Coronavirus Update Oct 29, 2020: Most classes going remote after Thanksgiving

Dear members of the UCCS community,

Thanks to your work in Protecting the Pride, our campus COVID-19 case numbers have remained relatively steady. However, for the last few weeks we have been observing a significant rise in cases in El Paso County, along with much of Colorado and the rest of the nation.

We know that we are beginning a season of holidays that often involve travel and family gatherings. The safety of our students, faculty and staff is our number one priority. With very few exceptions, UCCS will move to remote learning for classes offered on campus after the Thanksgiving holiday to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Academic impact

Students with off-campus experiences at hospitals, K-12 schools and internship sites will abide by the guidelines of those entities.

Where possible, faculty will work closely with their students to accelerate the in-person portion of their classes to complete necessary work prior to the transition to remote learning after Thanksgiving break. Thankfully, many classes were designed this fall to complete the in-person activities early in the semester.

Residence Life

Residence halls and dining halls will remain accessible to students until the end of the fall semester, Dec. 19. Students who plan to relocate to their home from Nov. 23 through Dec. 19 will be issued a pro-rated credit on their spring 2021 housing charges for the time they are not occupying their room during this remote period. Students should contact the Office of Residence Life and Housing by Nov. 17 with their intentions regarding this period. Mandatory COVID-19 testing will be in place for all students returning to the residence halls from out-of-state travel, and random surveillance testing will be implemented for all other students returning to housing after Thanksgiving.

Campus Access

Access to campus services after Thanksgiving, such as the Kraemer Family Library and the Recreation and Wellness Center, as well as access to offices, research laboratories and studios will be tied to public health guidelines. This pandemic is constantly evolving, and we will continue to adjust campus operations as needed. Because we don’t have answers today for all questions, we will commit to providing a weekly email update every Friday for the remainder of the semester with information about campus services and address frequently asked questions. All emergency orders will be communicated immediately.

Commitment to Safety

We still have four weeks until the start of the Thanksgiving break, and we must remain dedicated to the mitigation efforts that have made UCCS an example of how to return to on-campus operations during this pandemic. That includes following all health care guidelines off campus as well. The Governor’s Public Health Order last Friday limits personal gatherings to 10 people involving no more than two households through Nov. 23.
 

For all of us, Halloween is a common opportunity to socialize, but I must stress the importance of following all public health guidelines this weekend to continue in-person operations. 

Despite COVID fatigue, you all have done an amazing job in keeping our campus safe, but we need to continue doing our part to protect those we care about the most by wearing a face covering, washing our hands, watching our distance and staying home when we don’t feel well.

I know together we will come through this stronger than before.
 

Stay Mountain Lion strong, 
 

Venkat Reddy 
Chancellor