April 2021

RENEWAL IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS

With the arrival of COVID vaccines, the re-opening of many public schools, new CDC guidance on best practices for vaccinated individuals, and the recent announcement of the broader re-opening of Harvard’s campus, change is definitely in the air.

While these changes are exciting and welcome, they can also be confusing, lead to contradictory advice — and affect each of us differently. We should be mindful that the pace at which we as individuals embrace change may not be shared by others. A vaccinated status is certainly worth celebrating, but remember, others may still be mourning losses.

As always, patience, tolerance, and compassion will be invaluable traits as we each negotiate the spring and summer, both alone and together. Members of the Harvard community have contributed to numerous resources to inform, advise, and comfort as we enter a new phase of campus life amid COVID:

Big-picture perspectives

• The latest coronavirus news from the T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• An innovative vision of post-pandemic Harvard from Harvard President Lawrence Bacow
• The status of large-scale public health efforts from Michael Mina, who teaches at the Chan School and Harvard Medical School

Personal wellbeing

• How happiness studies apply to pandemic life from psychiatrist Adam P. Stern
• Webinars on mindfulness and anxiety and how to avoid burnout from Harvard HR
• Drop-in community spaces for various affinity groups hosted by the Office for Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
• Resources on behavioral health for people of all ages; remember, many copays for telehealth visits have been waived

Workplace

• A discussion with Harvard Business School (HBS) professors about how COVID has changed workplaces
• HBS articles and podcasts about work and family life that range in topic from existential to practical, and insights about how COVID has affected work

We’re all excited to move on to the next step in this strange situation. Let’s proceed with kindness.

SUPPORT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE INNOVATORS: APPLY TO THE PRESIDENT’S ADMINISTRATIVE INNOVATION FUND!

Across the University, staff persistently seek ways to innovate in their work, even more so over the past year. Through the President’s Administration Innovation Fund (PAIF), administrators at Harvard have an opportunity to seek funding to advance their creative approaches through collaboration with colleagues and as part of an administrative innovation community.

Since its launch in 2016, PAIF has funded 34 projects that have generated solutions to a wide range of administrative challenges. Recent projects, as highlighted in the Harvard Gazette, include:

• the Harvard Votes Challenge to build civic culture,
• the Gender Inclusive Restroom Mapping Project, and
• a consolidated Harvard College Calendar.

The application for this year’s PAIF funding is due on April 12. This year’s theme is "The Future of Work," as we encourage proposals that envision new ways of supporting our faculty, students, and administrative colleagues. In addition, PAIF will welcome applications in the areas of service delivery, talent development, and administrative excellence.

Please contact administrative_innovation@harvard.edu if you have any questions or if you would like additional Information.

For more ideas about how to innovate at work, you can find courses on productivity and resiliency from the Center for Workplace Development as well online courses from ManageMentor and LinkedIn through the Harvard Training Portal (HarvardKey required).

Mind & Body

In the spirit of Earth Day on April 22, let’s celebrate and sustain our natural surroundings.

• Delve into different ways to make your work and home life greener with programs from the Office for Sustainability, including ways to take local action and grants to implement energy-efficient ideas.
• Explore the treasures of the Harvard Art Museums from Home, with deep dives into works from the collection, student-led tours, behind-the-scenes looks into museum work, art and science projects for all ages, and more.
• Get acquainted with what’s on your plate through the Food Literacy Project’s presentations on sustainability, nutrition, and various food cultures.

Learning & Growing

Making your workplace more productive, innovative, and inclusive reaps benefits for everyone.

• Tackle your everyday workplace challenges by working through one of the interactive online modules available at Harvard ManageMentor (HarvardKey required).
• When you Unlock the Power of LinkedIn (webinar April 14, HarvardKey required), you’ll have access to research on new workforce trends, connections with professionals in your field, and a platform for sharing insights with your network.
• Reflect on what you can do to help to create a Climate of Gender Equity and Inclusion (interactive workshop April 15, HarvardKey required) by understanding factors that contribute to gender equity in the workplace and developing personalized strategies to prevent sexual harassment.

Living & Working

Spring marks a new year for many cultures, making it an ideal time to make positive changes.

• Join the Harvard Chaplains for Sustaining Practices for Perilous Times, every Thursday through April 29, to learn and share what gives us the strength and resilience to get through even our worst days.
• Be the change you want to see in gender equality: attend the Removing the "Man-Can't" Myth webinar to learn what men can do to champion equality, and explore strategies for both women and men to attain work-life harmony.
• Learn how to enhance your life and work by tapping into your emotional intelligence (HarvardKey required) on April 13.

Finances & Security

Let us help you find ways to save on your everyday expenses.

• Check out Harvard’s personal insurance programs with MetLife or Liberty Mutual, which can help you save on auto and home coverage and let you pay premiums through easy payroll deduction. For more information, visit the voluntary benefits site or call 866-228-3516.
• Demystifying Social Security, a webinar from KGA. explains the benefit and how to get the most from your Social Security.
• Sell the stuff you don’t need; find a great deal on the stuff you want; and peruse housing for renting, buying, or vacation—even connect with your next roommate—in HARVie Classifieds & Conversations (HarvardKey required).