Dear on-campus residents,
We are so excited that you have decided to live on campus for the 2021-22 academic year. As you prepare for move-in and the start of in-person classes next month, we wanted to make you aware of some additional COVID-19 health and safety requirements and their implications for on-campus residents.
Read on, too, to learn how you can be entered to win free housing for the fall semester.
Mines’ COVID-19 vaccination requirement
As you should already know, Mines has implemented a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for the entire campus community, in order to return to full in-person instruction and on-campus experiences. A high level of vaccination is key to our success in the coming year as we look toward a return to normal.
Students may fulfill the vaccination requirement by 1) providing proof of vaccination, or 2) submitting a vaccine exemption form. The deadline to comply is the first day of classes, Monday, Aug. 23. Details, including the student exemption forms and instructions for uploading, are available at http://www.mines.edu/vaccine.
Submit by Aug. 1 for a chance to win!
But no need to wait until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22 to submit your vaccination information. On-campus residents are asked to submit their data as soon as possible so we can finalize our plans for housing.
All early birds will have a chance to be awarded a semester of free housing! Get automatically entered into a random drawing for a $4,500 housing credit by submitting your proof of vaccination or exemption form by Sunday, Aug. 1. All you need to do is follow the instructions at the website above and get your submission in by Aug. 1 to be entered into the drawing.
Quarantine and Isolation
Getting vaccinated is the most effective way to limit your likelihood of getting sick with COVID-19 or having to quarantine during the academic year. Any student who is not fully vaccinated (defined as two weeks since the completion of the vaccination – one dose for Johnson & Johnson, or two doses for Pfizer or Moderna vaccines) will be subject to quarantine after close-contact exposure to someone with COVID-19, unless they have tested positive for COVID-19 within the prior 90 days. Fully vaccinated students without symptoms will not be subject to quarantine after close-contact exposure to someone with COVID-19.
Under current CDC guidance, an unvaccinated student may have to move to a designated quarantine room for up to two weeks (14 days) following close-contact exposure to someone with COVID-19, whereas asymptomatic vaccinated students would not so long as they do not develop symptoms. Similarly, any student who tests positive for COVID-19 will be subject to isolation for 7-10 days or longer.
If you are required to quarantine or isolate, you will not be permitted to attend in-person classes or campus activities and will need to stay in an assigned room for the duration of your Q/I period (this may or may not be your regular room, depending on a variety of factors). This means you could miss two weeks of classes or more, which would be challenging for any student, but especially with the rigorous curriculum at Mines. Faculty will excuse your absence, but you’ll have to make up the missed material and any coursework or tests.
COVID-19 testing
Besides getting vaccinated and maintaining social distancing practices for two weeks before traveling, testing is one of the best ways to keep our campus community safe. We highly encourage all students to get tested for COVID-19 before traveling to campus or Golden for the start of the semester. If you test positive, please stay home until you have recovered.
Mines continues to provide free, on-campus COVID-19 testing for the entire Mines community. And although it’s best to get tested before you travel, COVIDCheck Colorado plans to provide rapid COVID tests with results in less than an hour, so you can get tested on-campus before you move in. Sign up for a test at Mines or other COVIDCheck Colorado locations here: https://www.primarybio.com/a/mines
Any student with COVID-19 symptoms (even mild ones) should get tested for COVID-19 immediately – whether they are vaccinated or not.
And while we hope to achieve a high rate of vaccination within the Mines community, we understand that some students will submit a vaccine exemption. If you are no longer interested in living in the Mines residential community due to these additional requirements, you do still have the option to break your contract and find alternate housing for the upcoming year. You may cancel your contract without financial penalty through Noon, August 2, 2021, after which time regular penalties will apply. If you are cancelling your housing contract, please do so in writing to housing@mines.edu. If you have additional questions regarding the vaccine, visit mines.edu/vaccine.
Like you, we are excited to be moving back to a more normal living, learning, teaching, research and work experience. Thank you for your continued commitment to the health of our Oredigger campus community.
Sincerely,
Residence Life
Student Activities, Involvement & Leadership
Fraternity & Sorority Life