JULY 15, 2021 — Editor’s note: The following message was sent today via email from Senior Vice President for Business Affairs Veronica Salazar Mendez to all faculty and staff:
Yesterday, you heard from senior leadership about campus operations this fall. As we prepare for the upcoming academic year, many of us will see adjusted work modalities to support a robust in-person experience for our Roadrunner community.
Over the past year, we saw an incredible amount of innovative ideas and efficiencies that support working and learning remotely. Although many in-person activities are poised to resume, we have an opportunity to incorporate these new best practices as we move forward, ensuring we support our in-person and virtual workforce and provide high-quality services to our students and each other.
Fall Work Modalities
Many of you will resume working on campus this fall, while others will continue working remotely on a hybrid or full-time basis. Area managers and vice presidents carefully considered work modalities based on the requirements of individual positions. Your assigned modality is essential to supporting the university, our students and your teams.
Soon, your manager will notify you of your fall work modality so that you have adequate time to prepare for any changes. If your modality includes in-person work, your manager will provide your return-to-campus date, which may vary from office to office. For those working remotely, your manager will work with you to complete a Work Modality Conditions and Agreement form, which will replace the current telecommuting agreements set to expire on July 31. New agreements go into effect August 1.
Next week, managers can expect to receive more instruction from People Excellence regarding work modality notifications and the agreement form process. Later this month, managers will also receive updated information on out-of-state employees, including a new exception review process.
Moving forward, newly hired faculty and staff will be advised of their work modality in their official offer letter. As part of the recruitment process, People Excellence will work directly with hiring managers to ensure work modalities are clearly stated in all stages of hiring.
Support & Accommodations
As we adapt to a work environment that includes a wide range of work modalities, we must make every effort to support and accommodate each other. For example, while many in-person office hours and meetings will resume this fall, virtual attendance options should be made available whenever practical to ensure our full community is engaged, regardless of work modality.
Likewise, we acknowledge that some individuals may need workplace accommodations due to qualifying impacts from the ongoing pandemic. Requesting an accommodation will follow the university’s standard process.
Starting today, People Excellence is offering a Return to Campus webinar series in partnership with our Employee Assistance Program, Deer Oaks. The series covers numerous topics, including coping with change, supporting your employees and staying resilient. These trainings are open to all interested employees, and I encourage you to attend.
As we prepare for fall, we are keeping a close eye on COVID-19 variants. If necessary, we will make adjustments to our work modalities and pandemic management plan to ensure the health and safety of our campus community. Your ongoing resiliency and support will help us remain flexible should we need to adjust our recovery level.
In the meantime, we look forward to seeing many of you back on campus!
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Retama Auditorium (SU 2.02.02,) Main CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.