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Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Dear Faculty and Staff,


Thanks to all those who served on committees and carried out protocols, testing, response, contact tracing, and support for students, faculty, and staff since the pandemic began.
 
We hope that the transitional time since June 15 has provided a level of comfort for all employees as we prepare to return to on-campus work Aug. 1.
 
Although the Coronavirus remains prevalent in the U.S. and the Delta variant has become dominant, our campus community will be well protected due to our high vaccination rates. Because your health and the health of our community are our primary concern, we will continue monitoring the COVID-19 landscape, and add layers of mitigation if needed.
 
As a community with high vaccination coverage — at least 86% and likely higher — CC will enjoy a high level of protection, including from variants such as Delta, which is spreading rapidly in El Paso County and nationally. 
 
While vaccination rates are high on-campus, risk levels outside of CC are different; remember to exercise greater caution anytime you’re away from campus or interacting with the broader community. 
 
Vaccines are safe and have been proven to be effective against severe illness including from new variants such as Delta. Current evidence suggests that vaccinated individuals have protection from severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19. If you have not yet done so, please get vaccinated now to protect yourself and your loved ones.
 
Return to Work Protocols
Please remember that vaccination cards or exemption claims are required by Aug. 1, 2021 and may be uploaded using these links:
 
Staff/Faculty COVID-19 Vaccination Documentation:  Vaccination Portal
Staff/Faculty COVID-19 Vaccination Exemption Claim: Exemption Portal
 
To date, 75% of employees (faculty and staff) have uploaded their information and almost 95% of those employees are vaccinated. We still need to hear from 25% of you!
 
People are considered fully vaccinated:
  • Two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
  • Two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
To reduce the risk to all on the CC campus, in addition to improved ventilation in campus buildings and wastewater testing, enabling early identification of cases, these risk mitigation protocols will be in place:
  • As of Aug. 1, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people on campus must wear a mask indoors. Masks are optional for fully vaccinated people. Our COVID teams are monitoring new advice from the CDC on mask wearing in high-risk areas, and we will communicate if a change is needed.
     
  • All members of the CC community are strongly encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 when feeling sick and should not come to class/work when feeling ill;
    • Testing is available free of charge at the Student Health Center, and employees may test during regular work hours.
    • Those who receive a positive test result will be asked to isolate. Isolation rooms will be available to students as needed.
  • Ongoing Testing
    • Because the Delta variant is spreading rapidly in our county and those who are not fully vaccinated are at high risk for becoming infected with the Coronavirus, we will implement this ongoing testing protocol to protect them as much as possible:
      • Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated students (living on campus or locally off campus) will be required to test twice weekly. Frequency of testing will be adjusted as the situation changes. 
      • Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to test twice weekly. Testing is available free of charge at the Student Health Center, and employees may test during regular work hours.
The college is not currently restricting domestic business travel. All travelers should follow CDC travel guidance for domestic and international travel.  
 
We are simplifying our COVID response to be more nimble. Three groups will address COVID-19 needs and response this academic year:
  • A new coordinating committee will make high-level COVID-19 policy decisions
  • A new COVID Response Team will work with the campus community to implement policy
  • The Scientific Advisory Group will continue to advise, keep watch on local and state data, and support implementation of new policy. 
Remote Work Guidance
Where it makes sense for both the employee and the college, supervisors may allow flexibility in on-campus work. 
 
Beginning Aug. 1, all campus offices are expected to be open during regular office hours with full coverage and service available to students, staff and faculty, and families. The campus will remain closed to those visiting from the broader community; we expect to update this policy soon. 
 
Supervisors may allow staggered shifts and/or staggered on-campus work schedules to accommodate employees working remotely, as long as full service is available. Remember: Remote work is not an option for all positions and it is up to the supervisor to determine whether or not a position may work different hours and/or days on campus. 
 
Supervisors are encouraged to explore different ways of working while still providing our high level of support and service to all CC stakeholders, especially our students.
 
As always, employees with a disability who want to request an accommodation may contact the Office of Human Resources.
 
If you have additional questions, please contact hrcovid@coloradocollege.edu
 
Sincerely,
 

Laurie Mozingo

Acting Director of Human Resources
 

Barbara Wilson

Associate Vice President for Administrative Services


Our mailing address is:
Colorado College
14 Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Copyright © 2021 Colorado College, All rights reserved.



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