"I look forward to seeing each of you on campus, even if it’s six feet apart and with a face covering." — Chancellor Venkat Reddy

Dear members of the UCCS community,

Today, I’m excited to share with you the Returning Stronger Together initiative, the culmination of work by more than 50 people across campus to outline how we will return to campus in the next weeks ahead for the fall 2020 semester.

Detailed information is available at returnto.uccs.edu, which includes resources for faculty and staff to be ready for the fall semester. I want to thank the faculty, staff and administrators who came together to research best practices and determine how to implement these new procedures and guidelines that will be required for us to open campus safely. I also want to thank the doctors and epidemiologists at El Paso County Public Health, who have been a tremendous resource for us to ensure our plans follow all public health guidelines/orders.

As we shared in our Town Hall last month, we are planning to reopen campus in three phases. While current public health guidance would allow us to bring back up to 50% of people to work on campus, those who can work effectively at home should continue doing so.

Phase 1 begins July 13. This will bring back essential and critical operations to campus. Those who are already on campus through earlier access plans will remain on those plans.

Phase 2 begins July 27. This will bring employees back as outlined in the department-level planning documents that have been distributed to department heads. This will allow faculty and staff to return to campus to prepare and test classroom equipment and get familiar with new procedures ahead of student arrival in August. Orientations will begin back on campus in small groups.

Phase 3 begins August 10. Campus will operate at its new capacity for the fall semester on this date.

As you might be aware, Colorado is doing better than other states when it comes to controlling the risk of exposure to COVID-19. But we’re preparing for the possibility that the increasing number of cases nationally could happen here. The safety and wellbeing of our faculty, staff and students have been the top priority since we moved to remote operations in March, and we will go back to a remote status in Fall if there is a resurgence or increase in COVID-19 cases.

The last few months have not been what any of us have expected, but I’m proud of the resilience shown by our faculty, staff and students so that we can continuing to teach, research and work. I’m excited that we are able to plan for being back on campus again, and I look forward to seeing each of you on campus, even if it’s six feet apart and with a face covering.

Protect the Pride.

Respectfully, 

Venkat Reddy
UCCS Chancellor