Winter Return

Email highlights

• We are requiring a negative on-campus COVID-19 test result for everyone in the community for 2022 return. Details on deadlines are below.
• For both graduate and undergraduate classes, we will begin the term with a brief period of remote classes. Specifically, undergraduates will resume in-person classes on Wednesday, January 5; graduate students will resume in-person classes on Friday, January 7. Sturm College of Law will resume in-person on January 10.
• There will be many opportunities to complete the required on-campus testing prior to and during the start of 2022.
• Badging into buildings will continue to be required of everyone to confirm approved campus access, but for our busiest buildings, shutting the door between each individual’s entrance will no longer be required. A green “go” signal is still required to enter buildings.

Dear DU Community Members,

We write to share our 2022 return plans, which we have been carefully evaluating based on current conditions in Denver, Colorado, and throughout the country and world. Of course, our primary goal remains: to protect the well-being of our community members and support a robust in-person experience in 2022.

Due to high levels of COVID-19 positivity in Colorado and throughout the nation, as well as the increasing prevalence of the new omicron variant, DU will require the following for campus access in 2022:

(1) a negative result from an on-campus PCR test (nasal or saliva) to allow building access and before participating in in-person activities for winter quarter/spring semester; and

(2) a second negative result from an on-campus PCR (nasal or saliva) test completed shortly after the first test, which will be necessary to maintain campus access.

After both tests, all students, faculty, staff and other personnel participating in on-campus activities must continue to complete COVID-19 testing as was required during fall term. Once you are cleared for winter/spring return, your next required test dates are listed on Pioneerweb under the link “campus access status” on the top left.

Winter quarter move-in for undergraduate students will occur as planned on Sunday, January 2, and winter quarter courses and activities will resume on their scheduled start—Monday, January 3 (remotely) for most on the quarter system and on Monday, January 10 (in-person) for Sturm College of Law.

To facilitate testing of our entire community and, in order to accommodate the holiday period and travel, we will stagger the resumption of in-person classes, work and activities as follows:

UNDERGRADUATE

Undergraduate courses and activities will be remote Monday, January 3 and Tuesday, January 4, and resume in-person on Wednesday, January 5.

Residential students and residential staff should plan to return to campus in-person on January 2 and must test between December 27 and January 2. Please note, if you test on January 2, you will be allowed to move into your room and obtain to-go meals; however, you will not have access to other campus buildings until after you receive a negative test result.

Undergraduate non-residential students, instructors of undergraduate courses and faculty and staff with high contact with undergraduates (as defined in the COVID-19 Mandatory Testing Protocol) must test between December 27 and January 4 and resume in-person undergraduate courses and activities on Wednesday, January 5. Courses and activities scheduled as in-person must resume in-person at this time.

Students completing in-person field work/practica/internships/ externships/service learning experiences in 2022 will need to first attain clearance for campus access with an on-campus COVID test.

GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL

Graduate and professional courses and activities will be remote Monday, January 3 through Thursday, January 6, and resume in person on Friday, January 7 following their planned schedule (January 10 for Law).

Graduate and professional students and faculty and staff primarily affiliated with graduate programs must test between December 27 and January 6 to resume in-person courses and activities on Friday, January 7. Courses and activities scheduled as in-person must resume in-person at this time.

Students completing in-person field work/practica/internships/ externships/service learning experiences in 2022 will need to first attain clearance for campus access with an on-campus COVID test.

FACULTY & STAFF

Faculty have received an email directly from the provost describing the details mentioned above regarding teaching modalities and testing during the first weeks back in January. The Office of Teaching and Learning offers resources to instructors, including information regarding remote options.

Staff should plan to resume their normal work schedule and format as of January 3, 2022 once they have received a negative COVID test and attained campus access.

Faculty and staff, in particular, may wish to take on-campus PCR tests beginning on December 27 to gain access to campus for the start of winter quarter/spring semester. DU community members who are in the Denver metro area during the last week of December are welcome to complete their first test on or after December 27, but before January 3 to significantly reduce wait times. For those returning to or arriving in Denver after Jan. 1, please test at your earliest opportunity following your return/arrival. If testing on return, please work remotely while you wait for your negative test. Testing during the days that the University is closed is not required; it simply may be preferable for smoother and faster testing and access for those in the area. Please note that we will not accept external tests for January return.

Return Testing Hours

Monday, December 27 - Thursday December 30

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Testing only at Care Pod | saliva-based PCR testing only

Friday, December 31

Closed

Saturday, January 1

Noon to 5 p.m.

Care Pod and Nelson Hall | saliva-based PCR testing only

Sunday, January 2

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Care Pod, Nelson Hall and DFRV | saliva-based PCR testing only

Monday, January 3 - Friday, January 7

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Care Pod, Nelson Hall and DFRV | saliva-based PCR testing; nasal PCR swab testing by appointment only during limited hours at the Care Pod

Additional night hours Jan 4 and 5 from 9 - 10:30 p.m. at Nelson Hall

Saturday, January 8 - Sunday, January 9

9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Care Pod | saliva-based PCR testing only

Monday, January 10 - Friday, January 14

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Care Pod, Nelson Hall and DFRV | saliva-based PCR testing; nasal PCR swab testing by appointment only during limited hours at the Care Pod

Additional night hours January 11 and 12 from 9 - 10:30 p.m. at Nelson Hall

Saturday, January 15 - Sunday, January 16

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Care Pod |saliva-based PCR testing only

We appreciate that this testing schedule and the need to adapt to remote instruction and activities for part of the first week of the term represents yet another in a long series of challenges we have faced together during this ongoing health pandemic. We hope you will feel more confident returning to all of your January activities knowing that a negative test will be required for campus access.

Update to Building Entrance Protocols

An important change from fall term—at our busiest entrances, it will no longer be necessary to let the door close between people entering a building to determine if your access is active. Specifically, at Sturm Hall, Daniels College of Business, Olin, and the main entrance of the Community Commons, you can simply tap your card on the card reader to determine if your access is active. Each person should tap their ID on the card reader; however, you need not wait for the door to close at these busy locations. At other locations, please close the door between entrants.

If you are cleared the reader will 'beep' and stay green until the door is opened. If your campus access is not active, the reader will either turn red or stay red. Please rescan your ID to confirm that your access is not active if it does not beep and change to green. If your card access is not active, please do not enter buildings or assist others in doing so.

Additional Updates

By mid-January, we anticipate being able to accept external tests again to satisfy on-going mandatory testing obligations.

Please remember to upload your flu vaccine record or exemption on or before December 15. We also strongly encourage everyone to receive a COVID-19 booster when you become eligible and to upload a copy of this record to your MyHealth account.

We hope you enjoy a restorative winter break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to campus in January.

Sarah Watamura, COVID Coordinator and the COVID team