"Each day is a new opportunity to choose to do right by your Mountain Lion community." — Chancellor Venkat Reddy

Dear members of the UCCS community,

Let me begin by giving a huge “thank you” to our students, faculty and staff. You have been making a tremendous effort to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines. As I walk the campus, I continue to see members of our community wearing their masks and watching their distance everywhere I go. Thanks to you and your efforts, our campus remains open for in-person classes and research.

UCCS COVID-19 Dashboard

As you can see on our COVID-19 dashboard, we have 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 within our UCCS family since the beginning of the fall semester. We have received a number of questions about the dashboard so I would like to clarify that, as of today, all of the reported cases have been students and staff who live off campus. The dashboard reflects all of our campus community, even those who have not been on campus this semester and those who did not come to campus during their infectious period.

The Wellness Center is working to reach out to all positive cases within 24 hours of notification and begin contact tracing of exposed individuals immediately. If you have been in close contact with a known positive case, you will receive notification and directives for how to proceed based on the situation.

Health and Safety Measures

The virus is still among us, and for the protection of our community, we must continue to follow health and safety guidelines. Here are a few reminders.

• We are seeing students who don’t recognize their mild symptoms as COVID-19-related and who continue to attend classes on campus. The daily health assessment is the best way to recognize early symptoms, and anyone answering yes to any of its questions should not spend time on campus for classes or work. Faculty and supervisors should confirm that all students and employees take the health assessment each day by asking to see the green confirmation email for that day.
• Face coverings should be worn at all times.
• Always maintain at least six feet of social distance and increase distancing when possible.
• It will take all of us working together to disinfect tables/lab stations at the beginning and end of class. Remember to disinfect any equipment used between each individual using it. Cleaning supplies are available in every classroom and work area.
• Open your windows, if the temperature allows, and continue to open classroom and office doors.
• Keep accurate records for class attendance and work shifts to assist with contact tracing.
• Make phone calls and use Microsoft Teams for meetings instead of going into individual offices and workspaces.
• Now is also the time to get your annual flu shot. 

Executive Directive

To ensure that we are able to maintain on-campus operations, and to address questions and to clarify procedures, I am issuing an Executive Directive for COVID-19 Face Coverings, as permitted in UCCS Policy 100-001, Campus Policy Process. The document will address the expectations for anyone on campus and the consequences for non-compliance. Please use this resource as a guide moving forward.

Our Health and Wellness team continues to stay in close contact with El Paso County Public Health, and while our county is doing better than other places of the state, we must continue to practice patience and due diligence.

It’s easy to get complacent, but if we do, we will see our case numbers climb. We expect compliance with the guidelines when you are both on and off-campus to avoid any negative consequences. To protect those around you, continue to wear your face covering, watch your distance and avoid all large gatherings. 

I am so impressed with the strength and persistence of our UCCS community. Thanks to you, we are defying the odds of universities nationwide – for now. To ensure that we can continue to offer in-person experiences this semester, please continue to stay the course. Please remind yourself and others of the 3W's: Wear your face covering, wash your hands and watch your distance. Each day is a new opportunity to choose to do right by your Mountain Lion community.

Counting on you to keep all of us safe, 

Venkat Reddy
UCCS Chancellor