May 7, 2021
Dear Colleagues:
I send this message to provide you with an important summary from today’s meeting of the Board of Trustees.
During the meeting, the Board approved issuing bonds to fund the renovation and partial demolition of the Cooper Science Building. The Board also received an update on our University’s plans to obtain the reaffirmation of our accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission.
Based on recommendations from Provost Susana Rivera-Mills, the Board approved tenure and faculty promotions: 10 faculty members were promoted from associate professor to professor, and 24 faculty members were granted tenure and promoted from assistant professor to associate professor. The Board also approved first-level promotions for 16 contract faculty members and second-level promotions for 5 contract faculty members.
In other very important business, the Board approved a comprehensive resolution authorizing us to implement a series of actions to fully resume in-person operations so that we will be able to provide a traditional, on-campus experience for our students next academic year. I would like to share with you some of the key provisions in this resolution.
Pursuant to the Board resolution, we will continue to transition all employees, with limited exceptions, back to on-site work locations by August 1, 2021. I have asked each vice president to develop and implement a plan to achieve this objective in phases.
Given the wide diversity of responsibilities, functions, and sizes among the various divisions at our University, these plans will necessarily differ in some respects. Nevertheless, in order to assure reasonable consistency, I have asked the vice presidents to be guided by our fundamental mission—to provide a vibrant, engaged educational experience for our students.
Accordingly, I have established the following priorities:
- The vice presidents should prioritize being able to provide direct support services to our students during Summer activities, including orientation for incoming undergraduate students.
- The vice presidents should also prioritize being able to provide direct support services to other faculty and staff, including our library services.
- All requests by employees to continue to work remotely will be reviewed by their supervisors and our colleagues in Human Resources pursuant to the Ball State University Telework and Flexible Work Arrangements Guidelines for Professional and Staff Employees.
As we continue this transition, we have updated our Employee COVID-19 Response Plan and our Student COVID-19 Response Plan. Please review these revised guidelines. And please continue to abide by our health and safety protocols. Your cooperation and compliance is critical to our ability to fulfill our vital mission while maintaining a safe environment for all of our colleagues, students, and guests. Prior to the beginning of the Fall semester, we will modify these protocols to prepare for the return of our students to campus in August.
In that regard, during the Board meeting, the Provost recommended that, beginning with the Fall 2021 semester, we will return to traditional modalities of instruction for on-campus instruction, with limited exceptions. Those exceptions will be reviewed by the appropriate department chair or program director and the academic dean, in consultation with our colleagues in Human Resources. The Board approved the Provost’s recommendation, which was guided by input from the Academic Planning Task Force.
The Board also approved our recommendation, again guided by input from the Academic Planning Task Force, that we resume a traditional academic calendar, which includes a Fall Break, a Thanksgiving recess, and a Spring Break. We also anticipate being able to resume a more traditional housing and residence life plan, as well as a much more robust array of co-curricular and extra-curricular programs on campus.
To achieve this critical goal, the Board’s resolution provides, among other things: that we maintain adequate quarantine and isolation space for residential students who test positive for the virus next academic year; that we resume asymptomatic testing on campus for students and employees on August 1, 2021; that we continue with our effective and efficient contract tracing procedures; and that we maintain ample supplies of personal protective equipment and sanitation supplies.
In my estimation, though, the most important way that we can fully resume on-campus instruction and other activities safely in the Fall is by substantially increasing the number of fully vaccinated people who are teaching, working, learning, socializing, and living on our campus. Therefore, the Board authorized us to implement a program to incentivize our employees to get vaccinated. Specifically, if an employee presents proof of having been vaccinated, the employee can select one of the following two options:
- The vaccinated employee can elect to receive a one-time $100 credit off the employee’s portion of the healthcare premium, similar to the credit for non-smokers; or
- The vaccinated employee can elect to receive four additional hours of paid leave during next fiscal year.
Next week, you will receive more information about how to take advantage of this incentive program, which is also available to any employee who has already been vaccinated.
We also want to encourage all of our students to be vaccinated. Therefore, consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we will be advising students that, if they have been vaccinated and are subsequently identified as a close contact of another person who tested positive for the coronavirus, the vaccinated student will not be required to quarantine, unless the student has symptoms. Our students have told us that this policy will provide a significant incentive for students to get vaccinated.
As you may know, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the three vaccines pursuant to the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) process. In the resolution, the Board authorized us to enhance our vaccination plan, if the FDA converts the EUA for the three vaccines to full approval. I advised the Board that, if the FDA grants full approval for the three vaccines, we will likely require certain students to be vaccinated if their activities pose a greater risk of transmission. For example, we will consider requiring the following students to be vaccinated:
- Students who live in a residence hall or a fraternity house;
- Students who participate in intercollegiate athletics;
- Students who participate in bands, choirs, or theater and dance programs;
- Students who teach or have other field experiences in K-12 schools; or
- Students who participate in other educational or co-curricular activities that pose a greater risk of transmission.
If a student in one of the required student populations is exempted or excused from the vaccination requirement, we may require that student to be tested regularly in order to reduce the risk of transmission to another student in that population group. I also advised the Board that we will consider whether to require all faculty and staff who work closely with the students in these populations to be vaccinated.
We will continue to monitor this dynamic situation closely. And we will adjust our protocols as necessary, always informed by the most current public health guidance – and driven by our vital mission. I appreciate your dedication and your patience.
I also have one request: if you have not already done so, please get vaccinated, unless you have a legitimate health concern or a firmly held religious objection.
Thank you for your service and your support.
