From the Provost and COO - State public health order and flexibility for remainder of semester

Nov. 5, 2020

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is (formerly Safer at Home Level 3) on the state COVID-19 dial, effective Friday, Nov. 6. While the move dictates few operational changes for ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ, based on the projected rise in COVID-19 cases in the Denver metro region, we are taking the following steps to provide additional flexibility for our students and their families:

  • Remote learning for the remainder of the semester will begin on Monday, Nov. 16; the last day of in-person classes this fall will be Friday, Nov. 13.Ìý

    • This shift will provide students living both on and off campus the opportunity to return home before the week of Thanksgiving, if they wish.

      • To support students preparing to return home, we are expanding on-campus COVID-19 testing starting the week of Nov. 9.Ìý

      • Getting tested before traveling is crucial to helping prevent the spread of the virus and protect the health of those around you. We strongly encourage any students planning to leave Boulder to get tested 48 to 72 hours prior to departure at any one of our on-campus testing sites.Ìý

    • All on-campus students are required to continue with their weekly monitoring testing.Ìý

    • We strongly encourage faculty and staff to get tested if they plan to travel.

    • Students living in residence halls may remain on campus through Wednesday, Nov. 25. We will continue to provide on-campus housing and dining, including isolation spaces for students who test positive for COVID-19.

    • These additional steps do not impact researchers and research-related activities. No requests are necessary related to previous return-to-research approvals.

    • Staff work modes (on-campus or remote) will not change during this time unless directed otherwise by a supervisor.Ìý

While the surge of COVID-19 infections in the Denver metro area is concerning and it will take a substantial community-wide effort to bend the curve of infection back down, today’s announcement does not change our plans to offer in-person and hybrid learning experiences in spring 2021.

We will be hosting a at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, to discuss this announcement and provide a forum for asking questions. We encourage you to join us. Also, please visit the campus COVID-19 page for up-to-date information.Ìý

We continue to be grateful for your flexibility, patience and commitment as we’ve adapted together to an ever-evolving pandemic and worked to provide the best possible learning experience for our students. We will get through this as Buffs together.Ìý

Sincerely,

Russell Moore
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Patrick O’Rourke
Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer

Ìý