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LU Policy Number: HR.019
Effective Date: 09/09/2022
Approval Date: 09/09/2022
Purpose: Sets out the institution’s guidelines and expectations on virtual meeting for all employees
Additional Authority: N/A
Scope: All Life University Employees
Approval Authority: President
Responsible Authority: HR
Recipients: N/A
Publications: Employee Handbook
Definitions: N/A
Policy Title
Life University Virtual Meeting Policy
Policy Statement
While in-person meetings are the University standard for on-campus employees, we at LIFE have adapted to the changes brought by COVID-19, and virtual meetings have proven to be an efficient way to conduct business in some settings.
If we want to maintain our ability to benefit from virtual meetings when needed, it is incumbent on each of us - as members of the LIFE community - to ensure that virtual meetings are as effective and courteous as possible. To be effective, all meetings require that participants be focused and engaged in the business at hand. Live, in-person meetings provide the benefit of a shared space, which minimizes distractions, while conversely, virtual meetings provide for multiple spaces, which often maximizes distractions.
Virtual meetings are more effective when all participants can readily see who’s speaking, along with others’ facial expressions and body language. Therefore, the following general community agreements and expectations will be helpful in guiding the courteous engagement and participation in virtual meetings.
1. Commit to maintaining present time awareness by avoiding the temptation to multitask or meet from a location that will subject you to distractions and interruptions
2. Turn on your camera. Video participation helps personalize the conversation and keeps you and others engaged. Use of backgrounds can maintain location privacy.
3. Mute your microphone except when speaking.
4. Establish an appropriate distance from the camera so that your head and shoulders fill the frame, which best simulates the effect of an in-person meeting.
5. Focus on the objective of the meeting and be an active listener.
6. Conduct yourself professionally, as you would in an in-person meeting.
7. Understand that there may be a delay in the technology. Pause between speakers and thoughts to avoid inadvertently speaking over or interrupting others.
8. Test your technology prior to the meeting, including the chosen app for the meeting (e.g., Teams, Zoom, etc.) as well as your audio and video functionality (e.g., camera, microphone, speaker, headphones, etc.). This will prevent you from delaying the meeting or expending meeting time unnecessarily.
9. In general, driving, walking, eating while meeting is not conducive to effective meeting participation. If you must do so, turning off your camera and microphone is a courtesy (so long as it doesn’t become your norm).
10. If your internet connection is inadequate for virtual meeting with your camera on, or if you need a camera or microphone, please contact ITSupport@LIFE.edu.
Please note that unless a position is specifically designated by HR as “remote,” employees are on-campus and expected to attend all meetings that are scheduled to be live and on-campus.
If you encounter potential exceptions to these guidelines, please discuss them with your supervisor and/or the Vice President of your area.
Procedure(s)
N/A
Other Notes
N/A
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