Chancellor Hawgood recently shared UCSF’s plan to optimize onsite and remote work. As we move forward with increasing our onsite presence this fall, we want to clarify the UCSF School of Medicine's expectations for onsite presence and flexible work across our departments and teams.
What We Heard
More than 2,000 of SOM employees shared thoughtful feedback via surveys over the last four months – from requesting clear expectations to raising logistical concerns about commuting and workspace availability. Your voices, along with the work of a committee – co-chaired by Maria Novelero, Associate Chair for Administration for the Department of Medicine, and Olivia Herbert, Vice Dean and Chief of Staff in the School of Medicine (SOM) Dean's Office, and comprised of SOM Chairs, Directors, and Chief Administrative Officers – helped refine our approach and ensure alignment with both UCSF’s goals and the needs of our faculty and staff.
What We Have Learned
As a community, we have learned a great deal over the past several years about flexibility, resilience, and remote collaboration. But we have also seen something shifting: our culture – rooted in mentorship, hands-on learning, and spontaneous collaboration – is harder to sustain when we are apart. Being together matters. It fosters connection, supports professional development, strengthens teams, and reinforces our shared sense of mission.
What is Changing
The default expectation in the SOM is that all of our communities are onsite for four (4) days or more a week. Effective September 1, 2025, unless an alternative schedule has been formally approved, this expectation will be enforced.
SOM departments have the flexibility to determine and approve employee work schedules based on their specific operational needs, provided such arrangements remain consistent with institutional principles and performance expectations. The Dean’s Office will review department-level implementation plans to support consistency, transparency, and fairness across the School of Medicine.
We know that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work in a complex academic environment. That is why departmental guidelines may consider team workflows, individual roles, and space constraints, provided they promote collaboration, equity, and service continuity. Managers and supervisors are expected to model these expectations by being onsite as often as, or more often than, their teams.
To support planning and transparency:
- By September 1, 2025, departments should develop an implementation plan aligned with these guidelines. Additional information can be found in the FAQs.
- Departments will determine who is eligible for continued flexible work past September 1. These exceptions are due to the Dean’s Office for review by October 1, 2025.
Thank You
We recognize that change is never easy and that many of us have built routines that work well on an individual level. But UCSF is primarily an onsite university and in the School of Medicine, our people and our presence are at the heart of what makes our culture special. By coming together more consistently, we believe we can foster the kind of environment that helps all of us thrive.
Thank you for your continued partnership, flexibility, and commitment to our shared work.
Resources
Flexible Work Guidelines: Review SOM expectations for onsite presence across our departments and teams.
Flexible Work FAQs: The following FAQs are intended to provide clarity and guidance as we move forward together.