Dear Colleagues, 

 

We are writing to communicate the new Relocation and Moving Procedures that have been developed in connection with the revised Relocation and Moving Policy approved by the Board of Trustees in February. In the event a new hire is offered a moving allowance as part of their employment offer, these procedures identify the various ways UConn is able to pay for their relocation expenses.  The procedures also provide detailed instructions to both the newly hired employee and the hiring department on how to utilize the services of our new moving services provider, Signature Relocation.   

 

The University has engaged Signature Relocation (“Signature”), an independent third-party moving services provider, to assist new employees with their relocations.  Signature can arrange the transportation of household goods and personal belongings, as well as the relocation of the employee and their family. Signature will pay for eligible employee relocations and household moves up to the approved amount by 1) making direct payments to vendors for agreed upon moving services, 2) reimbursing employees for out-of-pocket expenses, or 3) via a combination of both methods.  New employees who choose not to use Signature for direct payments to vendors after a consultation may pay for their move out-of-pocket and submit receipts through Signature for reimbursement. Departments and relocating employees can access information about Signature’s moving services by visiting the following webpage: https://www.signaturerelo.com/uconn/. 

 

Following this message, we will reach out to all new employees who have recently accepted an employment offer that includes a moving allowance. We will inform these employees of the relocation services Signature has to offer and connect them with a Personal Move Manager from Signature. Department heads and administrators will be copied on these communications. 

 

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the stakeholders who provided input in this process. These procedures represent not only more comprehensive, affordable, and coordinated services for our new employees, but also streamlined administration for our staff who support new employee moves. We are excited to share these improvements with you and hope they bring positive change to your unit and our new colleagues’ onboarding experiences. 

 

Thank you, 

 

Office of the Provost 

 

Office of Human Resources 

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

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to share an update on the leadership of the Stamford Campus. Terrence Cheng, director of the Stamford Campus, was today named the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities. CSCU is gaining a tremendously talented and thoughtful leader in Terrence and I congratulate him on this incredible opportunity.

Terrence is exactly the kind of leader that Stamford has needed as the capacity and reach of the campus has grown significantly since he took over the directorship in January 2016. Under his leadership, the Stamford Campus opened residence halls, started new academic programs, increased its enrollment, and hired many new faculty and staff. He’s also been intentional in strengthening the campus’s role as an integral part of the surrounding communities in Stamford and Fairfield County, as well as across the state.

In addition to his role as Director of the Stamford Campus, he is a scholar who has enriched the intellectual life at our University. As a professor of English and an affiliate of the Asian/Asian American Studies Institute, he has established himself as a leading voice in creative writing and fiction, with several publications and awards, including a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship.

Terrence begins his new role at CSCU on July 1. Over the coming weeks we will identify an interim director who will serve while we undertake a national search in the fall to fill the role permanently. Regarding the interim role, I am seeking your input in the qualities we should consider in the directorship, as well as nominees for an interim director (including self nominations). Please share your responses in this online survey.

Without question Terrence has been an exceptional leader at Stamford and his impact as a scholar and leader at UConn will be greatly missed. At the same time, I know he will continue to be a partner with UConn as we seek to strengthen the collaboration between our University and the system. Please join me in congratulating Terrence on this new opportunity.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs