Spring 2021 Semester

Key Spring 2021 Dates

Move-in

Jan. 10: Move-in begins for new Bear Creek residents. Move-in will be by appointment.
Feb. 7: Move-in begins for incoming and returning residence hall students. Move-in will be by appointment.

Instruction Start Dates

Jan. 14: First day of the spring semester with courses occuring remotely.
Feb. 15: First day of mix of in-person, and hybrid in-person courses (as designated).

Wellness Days

There will be no classes on Feb. 17 and March 25.

Last Day & Final Exams

April 29: Last day of classes.
April 30: Reading day.
May 1-5: Final exams.

Commencement

May 6: Spring conferral for May graduates (virtual ceremony).

Spring 2021 Plans

Academic Instruction – Modes & Decision-making

The spring 2021 semester starts on Jan. 14—three days later than originally scheduled. In addition, there are two wellness days (no classes) on Feb. 17 and March 25.
The later start date and the two wellness days replace the traditional spring break week for the 2020-21 academic year.
After beginning the spring semester on Jan. 14 in a fully remote mode, we will shift on Feb. 15 to a mix of in-person and hybrid in-person classes and student activities/experiences.
- Courses designated as in-person or hybrid in-person for the spring semester will begin their in-person format on Monday, Feb. 15. Courses designated as remote or online for the spring semester will continue in those formats for the entire semester.
Students who wish to have fully remote courses can work with their advisors to develop a spring schedule that meets their needs.
Once in-person courses resume on Feb. 15, we will maintain this mode of operation through the end of the semester as appropriate based on the status of COVID-19 in the community and in consultation with public health officials.
FAQs for instructional faculty and academic advisors for the remote start to spring 2021 can be found on the Academic Affairs website.
Important academic deadlines can be found on the Office of the Registrar webpage.
- Records and registration information is also available.
Supervisors and department chairs will work with faculty and staff to define who should continue to work remotely based upon the needs of their units and the necessity of the campus to provide significant and meaningful in-person educational and co-curricular activities.
Existing research and innovation activities—as well as related graduate-student research—will continue in person via the existing campus protocols. The Research and Innovation Office hold on new approvals for research personnel to return to campus will extend through January.

Campus Life

The Alferd Packer Grill, The Bakery and Starbucks reopened on Monday, Jan. 11. Vendor hours are posted online. Operating hours for the CU Boulder dining centers, markets and cafes will be updated in mid-January.
We are working on options for students to make group reservations for in-person dining. The campus will continue to monitor public health requirements and guidelines, as well as rates of COVID-19 infection.
Upon return to in-person courses, we will offer small-group in-person social activities each week as appropriate based on the status of COVID-19 in the community.
Students who lived on campus during the fall 2020 semester and return for the spring semester will stay in their previously assigned spaces. Like in the fall, for students interested in a room change, these accommodations will be offered only within their current building assignment contingent on availability.
- Students living on campus may return beginning on Feb. 7. More information and registration for move-in appointments will be provided in mid-January.
- We ask that everyone with the flexibility to remain in your permanent-home communities to delay your travel to Boulder until our return to in-person courses. This will help reduce the risk of travel-related COVID-19 transmission.
- For further spring 2021 housing and dining information, visit our Housing and Dining website.
Once we return to in-person instruction and the residence halls open, we have dedicated resources for coordination of daily support for on-campus students who are isolated or quarantined because of COVID-19 infection or exposures.

Masked female sitting by statue of Ralphie

Tuition, Fees, Billing & Admissions

Tuition will not be adjusted as CU Boulder continues to deliver on its educational mission to students during COVID-19. The university remains operational with remote and other online student support services and programs. Information about location-based fees and housing contract adjustments is forthcoming.
Visit the Bursar’s Office for information on billing, tuition, fees and on-campus room and board.
If you receive financial aid and/or scholarships, review the COVID-19 information on the Financial Aid website.
If you are a new or incoming student, visit the Office of Admissions frequently asked questions.

Student Engagement & Support

We realize the stresses our campus community faces and will emphasize the self-care, mental health and wellness resources and programs we have available for our students, faculty and staff.
Health and Wellness Services offers a variety of resources and support while our community is remote, including interactive workshops, groups and training sessions to help students, staff and faculty learn skills that address a variety of areas, including stress, anxiety, depression, relationships, self-care, substance use and more.
Recognizing that mental health needs were already on the rise before COVID-19, we’ve committed $1.8 million to expand mental health services for undergraduate and graduate students.

Public Health & Vaccines

The spring semester will continue to be a time when we are a COVID-19-aware campus. We’re increasing our testing capacity and requirements and will continue with safety measures such as daily check-ins via Buff Pass, required use of face coverings when on campus, reduced density in campus buildings, social distancing in the classroom and proper ventilation.
- New testing expectation: All faculty, staff and students with a need to be on campus during the spring semester will need to participate in the campus monitoring surveillance program once a week. Participation in the monitoring program is critical to help avoid further public health restrictions. The existing requirement for on-campus residents and certain staff to participate weekly will also continue.
- Public health services: Diagnostic testing, contact tracing and case investigation will continue to be available for students. Faculty and staff will be referred through the monitoring program to diagnostic testing, as long as they are asymptomatic. The campus also supports contact tracing as needed for faculty and staff who get a positive diagnostic test result.
- Testing for immediate family/household members: Faculty, staff and students will continue to be able to bring their immediate family/household members to participate in the monitoring program as long as our testing capacity permits this.
Decisions about changing modes of operation are closely tied to where the county is on the state COVID-19 dial. A designation of Level Red or Level Purple does not allow for a robust in-person experience. A designation of Level Orange allows for in-person courses that are less limited, as well as small personal gatherings.
- The metrics that impact the county’s designation on the state dial include the five-day average testing positivity rate, the two-week average number of cases per 100,000 in the county, and the stable or decreasing trend in hospitalization rates over a minimum of nine days.
- Our return to in-person learning dates are based upon our best estimates of where Boulder County will be on the COVID-19 dial, but the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment determines if and when to change a county’s status.
Boulder County Public Health and CDPHE have asked CU Boulder to partner on vaccine distribution to faculty, staff and students. The campus anticipates serving as a site where faculty, staff and students can choose to get the vaccine. Vaccine timing and availability through CU will follow state guidelines and depend heavily upon national and state vaccine supply. Campus will continue to provide updates as vaccine distribution details become available.
We will continue to provide education on and require compliance with public health and university guidance among our students, faculty and staff, including testing, contact tracing, the Buff Pass daily health form for individuals on campus and physical distancing protocols.
To simplify and improve the health questionnaire experience, we launched Buff Pass, a confidential, mobile-friendly and easy-to-use daily health check-in system.
With regard to large, informal gatherings on and off campus, we will enhance our ability to catch violations earlier, continue to enforce rules and immediately discipline students who have engaged in significant violations of public health requirements. We will focus on preventing the behaviors that would cause Boulder County Public Health to issue stringent public health orders that affect the broader campus and Boulder communities.
We will continue to work jointly with city, county and community members to keep each other safe and meet each other’s needs.

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Spring 2021 Semester

Spring 2021 Semester

Summer 2021

Spring 2021: A discussion and Q&A session

Key Spring 2021 Dates

Move-in

Instruction Start Dates

Wellness Days

Last Day & Final Exams

Commencement

Spring 2021 Plans

Academic Instruction – Modes & Decision-making

Campus Life

Tuition, Fees, Billing & Admissions

Student Engagement & Support

Public Health & Vaccines

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Spring 2021 Semester

Spring 2021 Semester

Summer 2021

Spring 2021: A discussion and Q&A session

Key Spring 2021 Dates

Move-in

Instruction Start Dates

Wellness Days

Last Day & Final Exams

Commencement

Spring 2021 Plans

Academic Instruction – Modes & Decision-making

Campus Life

Tuition, Fees, Billing & Admissions

Student Engagement & Support

Public Health & Vaccines

Get Help

Getting Around

Information for

Initiatives