Dear Mines faculty and staff,
Summer is flying by, and before we know it, the fall semester will begin. Fall 2021 classes officially start Monday, Aug. 23, but activity on campus will begin to ramp up in early August.
- Our student-athletes, as well as residents of Mines Park and 1750 Jackson, can begin moving in Sunday, Aug. 1.
- The second session of this year’s on-campus Oredigger Camp is set for Sunday, Aug. 8 through Tuesday, Aug. 10.
- Residence Hall Move-In gets underway Monday, Aug. 16, and
- The annual M Climb and Campus Conference is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 20.
As campus returns to vibrant in-person learning and living, you may be wondering what that means for Mines employees, many of whom continue to work remotely or in hybrid arrangements.
Hopefully many of you have been in conversation with your direct supervisors about your work arrangements. For those of you who have not, we wanted to share some guidance on our expectations for return to campus.
Ready for a new school year
As Mines transitions back to a fully in-person campus for students, we are excited to welcome more employees back to campus, as well, to be ready for the first day of classes.
Our goal is to ensure that those employees returning to work on campus, either full- or part-time, can ease back into the campus environment while also meeting the operational needs of in-person learning and living.
This will mean different things for different employees – Mines is not planning to implement a one-size-fits-all approach or deadline for everyone to be back on campus.
Instead, we ask that all supervisors work directly with their employees to determine the right approach for each employee based on their individual job responsibilities. That could mean working on campus five days a week, splitting time between campus and remote, or staying fully remote. Each work unit will decide what work can be performed remotely and what cannot, with approval from their vice president.
There is no official timeline, but we encourage everyone to begin this transition back to campus starting Monday, Aug. 2. That does not mean everyone needs to be working on campus Aug. 2, merely that by this date you should have a plan in place, with the approval of your supervisor and VP.
We recognize that some employees will need time to make arrangements for childcare and transportation. Supervisors are asked to be flexible when it comes to these needs. Some employees may also request an accommodation in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Please contact hr@mines.edu to discuss.
A word on COVID-19 vaccination
For those employees who have been waiting to get vaccinated, now is also the time to make your appointments. Vaccines are readily available throughout the Denver area – including walk-up appointments at local pharmacies and retailers.
Like students, employees can comply with Mines’ COVID-19 vaccination requirement through one of two options:
- Provide proof of vaccination. Partial vaccination – the first of a two-shot regimen – will be accepted.
- Complete a vaccine exemption form (medical or non-medical). The employee form is available at www.mines.edu/vaccine.
The deadline to comply is the first day of classes, Monday, Aug. 23. Upload your proof of vaccination or exemption form through MAPS Secure Document Upload at https://helpcenter.mines.edu/TDClient/2657/maps/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=48037.
See you soon!
We have an exciting year ahead, one that will include the return of opportunities to see and support one another in person, while also making the most of tools and approaches that have made the last year so successful. The flexibility we’re offering supervisors and divisions is intended to help us make best use of both – and all of your talents.
We hope you all are having a restorative summer. If not before, we hope to see many of you on August 20 at the M Climb and Campus Conference.
Regards,
Kirsten Volpi, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Richard C. Holz, Provost and Professor
Daniel P. Fox, Vice President of Student Life