May 22, 2020
Members of the Titan Community,
IU Restart Recommendations
Yesterday, President McRobbie released a that included the . This report provides a public health framework of recommendations that will be refined by further decision-making at the university and campus levels for a phased reopening of our campus this fall. President McRobbie also acknowledged the report recommends planning for a Fall Semester that “can involve on-campus in-person instruction “in some proportion,” with extensive risk mitigation, testing and tracking procedures.” The local testing capabilities that President McRobbie announced in his statement will be an important component of our ability to manage the health and safety of our community. We will follow up with additional details as soon as they become available.
The COVID-19 situation may shift in the coming months and throughout the year, and we will need to continue to be vigilant as well as flexible to respond appropriately. We still face many challenges, but we have already demonstrated we can persevere, and I know we will continue to do so. Our priorities are still focused on the health and safety of our community while still meeting our mission to provide access to educational programs that help people advance their lives and the lives of those around them.
IU South Bend Restart Process
You will see that some sections contain details that are relevant across all campuses and some that may not apply to our campus situation. Our Restart Working Groups and our campus leadership will sort through these recommendations, in concert with additional guidance and decisions from IU, to establish an IUSB-specific path forward. This will be a dynamic and interactive planning process as we seek to be thoughtful and proactive, but also responsive.
Our Restart Working Groups are being assembled now and will begin to meet the first week of June. Thanks to all who expressed interest in serving. We are doing our best to accommodate interest while balancing needed expertise and managing group size. We will provide information and updates to the campus through an IUSB Restart Website we plan to launch soon, the Daily Titan, messages I regularly send to the campus, and campus-wide gatherings like the Coffees with the Chancellor. If needed, we will schedule additional meetings so everyone can understand the phases, procedures and plans, and be as prepared as possible for the campus to restart our Fall Semester.
Good News
And, because we can all use some good news, here are two items. First, I am pleased to announce Tracey Anderson will begin as interim dean of the Leighton School of Business and Economics on July 1. Join me in welcoming Dr. Anderson to the campus leadership team. I also want to send good wishes to Deans Marvin Curtis and Rick Kolbe as they retire from their positions. Dr. Curtis will remain on the faculty and so we will see him around, leading performances and other programs. Thanks to both of them for their service to IU South Bend. As a reminder Jorge Muñiz will be serving as interim dean of the Raclin School of the Arts starting July 1.
Second, I am also glad to report that our summer enrollment is strong. While our headcount is a few percentage points down from last year, it is slightly above where we were two years ago. Credit hours show a similar trend. And, we still have Summer Session II to go!
In closing, thanks to everyone for stepping up, leaning in, and getting to the finish line of the Spring 2020 semester. It is truly one that I am sure none of us will forget. We have much work ahead of us to figure out how to come back together safely to continue to do what we do best – teach, learn, discover and create as we serve our community.