Greetings Students,
I hope the semester is off to a great start for you. We are all so glad to have you back with us, whether on campus or online. By now you should have received your IU face masks in the mail. If you have not, please visit the Gateway Information Center in the Administration Building to pick yours up. As a reminder we also have disposable masks available at a variety of locations if needed (see Fall 2020 FAQ page for locations).
Health and Safety Reminders
Wearing your face mask is an essential part of our plans to keep everyone safe. It is important that your mask completely covers BOTH your mouth and your nose. You are required to have a mask on at all times with the exception of below:
- In enclosed spaces when you are alone AND the door is completely closed. Please note that doors cannot be partially open or ajar if you are taking off your mask.
- During eating or drinking as long you are able to maintain adequate physical distance from others. When you are done eating, please put your mask back on if you are in the Grill or other public space.
Everyone is required to wear a mask inside our buildings, even if you are the only one around. Members of the IU South Bend community can report violations of the university’s COVID-19 health and safety directives using this form.
Please also make sure you sign the Student Commitment Formif you have not done so already and stay vigilant with distancing. You’ll find red dots all around campus to help you know where to stand and sit. It is important that you do not move chairs or tables to other locations. Also, be sure to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer on a regular basis and clean your desk before and after each in-person class using the cleaning supplies provided in classrooms.
Finally, if sick, stay home. Anyone who tests positive is required to report any COVID-19 test result they have obtained off campus or if they have been identified by public health officials as a close contact of someone with COVID-19 using the COVID-19 Self-Reporting Form. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe environment for our campus.
COVID-19 Testing
IU medical experts are closely monitoring the testing and trend data on a daily basis and will be coming out with a COVID-19 data dashboard later this week so you can follow along. To help keep our community safe, we will also begin conducting ongoing COVID-19 mitigation testing of students, faculty, and staff starting next week. Each week a random sample of IUSB community members will be contacted via email to schedule an appointment for a saliva test. It should only take a minute for you to provide a saliva sample. Samples will be sent to a lab for analysis and results will come back in two to five days. Those testing positive will receive detailed instructions from IU Health on next steps, including isolation procedures. Those of you in a fully remote mode all this semester may be exempt from mitigation testing. This mitigation testing is essential to IU’s ability to continue to safely offer in-person education this year; without it, we have no way to identify individual asymptomatic cases before they spread to others. If contacted, it's critical and required that you participate.
Technology and Student Services Resources
We want to make sure you have what you need for a successful semester. As a result, we have created a new Student Technology Support webpage that includes information on accessing computers, connecting to wifi, where you can zoom into virtual classes while on campus, and more!
Also, don’t forget about our student services webpage for more information on hours and access to campus resources. Finally, please make sure you read the Daily Titan, daily. It contains timely campus information as well as event and student organization information. It’s important to stay engaged and get involved this semester. We will continue to offer events and co-curricular experiences both in-person and virtual this semester.
I want to conclude by taking a moment to acknowledge the shooting of Jacob Blake this week. The Dean of Students Office and Student Counseling Center are both here to support you if you need help processing this and other recent events. You can reach the Dean of Students Office at IUSB-SA@iusb.edu or phone at (574) 520-4273 and the Student Counseling Center at (574) 520-4125. Also, Monica Porter, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs & Diversity may be contacted at moport@iusb.edu or 574-520-4252 to learn more about campus diversity, equity and inclusion plans and programs. This event is the latest in a series of tragic reminders of how much work we have to do to dismantle systems of racial oppression in our nation and communities. Let us continue to commit to meeting this crucial challenge together.
With Hoosier Spirit and Titan Pride,
Susan Elrod, PhD
Chancellor