Office of the Provost

Dear UConn colleagues,

As more employees have become fully vaccinated over the last few weeks, inquiries have been made about the ability to hold on-campus meetings, retreats, and interviews. We write today to reinforce existing parameters.

While the University has provided opportunities for faculty and staff to be vaccinated, colleagues are working diligently on the Future of Work Committee to recommend policies and procedures in anticipation of (1) some employees returning to campus on or around August 15, and (2) longer-term initiatives that will transform the ways we work.

As we await the Committee’s final report later this month and the administration’s assessment, it is important to remember that on-campus meetings for those pre-approved to be on campus should occur only with proper social distancing and mask-wearing.

In addition, virtual options must remain available for meeting participants, and participants should not be meant to feel diminished by attending virtually.

Employees who have been working remotely partially or fully should plan to continue to do so through at least mid-August. Managers cannot require employees who have been working remotely to return to campus at this time absent a business reason for doing so.

Large-scale meetings of any kind should not take place in-person at this time and interviews should remain virtual unless there is a compelling business reason, approved by the appropriate Executive Vice President, to conduct in-person interviews.

Additionally, employees should assume that the Spring On-Campus Registry will continue into the summer, and employees who intend to return to campus before Aug. 15 must work with Human Resources to be added to the Registry.

We also remind managers that they cannot ask an employee if they have been vaccinated or not, as this is considered personal health information.

We appreciate that there is a growing desire among employees to return to campus and achieve a long-awaited sense of normalcy. It is imperative, however, that returning to campus is done in a consistent fashion with an emphasis on health, safety, and communication.

We look forward to welcoming you back to campus in the coming months, and please keep an eye out for updates from us and from the Future of Work Committee later this month.

Sincerely,

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Scott Jordan
CFO and Executive Vice President for Administration

Chris Delello
Chief Human Resources Officer