Published: March 13, 2020

With the shift to online teaching and learning, the CU Boulder campus will begin operating under enhanced protocols for building access, effective Monday, March 16. This means that most buildings will require students, faculty and staff to swipe their Buff OneCard at entrances equipped with card readers for entry. Some buildings are already operating under this protocol. 

Campus leaders are continuously monitoring the situation with COVID-19 and evaluating the ways to best ensure the health and safety of the campus community. This measure is being taken for two main reasons: To help improve social distancing to reduce the spread of the virus; and to keep our buildings safe for students, faculty and staff while fewer people are present on campus due to remote work arrangements and remote teaching and learning. 

Anyone with a Buff OneCard will have access to most buildings, including student access to all academic buildings. Students needing special access to labs/secured areas are asked to contact building proctors to ensure they have the authorization/access needed programmed to their Buff OneCard. Faculty and staff should do the same. However, faculty and staff who have after-hours access to their spaces should still be able to access these spaces during this time. 

A few buildings will maintain regular hours and will not require card access. These include:

Access to Norlin Library will also be by Buff OneCard only, though the library will not be open overnight.

  • Closing will be branch libraries (Music, Math-Physics, Earth Sciences, Business pop-up, etc.) for the rest of the semester. More information can be found on the Libraries website

Those who forget Buff OneCards or keys, but usually have building access will be granted entrance into their offices/buildings. If you experience problems with accessing a building with your Buff OneCard, you can contact Access Services 303-492-6609 during regular business hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After hours, you can contact the Operations Control Center (OCC) at 303-492-5522 or occ@colorado.edu. The OCC is operational 24 hours per day.

Non-CU Boulder campus affiliates seeking building access will be asked to call the CU Police Department (CUPD), which will work alongside the Operations Control Center and building proctors to vet non-affiliate access. If approved, a CSO or police officer will provide access. Community Safety Officers (CSOs) will be on duty from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, and will work with Access Services to evaluate open-door assistance requests from non-CU Boulder affiliates.