CU Boulder Leaders Field Questions from Students, Parents About Switch To Remote Learning
BOULDER, Colo., (CBS4) - As Boulder County joins 17 other Colorado counties in moving back to Level Orange on the COVID-19 color dial, the University of Colorado Boulder is going fully remote again to help prevent community spread of coronavirus.
"This is a proactive approach to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on our campus, in Boulder, and across the Denver metro region," said Chancellor Phillip DiStefano.
The switch to remote learning begins Nov. 16. Residence halls, dining halls, medical services, and isolation services will remain open through the Nov. 25.
On Friday, university leaders hosted a Zoom town hall for students, parents, faculty, and staff to explain the decision and answer questions.
"These are difficult decisions to make and we're trying to make them with our student's best interest and their health and safety as our number one priority," DiStefano said.
Throughout the town hall, university leaders urged students to get tested before returning home. On-campus testing sites include: Village Center Dining and Community Commons, Folsom Field, Kittredge Central, and Porter Biosciences. Testing for off-campus students, faculty, and staff is also taking place at the University Memorial Center and the Sustainability, Energy & Environment Community (SEEC).
While testing is recommended before going home, university officials said it will be required as students return to campus in the spring. That can occur before they come back or at a university testing site.
"We want to make sure that we're not having students come back into the residence halls in a potentially infectious state," said Patrick O'Rourke, Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer.
During the town hall, officials also said in-person options will still be offered in the upcoming spring semester.
"Moving forward we are expanding our testing capabilities, our contact tracing capabilities, and we are being very, very intentional over the next two months," said Russell Moore, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
The CU leaders were asked about the possibility of refunds for housing and dining plans. The answer was no.
"The housing and dining contract this year specify that if we have completed the fall semester in the residence halls and we are keeping the residence halls open and available for everyone through the Thanksgiving holidays, we have completed the terms of that contract," said O'Rourke.
The group was also asked about any exceptions for in-person class, lab, or performance components. Moore said he is still waiting on guidance and hoped to have it by the end of the day.
To finish up the town hall, an attendee asked if leaders thought it was worth it to convene students this semester in the way that they did. DiStefno said he believed they made the right decision to open.
"We've learned a lot this fall semester that I believe will really help us in the spring semester to have a more successful semester, and certainly working toward fall," DiStefano said. "I believe that we've had a semester unlike any that we've ever experienced before. At the same time, I believe we were able to provide, both through in-person and remote, the quality education that our students deserve."