Dear members of the UCCS community,

With the start of the fall semester just around the corner, let me share a few updates on our return to campus activities.

As announced earlier this summer, our plan is for all campus departments working in a remote environment to transition back to campus on August 2 if you are expected to do so by your supervisor. This transition is in line with the shift to the “Protect the Pride” phase of our Campus COVID-19 Protective Measures. The move will help us to prepare for students’ return to campus in August.

As we have done for the past 18 months, we must remain cautious and follow local and state guidelines. Our team continues to stay in close contact with our local health officials, and we are prepared to adjust our campus operations based on future guidance.

Protect the Pride Phase

Beginning August 2: 

• All classrooms will be at full capacity.
• Research areas and labs will be at full capacity.
• Instructional modes will be as scheduled, which is primarily in-person.   
• The majority of events, services and public spaces (including the Kraemer Family Library) will operate at full capacity.

A number of COVID precautions on campus will remain in place. For example, the plexiglass around podiums in many of our classrooms will remain. Our campus signage, reminding those who are sick to stay home and those who are unvaccinated to wear a face covering, will also remain.

While many faculty and staff have worked remotely over the past year, I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the departments and employees whose roles required them to remain on campus during the pandemic. Thank you for supporting our campus through this extraordinary year.

Attestation Report

As many begin to transition back to campus, I want to share that the early reports from our COVID-19 vaccination attestation are encouraging. While there is still room to improve, current figures show that 1,083 faculty and staff (56 percent) have submitted their attestations to date, and of those who have responded, 92.2 percent are fully vaccinated. In addition, 39.94 percent of our current students have submitted their vaccine attestation with 75.4 percent of students reporting they are fully vaccinated, 4.5 percent planning to be vaccinated and 20 percent requesting an exemption.

Determining the vaccination status of our entire population is critical to being able to return to as much in-person activity on campus as possible. Everyone’s participation in the attestation process is very important to ensure that we can open the campus safely. If you have not done so already, please take the time right now to fill out your attestation form. Staff should complete the attestation by Friday, August 6 and faculty should complete the attestation by Monday, August 16, which will give us time to make any needed adjustments before the start of classes. 

Vaccination Information

UCCS remains committed to protecting all members of our campus community by reducing the spread of COVID-19. A few reminders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 

• COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in preventing COVID-19 illness. Vaccination is the best defense against the virus and emerging variants.
• Over 188 million people in the U.S. have received COVID-19 vaccines.
• A fully vaccinated person may still contract a breakthrough COVID-19 infection, but the vaccine nearly eliminates the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. 
• COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of people spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. 

We recognize that not everyone will receive the vaccine — for medical or non-medical reasons. For those who choose not to receive the vaccine and plan to be on campus, please be aware of a few guidelines: 

• Unvaccinated faculty, staff and students on campus are required to wear a face covering when indoors. Social distancing is encouraged.
• Contact tracing and testing will be conducted for known exposures. Quarantine will be required for UCCS’ unvaccinated population if found to be exposed. 

If you have not received the COVID-19 vaccine but would still like to get vaccinated before the start of the fall semester, the Wellness Center is holding vaccine clinics for students, faculty, and staff. Watch for email notifications to sign up for these clinics. You may call the Wellness Center at 719-255-4444 for more information. You can also find a community vaccine clinic by searching vaccines.gov, texting your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you.

I am looking forward to seeing an active campus this fall as we welcome students back with in-person classes, campus activities and events. However, let’s keep in mind that the pandemic has not left us yet. We must ensure the safety and well-being of our campus citizens in the middle of this resurgence, and we can only accomplish this by working together. I encourage you to fill out the attestation form before you close this message.

Thank you for helping us to stay Mountain Lion Strong.

Respectfully,

Venkat Reddy
UCCS Chancellor