True Blue Summer Fridays
Dear Lumberjacks,
Last year as part of our strategic efforts to build the New NAU Workplace, we piloted TrueBlue Summer Fridays. The TrueBlue Summer Fridays program modifies our default operating protocols for the summer months to a four-day workweek in a manner that supports our employees’ health, well-being, and productivity while maintaining exceptional services for our students and other constituents.
Today, I am pleased to share our plan for the program moving forward, which is informed by the pilot edition, as well as the thoughtful input of our university community and intentional planning by our Human Resources team over many months.
The overall framework for True Blue Summer Fridays 2023 and moving forward is below:
- Four-day workweek with adjusted hours of employee accountability begin the week after commencement and ends two weeks before classes start. For 2023, the dates will run from May 15 through August 11.
- Default status for operations during summer months will be Monday-Thursday, with Friday closures. Any exceptions must be approved by Vice Presidents based on critical business and service needs for individual units.
- Full details on the updated plan, including FAQs, are available on the TrueBlue Summer Fridays webpage. I encourage you to review this information for substantive changes meant to improve upon last year’s experience
I am excited to refine our practices and commit to this impactful program. And, I do so with the full confidence that it helps us both accelerate our efforts to deliver equitable postsecondary value to the students and communities we serve, while affirming our commitment to making NAU a truly exceptional place to work for our talented and mission-driven employees.
During the last year, NAU has registered a series of truly exceptional accomplishments—a record incoming class of Lumberjacks, the launch of the Arizona Attainment Alliance (A++), and key efforts to advance our commitment to Indigenous Peoples, to name but a few. This work speaks volumes to the energy, enthusiasm, and commitment our university’s workforce has to advance our mission. I look forward to continuing this momentum and all that we will accomplish together in service of our students and our state.
In partnership,
José Luis Cruz Rivera
President