COVID-19 Information

May 6, 2021

Dear Colleagues, 

We would like to begin by again thanking you for your flexibility in an extraordinarily challenging period since March 2020. In spite of these circumstances, you have worked diligently to support our students and the overall educational endeavors of SIUE while adhering to safety protocols put in place to protect us all. 

Campus COVID positivity numbers have remained low throughout this past year – most weeks, much lower than our metro area and the State of Illinois. That is a testament to your prudent actions, and our great healthcare and testing services providers. 

Additional good news is that vaccination rates are rising. With rates nearing designated benchmarks, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is signaling that a move to Phase 5 is possible. In short, the environment seems to be trending to a higher level of safety as evidenced by county and Metro East positivity rates. Recent CDC updates for fully vaccinated individuals underscore this further, permitting those who are fully vaccinated to gather and conduct activities outdoors without wearing a mask except in crowded settings and venues.   

We know that many of you are wondering about work modalities (work from home, work in the office, hybrid) for this summer and fall. The SIU System has an ad hoc group working to develop a System level policy, which will guide any changes to the current campus remote work policies and procedures. SIUE is represented by Senior System Counsel Phyleccia Reed Cole (co-chair), Vice Chancellor for Administration Morris Taylor, and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jeffrey Waple on the committee.

We are anticipating specific information from the System Office in the next few weeks which will include System guidelines and areas for campus autonomy. At this point, it is likely that approval of any remote work situation would be based on several factors including:

• The proposed remote work schedule
• Supervisor expectations
• Employee productivity and effectiveness
• Mandatory on-ground or virtual meeting obligations
• Adherence to University rules, policies and procedures
• Relevant statutory requirements including the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act
• Time-sheet protocols
• An assurance that job duties will not be disrupted due to participation in childcare, adult care or other personal activities
• A review of the remote work environment including the protection of confidential University information
• Periodic assessment of the remote work situation including work outcomes   

Through necessity, we have learned to do many things from home, but there are things that are more effectively delivered on campus to support our students and each other. Therefore, our expectation is that most SIUE employees currently working from home will begin to transition back to working fulltime on campus by Tuesday, June 1. In order to continue our efforts to create a safe environment, we will continue to require masks in the workplace and follow social distancing protocols in alignment with official IDPH and CDC guidelines. 

Because we know this change will once again require an adjustment for our employees, we hope to provide some flexibility regarding the return to campus. One key to a successful transition is communication with your supervisor. Significant segments of our employees have either worked on campus during the entire pandemic or already have returned during the spring semester. Others are looking forward to returning and want to return sooner than June 1, and that is possible in many instances, as well.   

We have also learned in the past 15 months that in some cases, individuals who are not “front facing” and who do not need to interact with others face-to-face on a regular basis to provide services, can be highly productive, perhaps even more so while working from home. In those instances, we encourage individual employees to talk with supervisors and use the guidelines coming from the System group regarding remote working possibilities. These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but it is anticipated they will be the exception rather than the norm. Remote work agreements would require the approval of the employee’s supervisor, director and vice chancellor. In addition, we understand that many individuals have health concerns and related accommodation needs that will continue to be handled by the Office of Equal Opportunity, Access and Title IX Coordination (EOA). 

If you have not been on campus for a while, you may not be aware that SIUE has transformed itself to comply with CDC and IDPH guidelines. Also, COVID testing remains available on all campuses and will continue through the summer and beyond, as needed. For information on testing, please click on this link for more information:  Testing and Reporting – Coronavirus (COVID-19 | SIUE.  

For those seeking a vaccination, please click on the vaccination link  Vaccine Eligibility & Prioritization – Coronavirus (COVID-19) | SIUE which will direct you to venues to receive shots, including a campus-based vaccination opportunity on Friday, May 14 at the Student Fitness Center.  

We know you will have many questions during this next transition period. Please start with conversations with your supervisor and Human Resources. 

To assist with a smooth transition, please remember that you can use the vacation time you may have available. You have worked hard and, in many cases, delayed vacations because of the pandemic. Please practice good health habits and find some down time. Remember that we extended the deadline for vacation use to December 31, 2021. Updates to the SIUE travel guidelines were made recently, and we encourage you to review those as you make travel plans.  You have labored diligently and, if positive health trends continue nationally, the months ahead could be a great time to use that time away.   

As we continue to honor what we have learned about operating virtually and transitioning back to a greater physical presence on campus, we understand this may cause different feelings. Dr. Courtney Boddie, Associate Dean of Students for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Director of Counseling Services, shares suggestions for managing this change. Employees are encouraged to utilize the Employee Assistance Program or our counselor for faculty and staff, Karen Banks, for support if needed. 

One final caveat which we have all learned in the past 15 months (and one which we hesitate to mention, but feel compelled to underscore), the COVID situation can change for better or worse quite quickly. If the situation changes, we will be in touch with the latest information and guidance from IDPH and CDC. Please continue to monitor our Friday communications for the latest news. 

Best wishes as we conclude the spring 2021 semester and a most unusual academic year. 

Randy Pembrook, Chancellor
Denise Cobb, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Jessica Harris, Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Rachel Stack, Vice Chancellor for Advancement
Morris Taylor, Vice Chancellor for Administration
Jeffrey Waple, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs