August 9, 2021
Dear colleagues,
I am writing today with important updates for our return to campus. Many of you may be feeling anxious with the increase in COVID-19 rates as well as the rapidly changing plans for what the fall semester will look like. The emergence of the Delta variant is affecting many aspects of our lives at home and at work. Clearly, this is not how any of us had hoped to begin the fall semester this long after a vaccine was made available.
Due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, the university is enacting revised campus guidelines and policies to put the safety of our community first while also ensuring in-person experiences for our students. With these goals in mind, I’d like to summarize the guidance we’ve received.
Staff Returning to Campus
- Non-student facing, non-direct student support personnel: You may continue working remotely until September 16, and your FWAs will be adjusted by your supervisors. UGS directors and EM leads should discuss these plans as soon as possible, but no later than the end of August, with Lori Holleran Steiker, Dave Platt, or Carolyn Connerat, as appropriate, for final approval.
- Student-facing, direct student support personnel: Offices that are student facing or offer direct support will operate from 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Supervisors should work with their staff on individual work plans to ensure staffing levels that allow for full service to constituent students, faculty, and staff during this period, including in-person services where needed. UGS directors and EM leads should discuss these plans as soon as possible, but no later than August 16, with Lori Holleran Steiker, Dave Platt, or Carolyn Connerat, as appropriate, for final approval. For the departments and units offering direct student support, it will be up to individual directors to communicate plans to everyone on their teams as soon as those plans are approved. Lori, Carolyn, Dave, and I will make decisions on plans within 24 hours to the extent possible.
Health & Safety
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently updated their guidance and recommend that all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in indoor public settings. The university has adopted this masking guidance, and masks are strongly recommended but optional inside university buildings for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, except when alone in a private office or single-occupant cubicle.
- UT will provide masks at no cost to all staff, faculty, assistant instructors, and teaching assistants who are on campus this semester. Free masks are currently available to students at the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center and Texas Union hospitality desks.
- Immunocompromised individuals are most at risk from COVID-19. Individual faculty and staff members should submit their requests for accommodations for their own medical conditions through the ADA accommodation process. Staff who do not have a personal medical condition or disability that makes them high-risk to COVID-19, but live with such a dependent, should contact their supervisor to discuss flexible work options that may be available to them.
- CSU business officers can continue to request personal protective equipment. PPE will be delivered through Campus Distribution Services. Please make your request for PPE directly to Nisreen Singharaj.
- We strongly encourage the community to get vaccinated, as vaccines remain our best tool to combat the spread of COVID-19. The university is communicating vaccination information directly to students to encourage them as well.
- Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line remains available as the primary tool to address questions or concerns from the university community about COVID-19.
- It is important for employees to report COVID-19 symptoms or positive tests to the Occupational Health Program (512-471-4647) as soon as possible, and stay home to self-isolate. Employees should contact OHP if they have COVID-19 symptoms or have been tested because they have symptoms (even if the test was negative), or if they think they may have been exposed.
- Please continue to visit the visit the Protect Texas Together website for updates and more detailed information
The university has also developed updated guidance and options for faculty in the classroom, including new options to reduce classroom density and increase social distancing, use of online office hours, plans for contact tracing, and resources for recording course content. Please see the message to faculty from Provost Sharon Wood. Updates for students returning this fall concerning testing, vaccinations, masking, and more can be found here.
I know the current climate has been challenging but we will get through this. Feel free to email Lori, Carolyn, Dave, or myself, with any concerns, or, if you are more comfortable, reach out anonymously by submitting a comment to the Qualtrics survey. The responses are read every day and are entirely anonymous.
Please rest assured that we understand the need for flexibility. I believe that working together, we can do this. Thank you for all you do for our students.
Brent, Carolyn, Lori, & David
Brent L. Iverson
Senior Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Ad Interim
Dean, School of Undergraduate Studies
WJ and VM Raymer Professor and Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Chemistry
Lori Holleran Steiker
UT Regents and Distinguished Professor and Steve Hicks Professor of Addiction and Substance Abuse Services, Steve Hicks School of Social Work
Associate Dean and Director of Instruction, Engagement, and Wellness, School of Undergraduate Studies
Carolyn Connerat
Interim Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
David Platt
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs
