Winter and Spring Quarter Schedule

Dear DU community members,

We know many of you are beginning to make your plans for winter break and the winter and spring quarters. Please note that this message pertains to all University programs except the Sturm College of Law.

Over the past two weeks, we have worked in close consultation with our health partner, National Jewish Health, local and state government officials and healthcare experts, as well as our experts right here on campus, to put together a plan and schedule that sets the DU community up for success as we continue to navigate the global Coronavirus pandemic. We engaged in robust conversation with faculty, in particular, to understand what might work best as we plan for the coming winter and spring quarters. We believe we have incorporated much of the valuable input we received into the schedule below. Moreover, all of our decisions are informed by what we have learned—what works well and what we can do better—over the past few months.

IMPORTANT DATES

Please keep in mind that the COVID-19 crisis is incredibly dynamic. As such, DU commits to adjusting our plans, if and as needed, based on the latest public health ordinances and what will work best for our community.

WINTER QUARTER – RETURN PROTOCOLS

As we and universities across the country have learned, the protocols put in place before the community returns to campus are essential to preventing large outbreaks of COVID-19. More details about specific protocols will be available on our COVID-19 website soon, and they will largely mirror those implemented at the start of the fall term. There are three important requirements for the winter return – quarantine, testing and flu vaccination.

• Quarantine | A minimum of 10 days quarantine is required before in-person instruction. Please begin your quarantine on or before January 1. For residential students, we ask that you continue your quarantine once you arrive on campus prior to the first day of class. For faculty, staff and non-residential students, we ask that you quarantine for 10 days prior to your first day back on campus. We will soon provide further information about protocols for essential staff who do not leave over winter break.
• Testing | As in the fall, everyone will be required to have a negative nasal swab PCR test for the virus that causes COVID-19 and it must be collected during the quarantine period. You may upload results from a test taken at a facility of your choice or take the test at the carepod on campus. (https://myhealth.du.edu to upload results or make an appointment.) Residential students will be required to have a negative test result for move-in and may be required to take a second test during the transition back to campus.
• Flu vaccine | All students, faculty and staff who plan to be on campus during winter term must show proof of a 2020-21 influenza vaccination by December 15. The state of Colorado allows certain exemptions for medical and nonmedical reasons, and DU will honor such exemptions. You must submit a vaccination exemption form if you wish to be exempt from the flu vaccine requirement.
• Residential move-in | Move-in times to DU-owned-and-operated facilities will be staggered to promote social distancing and will begin on January 7.
• Course modalities | As was true in the fall, DU will offer a variety of course modalities to support students’ learning. Students may contact their advisor for help building their winter and spring quarter schedules.

SPRING BREAK

The break period will be 10 days long, from Saturday, March 20 to Tuesday, March 30. Residential move-in may begin during this interval depending upon public health ordinances at that time. Please note that this period builds in time for necessary testing and quarantining prior to the start of spring quarter.

Because of the continually changing nature of the pandemic, it is impossible to predict the scope of the virus’s spread and its burden on our health systems five months into the future. As such, as it relates to spring break, we will evaluate our travel and quarantine policies as we get closer to March 2021. We recommend that community members postpone travel plans for this break until closer to this time when further information is available about the state of the virus, travel restrictions and health ordinances.

WINTER BREAK

Students who reside in campus housing will receive information about winter break protocols from Housing and Residential education early next week.

Thank you, DU, for all you have done and continue to do to protect the health and wellbeing of the community. Now several months into this crisis, we think it is important to remember that our individual commitments to wearing face coverings, washing our hands and changing our plans and behaviors so that we maintain social distancing—all of these choices are saving lives and promoting public health. #DUYourPart

It’s been a challenging but rewarding fall. We wish you the best in the homestretch of the fall quarter.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Haefner
Chancellor 

Mary Clark
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor