July 9, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
I want to share an update on preparations for the Fall 2020 semester and a safe return to campus. Our IUSB Restart Working Groups continue to meet weekly. Many of the updates that I will be sharing are a result of their work. I want to thank the members of the Restart Working Groups and Restart Steering Committee for their dedication and leadership, and to everyone across campus for all you are doing to plan for the Fall 2020 semester. Our priorities for the coming year are simple: the health and safety of our Titan community, and making sure that students can continue to receive a quality IU education so they can be contributors and catalysts for our community.
Communication
I know that you have lots of questions about plans for Fall 2020 and this message provides you with the latest information you will need to prepare for the upcoming semester. Because information continues to be updated, I will continue to keep you informed through these messages. I will also be sharing updates with our students, their parents and families, and alumni and community partners. Student messages about restart planning can be found here. My message to students last week focused on keeping healthy, the academic calendar, and how courses will be taught.
I encourage you to visit Fall 2020 IU South Bend for continued updates and to submit questions here. We want to hear from you about your questions and concerns or even suggestions you might have to ensure we have a good communication process in place.
Preparing Our Facilities for a Return to Campus
Custodial staff will be cleaning common spaces daily. Cleaning supplies such as sanitizing wipes will also be provided from a central supply to building occupants for frequent self-cleaning of individual work stations. Cleaning products will also be available so students and faculty can wipe down desks, chairs, and other high-touch items upon entering or leaving a classroom. Hand sanitizer stations will be installed in high-traffic areas and safety signage will be placed across campus with reminders about handwashing, face masks, social distancing, and cleaning protocols. New guidance for departments wishing to purchase additional cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer for their offices beyond what is provided centrally can be found here.
Classroom and office furniture will be reconfigured as needed and as possible to accommodate physical distancing. Requests for significant office furniture reconfigurations need to be approved by the Vice Chancellor of your division. Smaller classrooms can expect reductions to about one-third of seating, while larger classrooms can expect reductions to about one-sixth of seating. Plexiglas barriers may be used for high-volume point-of-contact spaces, such as cash registers or the Gateway Center, to augment face mask wearing and social distancing procedures. We are also testing in limited locations a virtual portal for contactless reception and help services. Thanks to UITS staff for working out a system for us to test and many thanks to our outstanding facilities team for all they are doing to prepare for our return to campus. A safe Fall 2020 would not be possible without them.
Office Staffing
Our goal for the coming academic year is to ensure offices are being staffed to meet student, faculty, staff and public needs, while also reducing the number of individuals on campus at any given time. Departments have been asked to develop plans and work with their respective Vice Chancellors on how best to meet this goal.
Wearing Masks
All students, faculty, staff, and visitors to IU South Bend’s campus facilities in South Bend and Elkhart are required to wear a face mask when inside a building or when outside and physical distancing isn’t possible. Face masks can be removed if you are alone in an office with the door closed. The purpose of wearing a face mask is to stop the transmission of virus particles through the air that we breathe, particularly in enclosed spaces. When you wear a mask, it protects you from breathing in any possible virus particles but also shows you care about the health of others. While scientists are still learning about how the virus spreads, we know that by wearing face masks and taking other measures seriously, together we can stop the spread of the virus.
IU will provide staff, faculty and students with two IU-branded masks. Masks will be mailed to the home address of faculty and staff by early August. We are working on a separate distribution plan for students. However, members of the campus community can wear any mask that meets CDC guidelines. There are several informative videos on the CDC’s YouTube channel as well. Disposable masks will be available at central locations in buildings for visitors or those who may have forgotten or misplaced their mask.
We are working on ways to reinforce this message and ensure compliance, but we expect everyone to take collective responsibility and participate in this important public health behavior. Those who have concerns about someone not wearing a mask should alert their supervisor, chair, or dean.
Moving Forward
To keep everyone in the IU South Bend community safe and healthy, we all have to do our part. All employees are required to complete the Community Responsibility Acknowledgement (CRA) before returning to campus and follow the guidance. The CRA ensures employees are informed of—and commit to—best individual safety practices. In addition, the CRA gives employees another way to request accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students will be required to sign a similar commitment statement.
I want to be sure you know that all IU students, faculty and staff will have access to a virtual symptom checker, virtual screening, and COVID-19 testing if needed. You can visit COVID Health Services to learn more. Thanks to our Health and Wellness Center for providing testing services for our campus community as part of IU’s COVID Health Services program!