Block Break + Return to Campus Reminders 

The following message was shared directly with students earlier today, ahead of the start of Block 5 next week. We are sharing this with you to keep you in the loop about the protocols in place to make an in-person Spring Semester possible.

  • Test prior to traveling to campus, upon arrival, and every Monday and Thursday.
  • Review updated COVID-19 protocols here.
  • If you are feeling sick, do not go to class.

Dear Students,

Thanks to your continued commitment to public health practices, including screening testing and indoor masking, we’ve had a successful in-person, on-campus J-Block and Half Block. Together, we can do this, and we are excited to welcome all students back for the Spring Semester!

Before departure
All students returning to campus for the first time this semester are strongly encouraged to get tested with an antigen test BEFORE traveling to campus. If you receive a positive test result, please complete your isolation at home. We encourage all students traveling to Colorado Springs by air or shared transportation to wear an N95 mask while in transit if possible. Currently, about 1 in 10 people are infected with COVID-19, and we are quite likely to be exposed to the virus in public.  

When you arrive  
You will also take a COVID-19 test with eMed when you arrive on campus and then continue testing every Monday and Thursday. We will be in touch with email reminders on Sundays and Wednesdays. All students, vaccinated and unvaccinated, with and without prior COVID infections, will participate in screening testing with eMed during the Omicron wave.  

Residents of Loomis, Mathias, and South Hall should pick up their test kits and mask kits at the front desk of their residence hall. All other students should pick up test kits at the Worner Desk or Tutt Library. Newly arriving students should also pick up an isolation kit, including an N95 mask and isolation instructions, as well as KN95 masks as needed.  

On Monday
If you are feeling sick, do not go to class. Stay home and away from others. Call the  Student Health Center, (719) 389-6384, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. for same-day symptomatic testing (no appointment with a provider is required).

In preparation for Block 5, please review the temporary updates to COVID-19 protocols for the duration of the Omicron wave:  

  • Booster shots are required; if you haven’t yet uploaded your documentation, please do so now
    • All who are not up to date with vaccination (unvaccinated, OR eligible for a booster but haven’t yet received, OR haven’t submitted their documentation) need to quarantine if in close contact with a person with COVID-19.  
  • Quarantine and isolation protocols have been updated.  
  • KN95 or similar filtration masks must always be worn in indoor public spaces. 
  • Twice weekly screening testing is required for all students (review details here on testing and isolation kit pick-up) during the Omicron wave. 
  • Limit indoor social interactions and prioritize safer outdoor activities. 
  • Rastall Café and all dining facilities on campus will be open and providing take-out only.  
  • Campus activities continue as planned. 
  • No food or drink in classes, meetings, or at events. 
Our protocols are designed to adapt to the changing circumstances of the pandemic. We plan to adjust protocols once the Omicron surge has subsided.   

Thank you for helping us to make an in-person Block 5 a reality! We look forward to seeing you on campus soon.  

Sincerely,    

Andrea Bruder
Chief Public Health Advisor to the President 

Mateo Muñoz
Chair, COVID-19 Policy and Implementation Committee

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