COVID-19 testing resumes with new location

Mitigation testing has resumed on the IUPUI campus, as has voluntary asymptomatic testing. The testing site has moved from the Tower Garage to Campus Center 450.

Parking is available in the Vermont Street Garage, located at 1004 W. Vermont St. and attached to the Campus Center. Validation will be provided at the testing site.

The goal of IU’s Medical Response Team is to do 50,000 mitigation tests a week, with 10,000 faculty and staff tested weekly universitywide. All students living in residence halls will be tested twice a week.

Have your COVID-19 questions answered in webinars

Indiana University staff, faculty and students can have their COVID-19-related questions answered by Dr. Aaron Carroll, one of the leaders of IU’s COVID-19 Medical Response Team, in two upcoming “Ask Aaron” webinars taking place at noon Jan. 20 and 27.

The live Q&A sessions will include topics such as:

• • Returning to campus and on-arrival testing.
  • How and when vaccines are likely to be distributed.
  • Connecting with others safely.

Additional “Ask Aaron” webinars are being planned throughout the remainder of the academic year. Visit covid.iu.edu for the latest COVID-19 updates.

Two wellness days for spring 2021 semester

Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Margaret R. Ferguson shared in December 2020 that the IUPUI Faculty Council Executive Committee had designated two days – Tuesday, Feb. 23 and Wednesday, March 24 – as wellness days for students and faculty.

The days will serve to break up the semester without creating a long weekend that might generate opportunities for viral transmission. In addition, for the majority of courses, only one class session per course will be affected.

Need to hire student employees? Handshake is here, replacing JagJobs

IUPUI has moved its job posting and hiring process for students into a new job board powered by Handshake. Faculty and staff should visit the Office of Student Employment’s website for more student employment information, including how to set up an account and post jobs. Employment.iupui.edu is specifically for students searching for jobs.

Handshake will help increase the number and types of jobs IUPUI students have access to for job searching, and it will aid on-campus supervisors in recruiting students to their offices. The Handshake interface is more user-friendly for posting and finding jobs than the previously used JagJobs.

With the new system, supervisors need to start by creating a Handshake account.

Managing work stress: Upcoming webinar

The IUPUI TRIP Center is presenting its first event for the 2021 Scholar of the Month Community Dialogue Speaker Series.

January’s webinar is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 29 and will be led by professor Stephanie Andel. She will discuss identifying solutions for managing work stress during the COVID-19 era and beyond.

Registration is available online and required for the event.

New faculty and staff town halls hosted by Chancellor Paydar

Faculty and staff town hall meetings hosted by Chancellor Nasser H. Paydar will continue this semester and will occur the fourth Thursday of every month. Registration information will be shared via email closer to the events.

Currently scheduled meetings:

• • Jan. 28, 2 to 3 p.m.
  • Feb. 25, 11 a.m. to noon.
  • March 25, 1 to 2 p.m.
  • April 22, 10 to 11 a.m.

Previous faculty and staff town hall meetings are available online.

Tools to help you cope with social conflict from IU HR

The events that recently unfolded in our nation’s capital may have escalated fear, anxiety and stress for individuals already feeling emotionally and mentally drained. During these times when solutions seem both unclear and distant, please remember that SupportLinc is available to offer guidance and support to you and your household members.

Here are some of the many SupportLinc resources you can immediately access for help:

• • In-the-moment support from a licensed clinician is available by phone 24/7 at 888-881-LINC (5462).
  • Watch a flash course for timely guidance and coping tips: Coping with Civil and Political Unrest, Understanding Anxiety, and Dealing with Difficult People.
  • Use one of the Resilience Boosters for a 5-minute guided self-care exercise to relax and regroup. If you want to dig deeper, try the Resiliency Toolkit.
  • Check out one of the many tipsheets, including Reducing the Intensity of Stress as well as How to Avoid Doomscrolling, for tools you can start using today.

Center for Transfer and Adult Students provides support during challenging semester

Despite the unique challenges of the fall 2020 semester, the Center for Transfer and Adult Students did not miss a beat when it came to fulfilling its mission of providing support to its namesake audience.

Read about how the center found its identity while supporting transfer and adult students last semester.

Protect yourself and IU: Get your flu shot

Don’t mess around with the flu this year. Getting a flu vaccine is not only easy; it’s a good defense for you and the entire IU community.

Visit IU’s COVID-19 website to learn how to get a free flu shot at IU, how to report you’ve already been vaccinated or how to request an exemption.

January photo caption contest

The IUPUI Photo Caption Contest is back for 2021, and the crew at Caption Contest Central has selected images from thousands of recently added photos in the IUPUI Image Collection. Click on the Caption Contest webpage, enter your caption on a vintage IUPUI photo and be entered to win the world-famous Fabulous Prize!

We laud Mike Paxton for winning the December Caption Contest with his offering: “The pronunciation was further confused by the Canadian team’s insistence on adding an “A” to the end of “IUPUI.” He wins our Fabulous Prize!