ACTION ITEMS
Employment offers: The University has asked HR contacts to communicate the following information widely:
- All future offers of employment are to be made only to those expected to work inside the U.S. or those who have completed the process to be approved to work in another country. This process can take several months and entail $3,000-$5,000 in attorney’s fees at the iSchool’s expense. This policy includes all employees; e.g., faculty, staff, adjuncts, hourlies, and student employees. It also includes employees who are here and wish to move abroad to work.
- Please refer to the U of I System’s recently updated Working Outside of Illinois policy. Additional requirements for those working from abroad can be found in the “Additional Responsibilities for Working Outside the United States” section. In some countries, the sanctions on the employee can include steep fines and/or imprisonment for violating that country’s tax and employment laws. If you are considering hiring someone to work from abroad, please first consult iSchool HR for additional context on the time and costs involved.
- If a service being performed doesn’t constitute employment and meets the University’s other requirements for a professional services contract, please note the need for additional review; e.g., by University Legal Counsel and Export Control to determine the viability of such a vendor arrangement outside the U.S.
Preventing Harassment and Discrimination (Title IX) training: This training will be available on March 1-April 1. This is not the same as the ANCRA training that ended on February 28. Please know that the iSchool HR team recognizes the time these trainings take. Thank you in advance for your efforts.
Summer appointments: It’s time to start thinking about summer appointments. If you have any Services in Excess (SIEs) or student or hourly employees whom you wish to reappoint for summer, please enter these requests now in the Appointments application in the My.ISCHOOL portal. A call to submit summer appointments will be sent to the faculty and staff listservs.
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
A Book Club with Ms. Edith Campbell and Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen: Join us on Wednesday, March 30, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. for a discussion of Maizy Chen’s Last Chance, written by Lisa Yee, who will be a special guest. Register now.
CCB Annual Book Sale: Monday, April 4, 11:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Details and location are available on the CCB website.
Gryphon Lecture: Friday, April 8, 2:00-3:00 p.m. “Picturing Young, Gifted, and Black: Phillis Wheatley’s Image and the Creative Black Child,” presented by Brigitte Fielder, associate professor in the College of Arts and Letters at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Hosted by the CCB. Register now.
iSchool Student Showcase: This annual showcase will be held online on Wednesday, April 13, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. and in person on Thursday, April 14, from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Students will present research, class papers, and projects related to the information sciences; details are available online.
Panel on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Youth Literature: APALA's Evaluation Rubric: Monday, April 11, 12:00-1:00 p.m. Learn how the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association’s rubric can help you critically assess AAPI representation in youth literature. Hosted by the CCB. Register now.
Teen Art Council: The CU Community Fab Lab will be hosting the Teen Art Council for the 2022 Boneyard Arts Festival. Original works will be on display and for sale on Friday, April 1, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 2, from 12:00-5:00 p.m. Proceeds will directly support the Teen Art Council for future programming. Come enjoy art, community, and learn more about your local makerspace!
Windsor Lecture: Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, will present the iSchool’s Windsor Lecture on Thursday, April 21, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. More information will be available soon on the iSchool website.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Canvas feature requests: Is there a feature or improvement you would like to see in Canvas? Check out the Canvas Idea Conversations (aka Feature Requests) page on our wiki to see what has been submitted and to track and upvote ideas. If you have an idea that you would like to submit or track, please email the Help Desk.
Canvas tips and tricks: Upcoming sessions have been canceled, but slides from previous sessions are available for review. If you have any questions, please email the Help Desk.
Course Information Repository: Students choosing courses may want to consult the iSchool's new Course Information Repository, which contains syllabi (or alternate descriptive documents) for previous sections of most courses.
COVID-19 accommodations: Short-term flexibility will continue with regard to unexpected COVID-related personal circumstances, such as employee or family member illness, quarantine, and school or daycare closures. Employees who experience these circumstances may seek short-term accommodations, such as remote work from home. Please email your supervisor, copying iSchool HR, for remote work accommodations. If the accommodation is more than one week, please contact your supervisor and iSchool HR for next steps. Employees may qualify for COVID/FMLA leaves or other benefits time (sick leave, vacation, and floating holiday). Please work with iSchool HR to identify the appropriate path for your particular circumstances.
CUC Fab Lab Summer Camps: Registration is open for our technology and arts-based summer camps, which excite young minds and prepare them for a future of creative and collaborative work and play. Staff are committed to helping each camper reach their potential, and most importantly, have fun. Camps sessions run Monday-Friday from 9:00-11:00 a.m. unless otherwise noted in registration (no camps will be held on June 17 or July 4).
Remote/hybrid work agreements: Renovations in the main iSchool building at 5th and Daniel have been further delayed by supply chain issues. As a result, the remote/hybrid work agreements expiring on March 13 have been extended through May 15. More information will be communicated as summer approaches.
Summer/fall course scheduling: Courses offered in summer 2022 are now mostly visible in Course Explorer, and the faculty teaching them should have received an initial confirmation. Fall courses are still being confirmed and entered into Course Explorer, but that process will be mostly complete by the end of March.
