7.26.21
Happy Monday, UIS!
Thank you for your patience this summer as we thoughtfully prepare for a more traditional college experience for everyone this fall. We are only a few weeks away from students returning to campus. This is a time of preparation and excitement, and I hope you are as excited as I am.
New Information
Employee Vaccination Policy
This week, UIS will roll out a university-specific employee policy about employee COVID-19 vaccinations that aligns with our health and safety requirements and our operational needs. Our plan will align with the UI System Policy announced last week and will outline what is expected of each UIS employee. While the message will clearly encourage you to become vaccinated, there will be sensible ways that employees may engage the university regarding possible exemptions to this requirement. We appreciate your thoughtful input and guidance in developing this plan.
Campus Life Returns
Thanks to our increasing vaccination rate on our campus, this fall will resemble a more traditional college experience. Here’s a glimpse of what we can look forward to.
Fall 2021 Move-In: Volunteers Needed Aug. 16
Fall 2021 Move In is fast approaching for our new Prairie Stars. Residence Life is seeking volunteers to assist in a variety of roles. Volunteers can sign up to work four-hour shifts (or all day): 8 a.m. to noon, or noon to 4 p.m. Interested? Please add your name to the Google doc sign up. Volunteer Training will be the week of Aug. 9 via Zoom.
Cybersecurity Training Coming This Fall
Beginning this September, all UI System employees will participate in cybersecurity awareness training. The online training will resemble ethics training and is meant to keep us abreast of the latest intelligence threat and attack methods, help eliminate risky behavior and instill system-wide security best practices. Watch for details in your email and future newsletters.
9.11 Memorial Stair Climb
TRAC employees are planning an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The 9.11 Memorial Stair Climb is looking for floor sponsors, so if you know of a business or organization who might be interested in sponsoring a floor, contact Amber Pye. Participant registration opens in August.
New UIS Website Success
After transitioning to the new website platform, we are already seeing some significant improvements in our UIS web metrics, including decreases in bounce rates (visitors who leave without going further into the site) on several critical pages. Great job to the Office of Web Services team for their hard work as they continue to migrate pages onto the new platform.
Parking Permit Time
Aug. 1 marks the new year for parking permits. If you pay for your permit through payroll deduction, it will automatically renew and a new tag will be delivered to your UIS office address. If you do not pay through payroll deduction, you will need to submit a new parking permit form.
Information that Bears Repeating
Upload your vaccination card to Medicat
Vaccinated students, faculty and staff need to upload their vaccination card to their secure Patient Portal. It is important to do this in a timely manner.
On-Site Work for Fall
Effective Aug. 16, any remote work arrangements that continue for AP and Civil Service employees should be pursuant to the Remote Work Policy. It’s not too early to discuss your plans for Fall 2021 with your supervisor. With more students living and learning on campus this semester, it is critical that offices move toward more normal densities and have regular, full service hours. UIS is no longer restricting capacity in work spaces effective Aug. 16 due to Illinois being in Phase 5 of Restore Illinois.
Out-of-Office Messages
If you are using “out-of-office” messages to convey remote work operations, please consider adjusting how you use that email feature. It is not a best practice to use the out-of-office feature to indicate you are working remotely. Our constituents should expect the same level of service regardless if an individual is working on site or remotely; drawing attention to remote-work arrangements could indicate a different level of service or response.
Celebrating Our Star Power
July Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Emily Boles, online learning and faculty development specialist for the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service, for being named the Employee of the Month for July 2021. Boles’ nominators said she went “above and beyond” to help faculty move from regular instruction to remote learning during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the summer winds down, I hope each of you finds time to do something you enjoy. Stay safe, and I’ll see you soon.
United in Safety,
Karen
Karen M. Whitney, PhD
Interim Chancellor
University of Illinois Springfield