Some updates from SEGEL on the current situation (scholarships, insurance, dorm rents)

Here I report the letter I received from the chief representatives of SEGEL on some of the issues that we are addressing. Notice that SEGEL is also working for employees and personnel of the whole university, which means that they are dealing also with stuff that is more general or not relevant for us, but very important for the welfare and the rights of everybody on campus. 

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Dear committee,

Some interim updates regarding issues that came up at the last committee meeting:

1. Online teaching:

Shahar made it clear to the university administration that it is unacceptable for us to send out emails from the rector and vice rector about online teaching without them consulting us. In response, we scheduled a meeting with Sharon, the academic secretary, and Dana, VP of Human Resources, to discuss the matter. We forwarded them a list of conditions under which we would be ready for online teaching during combat only, which we formulated together with the faculty organizations in the coordinating council. It was a pleasant meeting and the university agreed to most of our demands (mostly demands we had already agreed on in the past). There are three issues left on which there is no complete agreement, and we are currently waiting for the university to get back to us with proposals for solutions. The main disagreement is about freedom of choice whether to record. It is clear to us that in the current situation it will be difficult for us to insist on complete freedom.

2. Scholarships:

In that meeting we discussed with Sharon about scholarships and raised many of the questions that have come to us in recent weeks. The scholarships will be paid in full for the months of October and November (currently assuming that the academic year will begin in December as planned), and the university's policy is that Israeli research students must return to conduct research at the university already this month. They have not published this as an official policy, according to them to allow flexibility for non-committal instructors to return to campus. But if a supervisor requires research from the campus, the university will back it up. There is no expectation that internationals will return before December. In general, the guidelines are not valid for reserve members, and we insisted that their spouses also receive similar treatment.

Regarding the extension of scholarships, the university does not have an answer yet and they will not until they know how much the semester is being shortened, the extent of the distress of the scholars and the size of the budget. Much of the budget is at the discretion of the supervisor and the unit. Regarding specific cases that came up here, such as scholarships that need to be completed in the next six months, Sharon said to contact the coordinators in the faculties who are more knowledgeable than she is about the details of each unit, and if the answers are not to our liking, we can contact her.

3. Loans:

As you have probably already seen by email or WhatsApp, we offer low interest loans to all members of the organization to help financially during this time. In the meantime, we have received a few inquiries, and they are being processed.

4. Internationals:

Zohar sent two emails to the committee regarding the eligibility of internationals for wartime health insurance and regarding the dormitories.

Some of these updates will be sent to all members by email soon.

Best regards,

Hadas

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IMPORTANT: if you are subscribed to SEGEL newsletter, you will receive in the next future an official email with all of these updates.

If your professor is pushing you to come back to the lab, and you are an International abroad, please use the email you will receive as a proof for showing that the university policy is different from their expectations.