The following message was sent to all Mines faculty, staff and students on 3/25/20:

Dear Mines Community:

Governor Polis and local public health officials have issued additional guidance and directives that require us to update our expectations for remote work and campus access over the coming weeks.

Effective March 26 at 6 a.m., the State of Colorado is under a stay-at-home order until April 11. This requires all Colorado residents to stay in their homes as much as possible and leave only for essential activities necessary to maintain health and well-being, such as getting groceries, obtaining medical care or medication, and engaging in outdoor activities like walking, hiking or running while following social distancing practices.

Consistent with this order, Mines will remain open to support remote learning, essential functions and critical research laboratories with the following restrictions:

  • Mines is extending its current remote work mode of operation through Friday, April 17 in line with Jefferson County’s public health order.  Should state or local health officials extend stay-at-home orders, Mines will follow suit and lengthen its remote work provisions again.
  • Mines is extending its suspension of campus events through April 18. Event organizers should be prepared to cancel/postpone campus gatherings of any size through the remainder of the semester, however, should public health guidance require it.
  • As communicated earlier, effective Monday, March 30, all classes and exams will be conducted remotely using technology such as Canvas and Zoom through the end of the semester, to enable students to complete their spring courses.

All employees who are not identified as providing critical services are expected to remain off campus and work remotely. Essential employees will continue supporting the students who remain on-campus, the faculty and assistants who are maintaining critical research labs, and the remote learning of our students.  Supervisors should keep in close contact with staff who are working remotely so that they can contribute to our mission as an academic and research institution.

All students are also expected to stay home and away from campus unless they are currently authorized to live in a residence hall or Mines Park, are supporting an essential function, have been identified by a principal investigator to maintain critical research labs, or require access to internet or other resources to support their online learning.  Students with computers and internet access at home should participate in their classes from their homes so that Mines meets the requirements of all state and local health orders. Tutoring, office hours, meetings with faculty or colleagues, and group collaborations should be completed remotely using one of the many tools provided through Mines ITS.

We all have a role to play in halting the spread of COVID-19. We urge all Mines community members to heed the directives of public health officials: In the coming weeks, please stay home as much as possible, avoid gatherings of any size, consolidate grocery shopping trips and practice proper social distancing whenever you do leave the house for outdoor exercise and/or essential shopping. Together, we can make a difference and together we will get through this.