March 25, 2020
We continue to find ourselves in challenging times. I hope all of you are taking the precautions from Governor Holcomb seriously. Everyone’s cooperation with the Stay At Home is imperative to slow the spread of the virus and end the pandemic as quickly as possible. The IU South Bend leadership team continues to monitor the situation with IU colleagues across the state to provide the most responsive yet prudent educational, staffing, and facilities guidelines. I know that the restrictions are a challenge for everyone but they must be taken seriously.
Please take the time to take care of yourselves and your families but also to be patient and understanding with others as everyone returns from spring break and classes resume in new online formats. Thanks to everyone for their leadership, creativity, and caring as we navigate these new and challenging waters together.
Now for some important updates:
- While the campus remains open to fulfill our educational mission, our physical buildings will be closed for general access, including the Schurz Library and the Gateway Center.
- Employees must stay at home to work remotely unless they are performing essential campus or educational functions that require access to campus equipment or facilities (e.g., labs). There are no exceptions or petitions to the contrary. This situation will disrupt ways in which we are used to working and will require us to rethink existing patterns in order to comply with these directives. Campus police will have a list of essential employees that they will use during their security checks in buildings.
- Faculty still have access to their offices but should stay at home except for essential access to campus equipment or facilities for conducting online classes.
- Everyone will have access to the that can be accessed safely from your vehicle in the parking lot outside of the Student Activities Center (SAC). This is intended for access to IU Secure, Eduroam and IU Guest for quick uploads and downloads. It is not meant for long-term access and please observe social distancing while using this resource.
- Students who do not have adequate access to technology for online coursework will have access to computer labs in the Education & Arts Building from 8 am – 6 pm on weekdays and noon - 6 pm on weekends. These labs will be monitored to ensure compliance with state requirements for less than 10 people per room and appropriate social distancing. Details are being sent to students and can also be found on the IUSB page.
- The and branch are currently closed. Both have online operations for access. The campus Health and Wellness Center is physically closed but monitoring phone calls. They are one place you can call with questions about what to do if you feel sick (574-520-5557). Otherwise, call your healthcare provider or an Urgent Care near you.
- We are continuing to work out processes for reimbursements to students for housing and other fees. Check the IUSB page for the most up-to-date information.
As always, check IU’s Coronavirus and our IUSB page regularly for up-to-date information. Continual updates can also be found in the Daily Titan, so please continue to monitor your email inbox. It is critical that everyone know the rules and follow them as we all strive to comply with the Governor’s executive order and work collectively to bring a swift end to this pandemic.
In closing, I would like to reiterate President McRobbie’s inspirational words about IU’s Bicentennial. The university has survived through many difficult times and, IU South Bend, in its 100-year history has done the same. In fact, IU South Bend’s humble beginnings can be traced back to right before the 1918 Influenza pandemic. During these early ears, students were also engaged in “distance education”, although in a different format than we use today -- correspondence courses through the mail as opposed to over the Internet. We weathered that crisis and many others in our 100-year history. This one will be no different.