Interim President Henry Bienen is considering calling staff back to the office four days a week before his replacement is decided, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic led to the meteoric rise in remote work, Northwestern, like other universities, has operated under a hybrid model where staff have the option to work partially on campus and from home.

In 2021, Northwestern’s Alternative Work Strategies Policy, a product of the pandemic, laid out a general expectation for staff to work on campus three days or more a week. But it left room for individual schools and units to fiddle with those requirements.

Now there is a chance that could come to an end.

Your hosts learned that Bienen is weighing a decree to mandate all university staff to return to work on campus four days a week. The call would also be before his permanent replacement is announced.

A university spokesperson denied that there are any such plans under consideration.

Local police have increased their presence around Northwestern Hillel’s building during Passover this year.

As part of prior arrangements, Northwestern and Evanston police surveil the area around Hillel as part of their regular patrol circuit, Michael Simon, Northwestern Hillel’s Executive Director, wrote to your hosts. 

These days, police cars can regularly be spotted parked near the building.

“At times, including in recent weeks, they may increase their visibility around Hillel out of an abundance of caution and as part of a broader effort to provide added support to Jewish institutions nationwide,” Simon wrote in an email.

There’s been a greater presence of police in the area the past few days, Simon added, as patrols are often increased around holidays like Passover.

This has been similarly seen all over the country. Police departments have ramped up their patrols and security around Jewish institutions this year, amid a rise in antisemitic crimes and heightened tensions between the U.S. and the Middle East.

If you’re looking to explore and enjoy Evanston this spring, you’re in luck. 

Northwestern and the Evanston Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring a new free shuttle service around Evanston for students, faculty, staff, residents and visitors. 

The pilot program, called Hop Around Evanston, aims to connect riders to Evanston’s downtown and neighborhood businesses. The shuttle will run each Saturday evening this spring until June 20.

The service will use the university’s hybrid electric buses to take riders on a loop around Evanston that stretches north to Central Street, south to Howard Street, east to Chicago Avenue and west to Dodge Avenue.

“Now that warmer weather has returned, this is a great opportunity to get out and explore, check out a small business or grab a meal in one of Evanston’s many great neighborhoods,” EL Da’ Sheon Nix, director of community relations at Northwestern, said in a university news release.

~ Thanks for reading. See you next time!