Dear UT community,
Beginning this fall semester, the University will require almost all staff members to work on site full time. This will be a significant change for some members of our community, so it is important to take a step back and explain why requiring in-person work best supports our culture and reinforces the teaching and research mission of our University.

Staff members can most effectively serve our students, faculty, fellow staff members, and other stakeholders when working together in an environment that fosters collaboration, innovation, availability, and reliability. Our vibrant campus community helps distinguish our great University, and as members of our staff, you contribute to that vibrancy each day. We are here because of our students, and your consistent presence will help provide a more complete and engaging learning experience for students throughout campus.

Leaders of colleges, schools, and units will work through the logistics of these changes and, by early July, will finalize their plans to bring most staff members back to on-site work full time. All plans will be fully implemented by Aug. 19, which is one week before the start of fall classes. Based on the revised guidelines, a small number of roles will continue to be eligible for remote or hybrid work at the discretion of the supervisor and college, school, or unit leader. These roles will be characterized by observable productivity; work that is transactional, internal, or service related; or functions that require high levels of individual time to perform.

For all staff members, some occasions may call for irregular schedules or intermittent remote work that does not require formal arrangements. Managers will continue to make those decisions on an as-needed basis.

Thank you for your work and your profound dedication to our Longhorn community. I look forward to having students, faculty, and staff together on the Forty Acres as we continue to make this the world’s highest-impact public research university.
Sincerely yours,

Jay Hartzell
President