March 13, 2020
Dear CU Boulder Students, Faculty and Staff:
I am writing today to share my care for each and every one of you. In light of our first positive case of COVID-19 yesterday and our decision to cancel in-person classes today, I want to reinforce our commitment to meeting the challenges of the global coronavirus health crisis and to doing so by remaining strong and supporting each other as a campus community.
First, I want to send best wishes to our impacted CU Boulder employee. Our hearts are with you, and we send our hopes for your full and speedy recovery.
These are extraordinary times, and they require extraordinary actions from us all. Like thousands of communities around the world, we are now faced with exceedingly difficult decisions. I ask that we remain calm despite the news, continue to take care of ourselves and each other and continue our transition to remote learning and working for the remainder of the spring semester, beginning on Monday, March 16.
With support from our campus technologists and academic administrators, our faculty are now determining how best to use technology, such as Canvas and Zoom, to enable our students to complete their educational requirements, consistent with what several other institutions are doing across the nation. Under the circumstances, remote learning is the best mechanism available for us to continue meeting our educational mission while complying with growing local, state and federal efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus through enhanced social distancing.
For our faculty and staff, I understand the hardships this situation is causing for all, and—with the recent announcements of school district closures across the Front Range—that balancing work and family during this time will be difficult. We have asked our supervisors to be as flexible as possible with employees who have school-aged children. For those who have been given direction to work from home, please do so if possible.
For those who question why our campus remains open, I want to remind you that we are both an institution of higher learning as well as a local community. To many of our residents, this is their only home. While we understand and support the decisions of those who might wish to relocate due to this crisis, we have hundreds of students and employees who live here full-time, rely on our services and do not have the option to leave. We also have laboratories with critical and highly sensitive research projects that require ongoing support to ensure their continuity. Because of this, and based on the latest public health guidance we are receiving, our campus will remain open to serve the many needs of our community.
This is a unifying moment for our campus, our nation and our world. I encourage us all to rise to this challenge and to come together for the health and safety of everyone. When this crisis is over, I would like us all to be proud of the legacy we are making for ourselves today.
Please stay current on all campus updates at colorado.edu/coronavirus.
Philip DiStefano
Chancellor