The following message was sent to all Mines employees on 7/28/20:
Dear Colleagues,
In just a few weeks, we’ll be kicking off the 2020-21 academic year. Please mark your calendars and make plans to join us in person or virtually as we welcome our new students, faculty and staff to Mines. As usual, we could really use your help with some of the beginning of semester activities listed below.
Move in
Residence hall move-in is being spread out over a week for health considerations. It will begin Sunday, August 16 and continue through Thursday, August 20 with roughly 300 students moving in each day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Families of our first-year students will be limited to two and all involved will be required to wear masks as students move into the residence halls. This year we will need more help from volunteers than ever before to make this move in as seamless as possible for families.
Convocation
Convocation for our new Orediggers will take place Thursday, August 20 at 4 p.m. Instead of gathering all together in Lockridge, groups of 50 – 100 socially-distanced students will be distributed across campus in places where we can broadcast to and from (like the New Year’s Eve celebrations), with the broadcast taking place using the Mines YouTube channel so the families who can no longer attend in person can still take part in the celebration. All students will be able to show off their new masks, sewn by our community, and given to them at check-in. Faculty and staff are encouraged to volunteer for the event to act as hosts for the various rooms on campus.
M-Climb
One of our favorite Mines traditions – the annual M-Climb – will take place with some modifications. It will span two days – Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22. Unlike past years, the M-climb will be limited to only students and volunteers in order to limit the number of participants. Our newest Orediggers will climb in groups of 75, socially distanced, and a new group will depart campus every 45 minutes. Each group will select representatives or captains to take one of their rocks up to the M. The rest of the rocks will be deposited at the base of the M to be added to the M later. Buses will be offered for those who are unable to walk up or back down the mountain. The M-Climb will run from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. both days with the last group departing at 1:30 p.m. each day. If you are interested in joining the climb, please be sure to sign up as a volunteer since it is the only way for non-students to participant this year.
Campus Conference
Our annual Campus Conference will take place virtually this year. More information on the various webinars and topics offered and how to register for each one will be sent in early August.
Health and Safety
Many of our Mines community members have been busy sewing cloth masks to provide to our students. We have also received a grant and generous donations to be able to provide a bottle of hand sanitizer to all students. These bottles are refillable and refill stations will be set up on campus. The masks and hand sanitizer will be distributed to all students as they return to campus. We need volunteers to sign up to assist at the distribution tents located on Kafadar Commons and Stratton Commons.
Many members of our community are engaged in supporting these events and others that mark the start of the new academic year—thanks to all of you who are spending your time this summer preparing for these important activities. At Mines, we will continue to climb together. And in true Mines fashion, we will come together as a community to support our students and colleagues as we begin this academic year. We encourage you to volunteer for move in, the M-Climb, Convocation or at one of the distribution tents by signing up here.
We look forward to kicking off the semester and seeing all of you – from six feet away or virtually – back on campus. Hopefully we will recognize each other in our masks :). In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your summer and stay well.
Go Orediggers!
Paul C. Johnson, President and Professor
Richard Holz, Provost and Professor
Kirsten M. Volpi, Executive Vice President/ and Chief Operating Officer
Dan Fox, Vice President for Student Life
Stefanie Tompkins, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer
Brian Winkelbauer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Colorado School of Mines Foundation