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Dear SIU System Faculty and Staff:
Now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new guidelines regarding the use of face coverings for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and Governor Pritzker has issued an Executive Order placing Illinois in the “Bridge Phase,” providing greater opportunities for all of us to take advantage of the many activities and events the virus has kept us from, it’s time for our campuses to look to the future.
Earlier this year, thanks to everyone’s efforts to do their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the development of vaccines that are allowing us to be better protected against the virus, we were able to turn our attention to post-pandemic operations. Some months ago, my office charged a working group to analyze issues related to work modalities (work from home, work in the office, hybrid) and to develop general guidelines that are adaptable to various settings within this system. During the process of developing these guidelines, we sought feedback from system leadership and the new SIU system faculty and staff advisory committees.
In recognition of the wide range of professional responsibilities and duties required of university employees, there may be circumstances in which flexible work arrangements may be beneficial and appropriate. The newly approved system-wide guidelines (Section 13: System Remote Work Policy) that provide a general overview on how we will approach remote working can be found at this link: https://siusystem.edu/about/university-guidelines.shtml.
While we have much work to do, these guidelines, and the follow-up that will come from campus leadership, are a clear indication the SIU System is taking what we’ve learned and crafting a new way of operating, which highlights the opportunities that have come out of this crisis.
Thank you.
Dan Mahony, President
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