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I&S Employee Newsletter - August 2021

sunrise on biotechnology building

VC's Corner

David Kang

Taking stock, looking ahead

Dear Infrastructure and Sustainability team,

As I’ve noted before in this space, the successes you achieved over the past 17 months, as the university faced one of the greatest challenges in its history, were nothing short of monumental. Getting a sense for the true magnitude of what you collectively accomplished, however, can be difficult to grasp without seeing some of the metrics on paper. So as we prepare for a more traditional 2021-22 academic year, I want to take one last numerical look back at the ways you made the 2020-21 academic year a reality.

  • 1,085: Total rooms set up for socially distanced instruction

    • 555: Total traditional classrooms and laboratories

    • 530: Non-classroom/lab spaces converted to accommodate instruction

  • 728: Outdoor seats set up for study and remote learning in 22 temporary tents

  • 50,000: Signs sorted, delivered and hung in 204 campus buildings/locations

  • 665: Portable HEPA filtration units deployed

  • 19,280: MERV-13 air filters installed in campus buildings

  • 500: Hand-sanitizing stations deployed

  • 800: Disinfecting wipe stations deployed

  • 1,153: Bottles of disinfectant distributed to campus departments

  • 284,080: Masks acquired for provision to students, faculty and staff

  • 600: Mask fit tests for faculty, staff and students

  • 500: Research and creative work spaces supported by the Distribution Center through material receiving, storage and distribution of cleaning supplies and PPE

  • 390: I&S employees on campus during the pandemic

  • 20: Doors upgraded to proximity card readers to facilitate enhanced building access protocols

  • 3,332: 360-degree photos taken of physically distanced classrooms to assist in remote academic planning

  • 13,727: Seats moved, stacked or adjusted for physical distancing

  • 29: Facilities Task Force meetings

  • 8: Building proctor forums

  • 0: Verified cases of COVID-19 transmission in classrooms

This list is by no means comprehensive of the countless contributions you all made. And it doesn’t even touch on the customized risk analysis and recommendations for the music, theater and dance programs; capital construction projects that endured, including the Imig Music Building addition, Business/Engineering expansion and 1135 Broadway renovation; or the numerous other maintenance and construction projects that moved forward. It also doesn’t account for some of the other non-COVID related priorities that kept moving forward, such as a doubling of our campus deferred maintenance funding from $5 million per year to $10 million and the completion of our Energy Master Plan, which will help place our campus on a path to carbon neutrality in the years ahead. 

The list does, however, give some illustration of just what a massive undertaking it was to keep our campus operational amid COVID-19. Getting back to a more traditional in-person, on-campus experience this fall will be no small feat in itself, and I know many of you are working just as hard to get our campus ready for Aug. 23. 

I am excited to begin seeing your faces on campus once again, and I hope as many of you as possible are able to join the Buffs Back Together event for faculty, staff and graduate students on Aug. 11. I can’t say enough how grateful I am to work with you and how valuable your contributions are to this university.

Sincerely,

David Kang, vice chancellor for infrastructure and sustainability

 

News and Notes

student gets covid-19 vaccine

Complete your vaccine record by Sept. 15

The university previously communicated that faculty and staff vaccinated in Colorado would not need to report their information to CU, and that has changed. All faculty and staff must complete the COVID-19 vaccine requirement or exemption in the myCUinfo Portal. The only exception will be faculty and staff vaccinated through CU Boulder Medical Services. As an added incentive, faculty and staff who complete the vaccination requirement will be entered into a drawing with a chance to win gear from the CU Book Store and other prizes. Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccination requirement.

employees help sort trash

I&S Volunteer Day of Service

Last week, more than 50 of you volunteered your time to assist with some important campus projects. We spread new mulch, painted handrails and diverted over 300 pounds of recyclable or compostable material from the landfill in our Zero Waste Audit. Thank you for your hard work! Check out the 2021 Day of Service photo album.

CU bike fest poster

Bike Fest

Bike Fest is coming! Head to Farrand Field on August 31 between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. for an introduction to CU’s bike community with bike-related freebies, t-shirt making, food and more!

chip the buffalo rides an electric bike

Free B-cycle passes for staff

The CU Environmental Center, in conjunction with CU Transportation Services, is excited to announce that all full time students, faculty and staff are now eligible for a free Boulder B-cycle membership (an $88 value). Free memberships include unlimited rides on Boulder B-cycle’s electric bikes.

parking pass icon

Discounted parking pass through Dec. 31, 2021

To support those returning to campus on a hybrid schedule, Parking Services will continue to offer weekly and daily permits in specified lots, subject to availability. The daily discounted rate of $5 will continue through December 2021 (it will go on a short suspension for move-in). Use the SAVE5 discount code when purchasing via the Parkmobile website. There are no refunds on the discounted daily permits if you end up not coming to campus.

seedling in dirt held in hands

Recycling tip of the month

You may already have easy access to a compost bin, and now all academic and administrative buildings have compost bins in the restrooms. All food and other compostable waste can be taken with you to the restroom. (Please properly dispose of trash elsewhere!) Help us divert compostable waste by self-sorting.

google drive icon

In case you missed it - Google Drive storage limitations

OIT no longer recommends using Google Drive for storage of non-Google file types (e.g., Microsoft documents, PDFs, video, photos, etc.)  due to upcoming storage limitations announced recently by Google. If you or your team currently uses Google Drive for long-term storage of files, photos or videos, please reach out to our FMIS & Desktop Support group so that we can help you come up with a transition plan to another long-term storage solution. Our I&S/FM file storage solutions are not changing:  Meridian, Cotterpin, FMfiles, etc. are not affected. This change does not affect use of Google docs.

sunset behind Leeds building

I&S IT advisory board to meet Aug. 10

The I&S IT advisory board will meet on Aug. 10. The ten-person group will help guide decisions and share information related to the wide range of technology-related resources utilized by the division. The intent of this advisory board is to ensure that IT decisions are made transparently and with broad support. If you would like information about this committee, or have a topic you’d like added to the agenda, please reach out to your area representative or one of the co-chairs.

Employee Spotlight

McKenzie Statham

McKenzie Statham - Radiation Safety Specialist, Environmental Health and Safety

How long have you been working at CU?  

I have been working at CU since June of 2018, so a little over 3 years.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work? 

My favorite thing to do outside of work is to go hiking with my husband and our two golden retrievers. I try to spend as much time as I can outside, which is easy to do in a beautiful state like Colorado.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you.  

I am an avid horror movie fan. I have seen most of what’s out there from the classics, to the obscure, to the most popular. I genuinely enjoy a good scare, and I’m constantly looking for new films to watch.

What do you love about CU Boulder?  

You can’t beat the view. I am lucky enough to have an office with a view of the Flatirons from my window. I never get tired of walking around campus admiring the beautiful architecture nestled beneath the Rockies.

What are you currently reading? 

I just finished reading The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides and The Whisper Man by Alex North. Both were suspenseful slow-burns that kept you guessing until the end. I would recommend either for anyone looking for an easy read.

Employee Resources

buff one card opens door

Lost your Buff OneCard? Get a replacement

Have you lost your Buff OneCard? Has it been so long since you needed it that now you can't find it? For a replacement card, contact the Buff OneCard office.

To replace your card by mail or in person, please email the Buff OneCard office, letting them know whether you would like it mailed to you or held to be picked up. Please give the Buff OneCard office a current mailing address if you would like it sent via mail.

The cost to replace the card is $30. Replace your lost card soon, as fall lines are anticipated to be long.

Exploring with ISIEC

fiske planetarium

Exploring (our universe) with ISIEC

What does astronomy have to do with diversity? Fiske Planetarium’s Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries explores three observatories located in extreme environments and remote locations in Chile, which by 2022, will have 70% of the world's optical and infrared collecting power. With a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) the film highlights the multitude of careers needed to keep the great observatories working. Like I&S, many of the people you will meet in the show come from different backgrounds, with many different talents and skills to contribute. Different perspectives are valuable! Working and collaborating with people who don’t look, talk or think like you can stretch you to think more critically and creatively.

So, keep collaborating in those work areas, bringing your own thoughts and talents to the table. And go check out Big Astronomy at Fiske Planetarium. The more you know, the more you can contribute.

July Comings and Goings

NEW HIRES

  • Maribel Serrano, custodian, Campus Building Services
  • Matthew Tracy, custodian, Campus Building Services
  • Eugene Vigil, custodian, Campus Building Services
  • James “Casey” Sanders, distribution driver, Distribution Center
  • Marlon Mouton, materials handler, Distribution Center
  • Douglas Trettin, groundskeeper, Outdoor Services
  • Wade Norris, campus bus driver, Transportation Services
  • Regena Peltan, campus bus driver, Transportation Services
  • Brian Richardson, service dispatcher, Trades/Operations Control Center
  • Germain “Sidd” Vasquez, service dispatcher, Trades/Operations Control Center

PROMOTIONS/TRANSFERS

  • Clark Rider, sustainable transportation specialist, Sustainability
  • Lynn Fletcher, deferred maintenance data analyst, Trades/Maintenance and Operations
  • Damon Ewen, data analyst, Trades Services
  • Josh Turnquist, logistics program manager, Distribution Center
  • Nick D’Innocenzo, supervisor district energy plant operations, Utility and Energy Services
  • Sandy Skorcz, acting/interim utility plant operator lead, Utility and Energy Services 

MOVING ON

  • Leslie Jaquez, custodian, Campus Building Services
  • Aaron Watenmaker, groundskeeper, Outdoor Services
  • Landan Schaller, groundskeeper, Outdoor Services

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Infrastructure & Sustainability

University Administrative Center
914 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80309
E-Mail: vcis@colorado.edu
Phone: 303-492-7523

 

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