses six
to ten class days, the University would use the first five possible Saturdays
and the appropriate number of Spring Break class days to generate the required
number of class days.
3.
If the University loses eleven to fifteen class days, the
University would use the first five possible Saturdays, Spring Break, and delay
final examinations the appropriate number of days to generate the required
number of class days.
4.
We would not postpone Commencement unless the University
lost more than fifteen class days. If
we had to postpone final examinations, students would participate in the Commencement
ceremony, but would receive their diplomas at a later date.
Personal Preparedness
If
you are interested in learning more about personal preparedness for Y2K, a good
reference can be found at the Gartner Group web site. http://gartner12.gartnerweb.com/public/static/home/00073955.html
For
information about preparing your home/personally owned computer for Y2K check
the following web page: http://www.richmond.edu/~y2k/homeupgd.html.
We Wish You All A Very Happy
Holiday and An Uneventful Century Date Change.