July 13, 2021
Dear Colleagues,
I hope that you enjoyed your July holiday weekend and that your summer is off to a great start. As we prepare to return to more normalcy on campus in the coming weeks, I wanted to share a few updates and reminders. It has already been nice to see more smiling faces!
Mask Guidance
Masks are now optional for those fully vaccinated on campus. As a reminder you are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Visitors to campus who have been fully vaccinated are also no longer required to wear a mask. Additionally, masks are no longer required for those vaccinated attending large events.
Travel
Domestic travel is now permitted; however, travelers must follow local restrictions and CDC guidance. As a reminder, all travel arrangements must be made through Travel Management Services designated agencies. Additionally, international travel for faculty and staff will no longer be limited to essential purposes, and will no longer require committee approval. It will be permitted upon submission of an acknowledgment form signed by the traveler and approved by the responsible dean or unit head. International travel for students continues to be subject to certain restrictions. Further details on the revised policy, along with a link to the acknowledgment form, are available here.
COVID Testing
We continue to offer both voluntary asymptomatic testing and symptomatic testing. Even if you are vaccinated but are showing COVID-19 symptoms, please get a symptomatic test so we can be sure to appropriately respond and limit viral spread.
Campus Spaces
All classrooms, labs, housing, dining, recreation and other campus facilities will return to pre-pandemic capacities, with no physical distancing required. Furniture and chairs will soon be returned to prior arrangements. Barriers, such as Plexiglas, red dots, and old COVID-19 signage will be removed by August 1. You may see new signage appearing with reminders about the changes to mask requirements.
Pay Adjustments
As we enter the FY2022 fiscal year, I am pleased to announce the following pay adjustments for IU South Bend employees, effective July 1, 2021:
1. All appointed faculty and staff who assumed their current duties prior to April 1, 2021 will receive a 1% salary increase. Please note that temporary hourly employees, student workers, and adjunct faculty are not considered appointed faculty and staff.
2. IU’s minimum wage for appointed faculty and staff has been increased to $15.00 per hour ($31,200 annual). Any applicable IU South Bend employee previously below this rate has had their pay adjusted to match IU’s new minimum wage.
3. Salary compression adjustments have also been made for appointed faculty and staff with current hourly pay rates exceeding $15.00 per hour, but less than $17.00 per hour, and with three or more years of service with the university.
4. Finally, we have set aside the additional 1% salary increase in a pool of funds (nearly $400,000, inclusive of fringe benefits) to begin to address salary compression, equity, and market adjustments. This was a top priority from the Campus Budget Advisory Council. More details about our plans for this additional pool of funds will be shared this coming academic year.
As a reminder, you can visit the Employee Center in One.IU at any time to access information about your compensation. You can also learn more about IU’s Salary Policy here.
Employee Welcome Back Events in August
We are planning a welcome back for employees on Monday morning, August 2 to celebrate our return to campus. All employees are invited to reunite with colleagues for coffee and treats in the Grill from 9:30am to 10:30am. It will be wonderful to have the campus full of life and activity again soon.
My Fall 2021 Campus Address will be held on Monday, August 16th from 10:00am to 11:30am in the Campus Auditorium preceded by a coffee hour from 9:00am to 10:00am. Many events to welcome employees as well as students are being planned for this week, culminating with our traditional All Campus Lunch on Friday, August 20th from 12:00pm to 1:30pm. Look for more details on all these events in the Daily Titan.
I am very much looking forward to seeing you all in August for the start of this new academic year. I think we are all hopeful that it will be a different, and better, year for everyone. All signs are pointing in that direction and I appreciate your continued commitment to your health and the safety of our entire campus community.