UPDATE (March 13, 2020, 10:30 a.m.): HRE also asks that anyone who will be leaving campus “before March 20 will need to either pack up all their belongings and either take everything with them upon their departure or pack any non-essential items and store them in the closets/under the beds in their room.” Boxes will be provided at the front desk, and students will be asked to clean their rooms as if they are not coming back. Students are also being asked to complete a mandatory travel and housing survey by Monday, March 16. The letter to on-campus students can be read here.
UPDATE (March 13, 2020, 8 a.m.): This early March 13 morning, a follow-up email was sent to the student body. Classes on Monday, March 16 have been canceled, and all large events have been as well until at least April 10. Admissions will not be hosting visit programs, and professional, club and intramural sports have been suspended. While there are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on campus, members of the DU community have been tested and self-quarantined. Students living in residence halls on campus should attend their mandatory floor meetings and wait for further communications from Housing and Residential Life (HRE) staff.
March 12, 2020, 8 p.m. On Wednesday, March 11 at 7:38 p.m., DU students received an email outlining the university’s plans for canceling class in response to growing concerns and reports of COVID-19. In-person final exams are canceled starting next Tuesday, March 17, and they will instead be taken remotely. Interterm and Spring Quarter classes will be taken online until at least April 10. The University and its operations in residence halls and other buildings on campus will remain open, but students are encouraged to go home for spring break.
COVID-19, most commonly known as the coronavirus, is a respiratory disease that induces a fever, cough, and shortness of breath similar to the flu. The virus is believed to spread from person-to-person, and the individuals most at risk are the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions. COVID’s first outbreak was in Wuhan, China early Jan., and it has spread internationally. There have been over 100,000 cases worldwide. But the death rate is low – sitting at 6 percent – and at least 60,000 persons have since recovered from the disease.
On Wednesday, it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. President Trump has announced a 30-day ban on Europeans traveling into the U.S., excluding the United Kingdom.
Although no cases have been definitively linked to DU, there have been over 49 presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Colorado. On Tuesday, Gov. Jared Polis declared a state of emergency to gain access to resources for those affected.
The administration cites caution as the driving factor behind this move.
“Administration has shown a lot of thought in making this decision, and they looked carefully at other universities in crafting their plan to move online,” Undergraduate Student Body President Matt Walter said. In the past week, seven Colorado colleges and universities have announced they will also be moving remotely, the most notable among them being University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Denver and Colorado State University.
Some details about DU’s plan for spring quarter remain unknown. Decisions about whether or not online instruction will continue for the remainder of spring term will be made no later than March 31. Students are encouraged to check the DU Coronavirus website for information and updates.
If you believe you are exhibiting symptoms, call the Health and Counseling Center at 303-871-2205 before showing up to the clinic. Those who have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 or traveled to an area of risk such as China, Iran, South Korea and Italy should show the most caution with their health.
More information is here. A response from student leadership is available here.
