Campus COVID-19 Updates

Updated Jan. 14, 2021

To keep our community safe and supported this fall, we will be providing weekly updates on COVID-19-related news, resources, announcements, and more. You will also find these updates in our weekly CU Denver News e-newsletter.

Update on Spring Semester

CU Denver Community,

Because of the tremendous commitment and good decision-making by the students, faculty, and staff coming to campus last semester, we did not see outbreaks or transmission of COVID-19 in classes, offices, or activities. The one confirmed transmission on campus was between two suitemates at the Lynx Crossing residence hall. Thank you all for making last semester as safe as possible for all of us.

Although the COVID-19 vaccine is becoming more available, there will be those who are uncomfortable or unable to be vaccinated, and the science is unclear about how being vaccinated impacts your ability to be a carrier and share the virus. This semester, to protect one another and continue our success with in-person activities and at the residence hall, we must follow the safety protocols that we know work: wear masks, social distance, limit room capacities, and complete daily health check-ins and attestations. These protocols must be followed by everyone, including those who have received the vaccine.

Currently, based on the predicted vaccine availability, we are planning for more on-campus activities and classes in fall 2021. We are planning for the City Heights residence hall to open for first-year students, Lynx Crossing to continue welcoming students, the Student Wellness Center to continue supporting wellness, and for more in-person classes in socially distanced classrooms. We will continue to work with our public health officials and be in touch with our community as plans change.   

The Health Center at Auraria is partnering with CovidCheckColorado and the city of Denver to provide the vaccine to our campus community, and hopefully the broader community. Distribution priorities are very restrictive and change nearly every day, making it difficult to provide definitive updates. The state’s top priority continues to be the group that is most at risk for hospitalization and death: those who are 70 and older.  If you are over 70, please immediately contact any of the state’s health care systems to schedule your immunization.

Our working group of students, faculty, staff, and experts continues to develop draft recommendations for the chancellor and other Auraria leaders for vaccine prioritization/scheduling. It will be weeks before anyone outside of health care workers, first responders, or those 70 and older will be eligible for the vaccination. However, it is critical that we develop fair, equitable, and transparent principles and priorities to guide a larger vaccine rollout. We will provide more information as it becomes available. Please look for an email next week with more details on vaccine availability.   

Even though the vaccine offers us hope that our lives will return to some semblance of “normal,” statewide and nationwide COVID-19 cases and deaths are on the rise. We must redouble our efforts to protect each other. Thank you for continuing to make sacrifices to keep yourselves, your families, and our community as safe as possible.

Chris Puckett 
Special Assistant to the Chancellor for COVID-19 
Managing Associate University Counsel 

What's New

On-Campus Events and Activities

Although the state has moved to Orange Level restrictions, all employee meetings and student organization activities must still be held remotely (virtually). This includes ALL indoor and outdoor activities, whether during normal business hours or on evenings and weekends, and whether typically roomed through the CU Denver/AHEC EMS system or otherwise. 

No CU Denver-sponsored events or activities that are non-academic in nature may be held at off-campus locations, unless authorized by the chancellor. To request authorization for an essential in-person activity, you must  fill out an application. Activities requested by external organizations and affiliates will not be approved at this time.

Don’t Forget, Before You Come to Campus

You must take the one-time SkillSoft training “COVID-19 Return to Campus - CU Denver” before coming or returning to campus for the first time. To access the training, you will need to log into the CU Denver portal using your university credentials. Once you have finished the training, take a screenshot of the certificate of completion on your mobile device. You may be asked to show this at a health check-in station.

Student Spaces, Labs, and Printing

Work spaces are available on campus for students with drop-in and reservable options; once you have your EMS account, booking is instantaneous. Please request an EMS account as soon as possible, if you do not already have one. Setting up your new account may take up to two days. Computer stations and landing zones may be reserved between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday – Friday, through the EMS scheduling system. Visit OIT’s webpage for more information on student spaces, labs, and printing.

Important Reminders

Two Ways to Access FREE Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing

Through our partnership with COVIDCheckColorado and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, employees, students, and their households have access to free, asymptomatic COVID-19 testing through March 31.Every member of the household must sign up for an appointment through the website.

If you are experiencing symptoms, do not sign up for testing at Lynx Crossing and please use the drive-through testing site at North High School, 3131 Eliot St. Employees and students may directly sign up for an appointment and test here:

Starting Monday, Jan. 11, drive-through COVID-19 testing will be available at the Auraria Health Center. Learn more.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution on Campus

More than a decade ago, the Health Center at Auraria became a Point of Dispensing (POD) for public health emergencies. In the coming year, our students, faculty, and staff will have the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccination through the Health Center at Auraria. Please use this webform to let us know your top questions about this process and how we can best communicate the answers. Read a campuswide email on vaccine distribution from Chancellor Marks.

To learn more facts about the vaccine, please visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s vaccine FAQ page.

Spring Semester and Spring Break, No Changes to Current Plan

As a reminder, CU Denver currently has no changes to our spring 2021 semester start date of Jan. 19 and no changes to those classes planned for on-campus delivery. Spring break will move from March 22 – 28 to April 19 – 25. Courses for the two following weeks will be delivered all remotely to help ensure safety after the semester break. Finals week will be May 10 – 15. A course final could be in-person for in-person and hybrid courses, if necessary.

Health Check-In Station Holiday Hours

Student Wellness Center
Now – Jan. 18, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

North Classroom
Now – Jan. 15, 7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 
Jan. 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), after hours*

Business School
Now – Jan. 14, Monday – Friday, 8 – 11 a.m.
Jan. 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), after hours*

CU Denver Building
Now – Jan. 18, after hours*

Lynx Crossing Residence Hall
7 a.m. – noon, no outside visitor check-ins will be available due to construction.   

*After hours process: If it is after hours, on the weekend, or on a holiday, please complete the daily attestation and save your approval email. View a map of health check-in station locations. If a health check-in station is closed, please proceed to a nearby health check-in station.

Self-Report Your COVID-19 Symptoms or Positive Tests

As a reminder, you must self-report your status if you fall into any of the following groups. This is especially important in enabling us to monitor the impact of COVID-19 within the community and beyond.

• You believe you are experiencing coronavirus symptoms.
• You have had prolonged contact of 15 or more minutes, in close proximity of 6 feet or less, with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19. 
• You are under quarantine or isolation by direction of a public health agency or medical provider, and/or awaiting test results for COVID-19. 
• You have been informed by a public health agency or a medical provider that you have tested positive or are presumptively positive for COVID-19.

If you fall into any of the above groups, please take the following steps.

1. Let the head of your unit know immediately (or your professor, if you’re a student).
2. Do NOT come to campus.
3. You must follow CDPHE guidance   and self-quarantine for 2 weeks if you have had prolonged contact of 15 or more minutes, in close proximity of 6 feet or less, with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19.  If you have a presumptive or confirmed case of COVID-19, you must isolate and follow  CDPHE guidance
4. Contact the Auraria Health Center   at 303-615-9999.

If you know someone who needs support or are concerned about something happening in regards to COVID-19, submit a referral form  to get assistance.

Add Your Phone to Help Fight COVID-19

CO Exposure Notifications is a free and voluntary service developed in partnership with Google and Apple that can notify users of possible exposure to COVID-19. By opting in, your Android or iPhone device will share anonymous tokens with other CO Exposure Notifications users using your phone’s Bluetooth. If another user you’ve been near tests positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period, the service will notify you. If you test positive, you can easily and anonymously notify others to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Tokens contain no personal information or location data and everything is completely anonymous. More information on how the process works and frequently asked questions can be found on the State of Colorado’s website for exposure notification.

Campus-wide Resources

Take Advantage of Mental Health Resources

Caring for our mental health during these challenging times is essential. View common questions about mental health resources available to students, faculty, and staff.

Be Prepared to Go Remote for Classes and Work

In case we are required to transition to fully remote teaching and learning, we want you to be prepared.

• For students: prepare for remote learning
• For faculty: prepare for remote teaching 
• For staff: prepare for remote working