May 15, 2020
Members of the Titan Community,
You should congratulate yourselves for the amazing work you have done together to persevere in this unparalleled time. I want to echo President McRobbie’s recent email sentiments thanking everyone and add my sincerest appreciation for each and every one of you.
As we finish off the semester and celebrate our graduates, we are entering a Restart planning phase. To launch this phase, President McRobbie formed an with several IU-wide working groups representative of all IU campuses.
In coordination with this IU-wide effort, we will establish IU South Bend Restart Working Groups that will address critical issues regarding our campus restart processes. These groups, described below, will work throughout the summer, into the fall, and for as long as they are needed. These groups may be modified over time and/or new groups may be formed as necessary in response to what is likely to be a continually changing COVID-19 landscape. Our campus working groups will use guidance provided by the IU Restart Committee and other IU-wide groups to begin the process of making their local recommendations.
Recommendations from these groups will feed up to an IU South Bend Restart Steering Committee that will be made up of representatives from the campus working groups and other leaders. The Cabinet and the Chancellor will regularly review campus working group recommendations and will make decisions on budget, policy matters, or large-scale process implementations.
Membership of our IU South Bend Restart Working Groups will be based on needed expertise, as well as representation by faculty, staff, and students. Governance groups from these constituencies, as well as the Vice Chancellors, Deans, and Directors, will be consulted when identifying who best can fill these roles. You may also submit your interest to serve on one of the groups by filling out . Our goal is to have groups no larger than 12.
IU South Bend Working Groups:
- Student Welfare and Services
- Housing, Dining and Parking
- Employee Welfare, Health and Safety
- Teaching and Learning
- Facilities
- Athletics
- Communication
In the meantime, we will continue working remotely until directed otherwise, except for essential employees. When we do return to work together on campus, it will be in phases. IU’s restarting will not necessarily follow the state’s schedule because of the physically concentrated nature of university campuses.
Until then, we need to keep doing what we have been – staying home and staying safe. I know it is a challenge, but it is important for us to remain vigilant and plan thoughtfully for restarting. It also means a continued emphasis on conserving fiscal resources and not buying supplies we don’t need while working remotely. We are not fully operating our mail room at this time, either, so ordering supplies presents complications for receiving and distributing what is ordered at this time. Once we know more about the phased return to campus, there will be plenty of time to order supplies appropriate to the working environment.
Please continue to stay safe, healthy, and well. As always, frequently check IU’s coronavirus and our FAQ .