HR News

Benefits-eligible employees with children approaching college age can learn more about Syracuse University’s Dependent Tuition Benefit through a Zoom presentation on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 11:30 a.m. The presentation will be repeated on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at noon.

The presentation will provide an overview of the University’s three Dependent Tuition Programs (SU Tuition Waiver, Cash Grant and Tuition Exchange), as well as an opportunity for questions and answers.

Click here to register for either session. Those attending are encouraged to review the Dependent Tuition Benefits and the Dependent Tuition Policy, which are available online at hr-test.syr.edu.

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available. If you require any accommodation in order to fully participate in this program, please notify Pam Gavenda at pegavend@syr.edu.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact the HR Service Center at 315.443.4042 or hrservice@syr.edu.

To all our University Faculty and Staff:

We greatly appreciate all of your efforts everyday on behalf of our students and the mission of the University.  You have shown grit, desire, passion, determination, pursuit of excellence, and commitment.  You have persevered through many unanticipated obstacles over the past several months. You have embraced the challenges with grace and great resolve.  The University and our students are in a better place because of you.

We will face many more challenges but on this Labor Day, thank you for your great work!

Andy Gordon

Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer

Dear Faculty and Staff,

We are writing today to reflect on what we have heard from you regarding the challenges for faculty and staff caregivers. Particularly, we heard about challenges presented by the decreased availability of childcare due to social distancing and the hybrid and remote learning approaches taken in school districts in and around Syracuse. We also heard from you about additional caregiving responsibilities for elderly or disabled loved ones that are complicated by the pandemic. We acknowledge those challenges and the upheaval they have created in many of your lives since March. In response to your input, we are writing to share available resources and current initiatives that are underway to address some of the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

• Existing Resources
• Flexible Work Arrangements and Workload Considerations
• Caregiving Exchange Bulletin Board
• Complete the Virtual Tutoring Survey
• University Membership in Care.com

Existing Resources
Syracuse University offers and is extending a number of benefits to help faculty and staff with caregiving responsibilities. These include:

• Dependent Care Subsidy Program—although the application deadline already passed, the University is re-opening the application process through Dec. 4 to provide eligible faculty and staff the opportunity to receive subsidies of up to $3,000 for their eligible dependent care expenses in 2020. Visit the Dependent Care Subsidy Program webpage on the Office of Human Resources (HR) website to apply.
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account—deadlines for 2019 claim submissions have been extended, and 2020 mid-year changes in elections are permissible during the pandemic. Please visit HR’s COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions for details.
• Carebridge, the University’s faculty and staff assistance program, can connect faculty and staff with information, resources and referrals for caregiving.

Flexible Work Arrangements and Workload Considerations
We have heard that additional flexibility would be helpful. The Office of Academic Affairs will collaborate with deans and department chairs to increase flexibility in the allocation of faculty workload. Our listening sessions have also raised concerns about the impact of the pandemic on career progression for faculty. We are studying possible solutions to those concerns, including those that have been suggested by faculty, and will continue to engage in dialogue over the course of the fall semester.

For staff, HR has provided additional guidelines on flexible work arrangements during the pandemic, and staff who have caregiving challenges are urged to consult with their supervisor regarding appropriate options. If needed, employees and supervisors should also consult with their senior HR business partner for additional guidance.

Caregiving Exchange Discussion Board
We heard in this summer’s listening sessions that faculty and staff would like to connect with colleagues who also have caregiving responsibilities. These connections are more difficult to make while social distancing. Academic Affairs has arranged for a secure discussion board on the Answers platform, called the Syracuse University Caregiving Exchange (login required), where faculty and staff can share caregiving resources and needs and connect with colleagues who have similar needs and may be willing to share collaborative arrangements. This resource is open to all faculty and staff with a valid NetID.

Complete the Virtual Tutoring Survey
Faculty and staff have expressed an interest in support for learning help for your own K-12 children. Academic Affairs is assessing interest in a pilot program that is under consideration to provide virtual tutoring support for K-12 children of faculty, staff and students. We encourage anyone with an interest to fill out the brief survey.

University Membership in Care.com
The University has reached an agreement to provide an institutional membership in Care.com, a secure online digital platform that connects individuals and caregivers. Additional information will be provided to faculty and staff regarding this benefit and how to access it in the coming weeks.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with your ideas, concerns and thoughts.

Sincerely,

John Liu
Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost

Andrew R. Gordon
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer

A series of dialogue sessions for supervisors that began earlier this summer in the wake of the death of George Floyd will continue this fall with “In the Moment—Bridging the Gaps of Race Dialogue,” sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in collaboration with the Office of Human Resources.

As racial tensions, polarized perspectives and heinous acts of violence continue to plague our country, this series of dialogue sessions is offered for supervisors who want to support their staff and engage in conversations that encourage inclusion and build understanding around these critical issues.

Supervisors will have two opportunities to participate in this half-day, intensive workshop:

• Thursday, Sept. 17, from 8:30 a.m. to noon: Register now.
• Thursday, Oct. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to noon: Register now.

Due to the desire to engage all participants in active dialogue, the capacity for this series is limited to 25 attendees. Once the maximum registration has been reached, others who are interested will be added to a wait list.

“Participating in the dialogue series was a good entry point to an important conversation,” says one participant from the summer sessions. “It helped to frame big picture ideas and point out different perspectives, while providing a safe space to be uncomfortable. Participating in the program provided me with direct support to take action and helped me make the right connections on campus to keep the conversation going with my team.”

The dialogue series will be led by Senior HR Business Partner Delphia Howze, who has extensive experience in diversity and inclusion management.

“It has been an honor to lead each session on this important topic,” says Howze. “Together, we’ve had the opportunity to learn, inquire and engage in discussion about a topic that often times makes us uncomfortable. In an effort to be a greater support and trusted resource, supervisors have leaned into the discomfort of this subject to acknowledge the impact of some of the challenges that our employees face regarding race and racism in our society. It has been a productive program and I look forward to future sessions.”

“We must create space and time to not only acknowledge the long-standing moment our country is experiencing relative to racial injustices, but discuss and implement thoughts, reactions and responses,” says Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keith A. Alford. “Supervisors who participated in the series have shared that this was indeed a worthwhile experience, and they are implementing with coworkers the content learned. This is a critical time in our society and everyone on campus can be a part of making it transformative.”

Additional details regarding the supervisor series can be found on the In the Moment—Bridging the Gaps of Race Dialogue webpage.

Effective Monday, Aug. 31, a new question has been added to the Daily Health Screening Questionnaire for faculty and staff, which is a critical component of minimizing the likelihood of COVID-19 spread and keeping campus safe for the entire Orange community.

At the beginning of the questionnaire, users will be asked to indicate if they will be visiting or working at a Syracuse University facility that day. If the faculty or staff member indicates they will not physically be on campus or at any other Syracuse University facility, the survey ends after the first question.

This change will help strengthen and streamline reporting on the daily health screening results, while also establishing consistency of habit for our faculty and staff.

As a reminder, faculty and staff are required to complete the questionnaire each day they are physically on campus or at any other Syracuse University facility, no matter how briefly, and without any exceptions. Additionally, as of Aug. 24, all students, including student employees, are required to complete their daily health screening through the Barnes Center at The Arch/Medicat.

If you have questions about this process for faculty and staff, contact HR Shared Services by email (HRservice@syr.edu) or call 315.443.4042.

Dear Colleagues:

In October 2018, New York State issued new guidelines for sexual harassment policies and procedures for all employers in the state requiring that all employees complete sexual harassment prevention training annually. In keeping with this obligation, all faculty and staff of the University are required to complete this training on an annual basis. You can learn more about the guidelines by visiting SU News.

Based on the feedback that we received regarding last year’s course, we are pleased to announce that we are rolling out a new module in the form of a recorded webinar, followed by a short quiz. The training should take no more than 60 minutes. Please click the following link to access the training: 2020 Sexual Harassment Prevention Training.

The training can also be accessed through the webpage: inclusion.syr.edu/training-development and must be completed no later than Oct. 1, 2020.

Your successful completion of this requirement will assist the University in fulfilling its commitment to provide an educational and work environment that values all individuals and respects the rights and dignity of all members of our campus community.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the training, please visit the 2020 Sexual Harassment Prevention Training FAQ. Alternatively, you may contact Christina Percoski, training specialist, Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services, at crpercos@syr.edu or 315.443.4049.

To request a disability-based accommodation and/or auxiliary aids under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact ada@syr.edu.

Sincerely,

John Liu
Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost

Andrew R. Gordon
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Families:

The Fall 2020 semester has officially begun, and we are halfway into the first week of academic coursework. While campus looks and feels different this year, what remains the same is the positive energy and excitement that comes with the start of a new academic year.

As I walk around campus and speak with students, those conversations fill me with optimism. I am optimistic because it is clear to me that our students understand what is at stake not just for them, but for all of us and this community. This will be hard, and our semester will not proceed without bumps in the road. However, as one student reminded me, “there isn’t anyone alive who has been through something like this before, so we have to learn, be compassionate along the way, and acknowledge that we’re all in this together.” That is perfectly right. All of us—administrators, faculty, staff and students—must learn from and act on opportunities to be better, be compassionate along the way, and always do so together.

As we did over the summer, throughout the academic semester we will continue to communicate with you frequently by way of these campus messages. In addition, I want to remind you that Syracuse.edu/fall2020 continues to be the digital home of all vital information and updates related to our health and safety strategy. Please visit it regularly. In the meantime, I want to provide some important updates that are relevant to our entire community:

1. Masks or Face Coverings are Required
2. COVID-19 Dashboard
3. COVID-19 Checklists
4. Expanded Student Dining Spaces and Places
5. Safely Socializing in a Pandemic
6. Safe Transportation
7. SU I.D. Card Pickup

Wear Your Mask!: As more and more members of our community arrive on campus, I want to remind you of our mask policy: Syracuse University requires face masks or face coverings for all students, faculty, staff and visitors while on campus and in public settings—indoors and outdoors.

COVID-19 Dashboard: This week, we began updating the Syracuse University COVID-19 dashboard three days a week. Updates will be made on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the foreseeable future, no later than 5 p.m. each of those days. The dashboard includes metrics, statistics and trends associated with the presence and prevalence of COVID-19 within the Syracuse University community. Please bookmark the site: www.syracuse.edu/covid-dashboard/.

COVID-19 Checklists: Syracuse University has developed a series of COVID-19 checklists for students, faculty and staff to provide direction in situations where a member of the Syracuse University community has tested positive for or suspects they have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus. The checklists, including a downloadable and printable PDF, can be found on the Fall 2020 Open website. The checklists cannot fully address the unique nature of every situation and are intended to provide general guidance related to the most appropriate and required actions in response to positive test results or suspected exposure to the virus. Members of the Syracuse University community should contact the Syracuse University COVID-19 Project Management Office (PMO) at 315.443.6180 or sucovid@syr.edu with additional questions or concerns or to receive further guidance.

Expanded Student Dining Spaces and Places: The University is taking action to expand both indoor and outdoor spaces available to students for dining. Specifically, yesterday evening the indoor dining areas at Brockway Dining Center and Shaw Dining Center were opened and a limited number of seats, consistent with New York State public health guidelines, are now available to students. Sadler, Graham and Ernie Davis dining centers will open for indoor seating on Friday, Aug. 28. In addition, a tent with picnic benches that will seat 60 (socially distanced) individuals was installed at Ernie Davis, and today a similar tent and picnic bench space is being installed in front of Day Hall. In addition, this semester students can use their meal plans (meal equivalency) to order take-out or dine in at Kimmel Food Court and to order take-out through the GrubHub app from the Goldstein Alumni and Faculty Center.

Safely Socializing: Social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation. There’s nothing Syracuse University wants more than for everyone in our community to have a safe, healthy and rewarding semester. We believe this goal is achievable. It just requires all of us doing our part by participating in events and gatherings in a safe way. For those of you who are new to our community and for those who are unfamiliar with it, the University has a robust community calendar: calendar.syracuse.edu/events/. From student-focused events—in person and virtual—to lectures, seminars and workshops, there is an abundance of offerings for community members looking to engage and interact with fellow students, faculty and staff. Additionally, for our students, we have posted a printable PDF about tips you can use to socialize in a safe manner. It can be reviewed and downloaded from the Fall 2020 web site.

Parking and Transit Services Introduces New Safety Measures: The Syracuse University Parking and Transit Services Office has worked closely with its partners at Centro and implemented changes to safeguard the health and safety of its passengers. Campus shuttles, buses and trolleys will operate with different rules this semester to adhere to the latest public health guidance provided by Onondaga County and New York State.

SU I.D. Card Pickup: As the Housing, Meal Plan, and I.D. Card Services Office works to reduce foot traffic and crowding in its office, new procedures have been implemented for requesting a replacement SU I.D. card. Students in need of a new card may fill out an I.D. replacement request form, and staff and faculty members should email idcard@syr.edu to request a new or replacement card. Cards will be available for pickup at the I.D. Card Services trailer on the Shaw Quad from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday, Aug. 28. After that time, cards will be available for pickup at the service window in 206 Steele Hall during normal University business hours.

As I have often said, there is no playbook for opening a college or university while confronting a global pandemic. But together we are creating it, play by play and day by day, in a way that prioritizes the health, wellness and safety of our students, faculty, staff and the Syracuse community. I remain grateful to all in our community who have worked so tirelessly to ensure an exciting, meaningful and rewarding fall semester.

Stay well. Stay Safe.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation

Welcome back to Syracuse University and to our first day of the fall semester! I give thanks that we are again at the start of a new academic year. I know how hard so many people have worked to make this semester possible.

I thank each and every one of you who have enabled our return to campus.

For those of you who cannot be on campus with us for now, we welcome you virtually; we hope you will be enabled to stay engaged with our community, and we will work hard to be able to be with you in person soon.

This semester is unlike anything any of us has ever experienced. The global pandemic has been and will continue to be a great challenge. But it is a challenge I know we can take on together.

Our faculty, staff and students have reimagined every aspect of the Syracuse University experience. There are changes to how we teach, how we learn, how we use campus spaces and libraries, how we live, eat, interact and socialize. To our students, faculty and staff who have worked so hard to make this day possible—I thank you.

All that work will not alone be enough. To our students, our ability to stay on campus—your ability to remain in Syracuse—is up to each of you and how you act each day. If you choose not to social distance; if you choose not to wear a mask; if you choose to gather in large groups, then sooner than you imagine, we all will be sent home. That has happened at other schools, and it can quickly happen here. You have all seen the Stay Safe Pledge. We must live by that pledge if we want this semester to continue in person. We must look out for ourselves and for each other in protecting our Orange family and our community.

Let’s do it with grace. Grace means we respect each other. Grace means we value every individual and their contributions to the Orange family. Grace means we think about the impact of our actions and choices on others. And grace means we treat each other with kindness.

At Syracuse University, the Orange family has in the past risen to challenges and succeeded together. Let’s all show the world that the Orange can do that now and defeat this virus.

Welcome to the new academic year. And Go Orange!

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

As the fall semester gets underway—with so many changes in procedures for living and learning on campus—we would like you to be aware of important changes in the way Syracuse University must handle complaints of sexual harassment. These changes are required of all U.S. colleges and universities as part of new federal Title IX regulations published by the U.S. Department of Education in May 2020.

First, be aware that Syracuse University and Chancellor Kent Syverud took a formal stand against some of these new regulations during a public comment period in 2019. We did so because we believe that some of these mandated changes may discourage survivors of sexual assault or sexual harassment from coming forward. However, we are required to carry out the new procedures as mandated by federal guidelines and will do so with the balance, fairness, equity, seriousness and justice that is warranted by any complaint of sexual harassment or sexual violence.

Some examples of the new procedures, which are published in full on our policy page, include:

• A complaint must be heard in a live (in-person or virtual) hearing at which both parties (the complainant and the respondent) each have an advisor who may cross-examine the other party and witnesses.
• If either party attends a hearing without an advisor, the University must provide one for them free of charge.
• If either party or witness refuses to participate in a hearing and be subject to cross-examination, the University may not consider any of their prior statements in reaching a determination on responsibility.
• The University must offer an opportunity to appeal the outcome of the case on specific grounds.
• The University cannot informally resolve a case unless a complainant first files a formal complaint and all parties agree to informal resolution.

Formal complaints of sexual harassment will be investigated by the Title IX team in the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services (EOIRS), with a hearing conducted by an external hearing officer who makes a finding of responsibility. More specifically:

• In complaints against students, if there is a finding of a policy violation, the case goes to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for sanctioning. Parties may appeal the outcome to an appeals panel.
• In complaints against staff, if an individual is found responsible for a policy violation, the case goes to the senior human resources business partner for sanctioning. Parties may appeal the outcome to the senior vice president and chief human resources officer.
• In complaints against faculty, if an individual is found responsible for a policy violation, the case goes to the Academic Freedom, Tenure and Professional Ethics Committee of the University Senate to recommend sanctions to the associate provost for faculty affairs, who issues a decision. Parties may appeal the outcome to the vice chancellor and provost.

One important area that remains unchanged is the definition of “Responsible Employees”—people who are obligated to report incidents of sexual harassment should they become aware of them. This means that all faculty and staff, except those who are designated as privileged resources (e.g. counselors, chaplains, medical professionals), must report incidents of sexual harassment to me, as Title IX officer, and my office.

As a University community, we remain committed to resolving complaints of sexual harassment or sexual violence in a manner that is fair and even-handed and respects the rights and interests of all parties. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the updated University policies and procedures on sexual harassment and contact me with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Sheila Johnson-Willis
Chief Equal Opportunity and Title IX Officer

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Welcome back to Syracuse University. And to those newly joining us, welcome to the Orange family. It is so good to be together again. After a long summer for all of us, it has been a joy to see our new students arriving in phases over these last few weeks. There is nothing better than seeing our community back on campus together, engaging with each other and living the Orange experience. And for those students studying remotely or from afar, you are as much a part of our Orange family as ever.

A lot has happened in the world since we were all together last. The pandemic has taken a horrible toll on lives, families, communities and our country. While a source of stress for all of us, many of you have felt this pain in deeply personal ways. At the same time, there are renewed calls for justice, equity and to end anti-Black racism and hate in all its forms. This should give us all hope.

Just as the last few months have been unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime, so too, will be this fall semester. As we return to our studies, research and academic pursuits, I want to thank everyone who has played a role in bringing us together again. There are many changes we have made to our campus. Some you see: signs everywhere reminding you to social distance and wear a face mask, outdoor classrooms, and over a thousand hand sanitizer stations in our buildings. Other things aren’t visible to the eye: the new air filtration systems in our buildings, the countless hours faculty have dedicated to reformatting their classes, and the time spent by staff to get our campus ready.

We’re together because we want our students to have the best possible experience at Syracuse University. And we want to remain together for the entire semester. That will require all of us to be responsible for ourselves and each other in doing everything we can to create a safe environment. That means wearing a mask wherever you go, practicing social distancing, and not congregating in large groups on or off campus. I know it’s not what we are accustomed to. But nothing is business as usual these days.

Being together means living, learning and working with people who hail from diverse and unique backgrounds. It is one of the things that makes our university such a special place. Let’s extend grace to one another as we make new friends, open ourselves to understanding the experiences of others, and treat our community with kindness. We are a community that is inclusive, equitable and welcoming. What is unwelcome here must be racism, anti-Semitism, prejudice, bias or harassment of any kind. We are an anti-racist campus, and our actions must follow those principles. And it starts with all of us.

As we begin this semester together, let’s enjoy this moment that we have all been working toward and waiting for all summer. We are happy you are with us, wherever you are.  And let’s commit to those things that will allow us to stay together for the semester: wear your mask, keep your distance, and look out for yourself and for each other. Here’s to our new academic year.

Sincerely,

Kent Syverud, Chancellor and President