Message from the President

Dear CC Community,


Thank you for all you are doing as we live, learn, and work in the “new normal” amid COVID-19. Because of your vigilance, we are in person on campus, and we continue to do so as safely as possible. Even our Homecoming and Family Weekend activities, with many alumni and families on campus, were successful because we remained very careful.
 
It’s easy to become complacent when all is going well. But we can’t. The recent increase in students receiving positive test results stems from Halloween parties where students were indoors and unmasked. Unfortunately, because of the timing for quarantine and isolation, this means that some students won’t be able to travel for Fall Break.
 
Because of our protocols and procedures, we always know where we stand with COVID. Careful monitoring, quick response, and a highly vaccinated campus community that follows protocols allow us to continue to be in person and on campus. This will pass, and we will learn from it. This is what life looks like as we go forward.
 
Let’s all continue to do our part, not letting down our guard, and caring for our community. 
 
Sincerely,

L. Song Richardson

President

View this email online
powered by emma

COVID-19 Update and Future Plans

Dear Campus Community,


Your vigilance in following our risk mitigation protocols and adhering to COVID-19 guidance has enabled us to continue classes and programming in-person, on campus. Thank you for all you’re doing to reduce the risk to yourself and others. 

We continue responding to a rise in COVID-19 infections among CC students that occurred in connection with off-campus parties over Halloween weekend. This week, we are conducting additional screening testing to limit further transmission and reduce the risk to our community. Our Scientific Advisory Group and our national public health consultants at Crown & Company are analyzing the results and guiding our response. 

Current COVID Stats and What They Mean
Between Nov. 1 and Nov. 7, the Student Health Center performed 1,140 tests, and 56 students received positive test results, with a spike occurring on Thursday, Nov. 4. In response we implemented additional screening testing and invited the two-thirds of the student body who had not recently tested to come in for testing, so that every CC student will have taken a test within one week. As of Monday evening, the Student Health Center had performed 534 tests, yielding 25 additional positive results. 

What do Monday’s numbers mean? The testing program is working and helping us to limit further spread. As testing continues this week, initially we anticipate additional cases, followed by a decline and return to baseline. Students with positive test results are following isolation protocols. Meals, mail, and prescriptions are being delivered to students in isolation. The COVID-19 Response Team checks in daily with each student. Professors are in touch with students to discuss the need for support, adaptation, or assistance with their classes. 
Our full risk mitigation plan and COVID-19 dashboards are always available here

Good News!
The good news is that we have no indication of COVID-19 transmission in classrooms; our layered mitigation system, including vaccination, masking, and good ventilation is in place and working. In that setting, people without symptoms are unlikely to transmit the virus. 

Reduce Your Risk 
When interacting off campus, we need to keep in mind that the decision about practicing public health measures is up to us. Given the currently very high levels of transmission in El Paso County, we are likely to encounter the virus when out and about. The virus spreads through the air through breathing (also known as aerosol transmission), and particularly in indoor spaces where aerosols tend to accumulate.   We encourage everyone to continue wearing masks while indoors, both on and off-campus. 

As we look ahead to Fall and Winter Break, we want to continue to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our CC community and surrounding communities. 
  • If you are symptomatic, students should contact the Student Health Center (employees should contact their health provider) and get tested: 
                (719) 389-6384 
                
    Monday-Friday:
                
    8 a.m.-noon and 1-7 p.m.
                Saturday & Sunday:
                11 a.m.-4 p.m.
  • Students who receive positive test results this week may need to adjust their Fall Break travel plans as they will have to isolate for 10 days and may not travel, per the local health department’s requirements. 
  • Masking on campus will remain in place.
  • Limit your social interactions.
  • Classes will continue in person.
  • Both dine-in and takeout options are available at campus dining facilities. As always, we encourage students to make use of outdoor seating and limit time unmasked indoors. Take advantage of takeout options at Benji’s, the Preserve, and Susie B’s.
  • Social gatherings are limited to 10 people or less; students must continue using the party registration form.
  • Visitor and events policies apply as usual.
  • Organized campus activities may move forward as planned. No food for these activities indoors.

We are all in this together. Our campus community has worked to effectively mitigate the spread on campus. Masking, handwashing, testing when experiencing symptoms, and responsible social gatherings are all key pieces to managing risk during the ongoing pandemic. We encourage all community members to reflect on ways to make risk mitigation a part of everyday life — on campus and off campus — as we are learning to live responsibly during this pandemic. 

Thank you for all your doing to support one another!

Andrea Bruder
Chief Public Health Advisor to the President 
  
Mateo Muñoz
Chair, COVID-19 Policy and Implementation Committee 

View this email online
powered by emma

Forever Foreign: Asian America, Global Asia, and the Problem of Anti-Asian Racism

A violent incident of anti-Asian racism earlier this year has inspired the launch of a new series of lectures, discussions, film screenings, and reading groups at Colorado College: “Forever Foreign: Asian America, Global Asia, and the Problem of Anti-Asian Racism.” 


Following the mass killing of Asian-Americans in Atlanta on March 16, an act of violent anti-Asian racism that shook the nation, a group of CC faculty felt it would be helpful to host a series of events that highlight the histories, narratives, and voices from Asian societies and of Asian diaspora communities in the United States to increase knowledge and awareness of these communities. This year-long series centers the perspectives and voices of the Asian diaspora communities and deepens the ongoing conversations on antiracism.
 
On November 10, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, of Equality Labs, will speak in a Zoom-broadcast lecture on “Caste in the United States: Dispatches from the Civil Rights Movement for Caste Equity in the U.S.”
 
The following events are upcoming in the Fall Semester:
 
Wednesday, Nov. 10, 4-5:30 p.m.
Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Equality Labs
“Caste in the United States: Dispatches from the Civil Rights Movement for Caste Equity in the U.S.”
 
Thursday, Dec. 2, 3 p.m.  
Film screening: “Somewhere Between”
Followed by discussion facilitated by John Williams and Jason Weaver.
Cornerstone Screening Room
 
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 5 p.m.
Amrita Basu, the Domenic J. Paino 1955 Professor of Political Science and Sexuality, Women’s and Gender Studies at Amherst College
“Gendering Populism and Recognizing its Varied Affective Appeals,” Edith Kinney Gaylord Lecture in Asian Studies
 

View this email online
powered by emma

Join Board of Trustees Town Hall TODAY

Zoom town hall 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Zoom town hall 4:30-5:30 p.m.

You’re invited to join President L. Song Richardson and the Colorado College Board of Trustees for a town hall event today. 


On Monday, Nov. 8, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Board Chair Jeff Keller ’91, P ’22, Vice Chair Ryan Haygood ’97, and Secretary Heather Carroll ’89 will join President Richardson to share updates from their fall board meeting. Please register here to participate in this virtual event. 

The town hall will be recorded and shared with the campus community later this week.  

View this email online
powered by emma

Project 2024

Dear CC Community,

We are excited to share with you the next stage of Project 2024. We look forward to harnessing your creativity, ingenuity, and courage as we ask ourselves, “How can we do what we do better?”
The process: 
The Cabinet, FEC, Staff Council co-chairs, and the CCSGA president shared their ideas for the process. Faculty also spoke to the question at the Block 1 faculty meeting. They generally advised that:
  • People are busy; don’t take too much of their time.
  • Do what you can to encourage frank, forward-looking conversation.
  • Keep the meetings small.
  • Select participants randomly rather than by division or department/program.
  • Follow up on the initial meeting.

B
ased on this input, here is how the conversations will be organized.
The conversations:
1. Meetings of students, faculty, and staff to discuss the question: “How can we do what we do better?” These conversations focus on possibilities rather than problems.  
2. A Project 2024 committee, appointed by President Richardson from lists created in consultation with the CCSGA, Staff Council, and FEC, leads the conversations and identifies major themes. 

Timetable: 
Generating ideas: Blocks 4-7
Students meet in their residential hall groups with RAs facilitating and summarizing the discussions. A random selection of off-campus students receive invitations from President Richardson to join groups led by student members of the committee.
Staff divide into randomly selected groups of 25, as do the faculty.
These groups meet twice — the first time for 90 minutes and the second time for 60 minutes.
The first meeting initiates their discussion of the “what ifs.” Two staff members from the committee lead meetings of the staff; two faculty members lead the meetings of faculty. Attendees agree on a summary of their initial thoughts.
The follow-up meeting develops, refines, and summarizes the major themes identified in the first meeting. Two committee members from outside the category (a student and a staff member for faculty groups) facilitate. The coordinator (Susan Ashley) will attend this round of meetings. 
The CCSGA, FEC, Staff Council, Cabinet, and other established groups will also address the question.
We will work on ways of drawing trustees, alumni, and parents into the process.      

Synthesizing conversations
Blocks 7-8
Committee members exchange information on what they’re hearing beginning in Block 4 and report on the larger themes by Block 8.
It may happen that themes emerge early in the campus-wide conversations. In that case, the committee will report those to the community and redirect subsequent conversations to ways of transforming possibilities into actions.
Expect to receive an invitation to the first meeting over the next several weeks from Kelli Drury in the President’s Office. 
Thank you again for participating in this important conversation. We look forward to what will be revealed!
All our best,

 

L. Song Richardson

President

 

Susan Ashley

Professor and Chair, Economics and Business
Project 2024 Coordinator

View this email online
powered by emma

CC’s Antiracist Book Club Presents: Critical Race Theory

You’re invited Monday, Nov. 8

You’re invited Monday, Nov. 8

Come together to discuss the first selection in this year’s Antiracist Book Club. 


Reading and discussing Delgado and Stefanic’s “Critical Race Theory will help you to answer for yourself, “What is all the fuss about?”
 
Join Dr. Claire Oberon Garcia, acting provost and dean of the faculty, and Barry Fagin, senior associate dean of the faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy, for a discussion of differing views and interpretations of Critical Race Theory on Monday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. in Cornerstone Screening Room (Cornerstone 131) and via Zoom. Join virtually by registering here. Note: Fagin’s views are his own and not necessarily those of the U. S. Air Force Academy.
 
Garcia created a study guide for this text, as well as an extensive list of resources for further reading and viewing. You can access this guide on the Antiracist Book Club Microsoft Teams platform
 
The ABC continues in the next semester with both written and audio versions of Tarana Burke and Brene Brown’s bestseller, “You are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame, Resilience, and the Black Experience;” one of the essayists, Austin Channing Brown, will be our Block 5 First Mondays speaker. “Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities by Craig Wilder is the final book of this academic year. These timely texts were selected to get us thinking about antiracism from multiple angles. Each book will be accompanied by study guides, talks, and other resources.   

Hope to see you Monday!

View this email online
powered by emma

COVID Cases on the Rise: Reduce Your Risk

We write to you this morning to ask for your continued cooperation with campus risk mitigation protocols and to share that we are at a critical junction in our management of this pandemic.  


We have seen an increase in infections among students this week in connection with large social gatherings. Our ability to finish the semester in-personand for students to spend fall break at homedepends to a large extent on your willingness to adhere to our science-based risk mitigation protocols.  
 
As of Thursday evening, 22 students have received positive test results in addition to 8 earlier this week. We currently have 30 new weekly cases, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic. Currently 37 students are in quarantine or isolation. 
 
Risk is cumulative and it is within our power to limit the spread. Every action we take to reduce our risk of exposure matters. By continuing to adhere to risk mitigation protocols on and off-campus, such as indoor mask wearing, testing, social distancing, and handwashing, you are doing your part to secure a safer in-person learning experience.         

To slow the spread, we ask that you:
  • Temporarily limit your social interactions; 
  • Avoid engaging in unmasked indoor activities and wear a mask when interacting indoors with people who are not from your household;  
  • Do not come to class when experiencing any cold-like symptoms; 
  • Get tested for COVID-19 if you have any cold-like symptoms such as cough, fever, sore throat etc. Call the Student Health Center (719) 389-6384 to make an appointment (M-F 8 a.m.-noon, 1-7 p.m.; Sat/Sun 11 a.m.-4 p.m.). 

As a community we have done a tremendous job adhering to risk mitigation protocols and keeping case numbers low. However, our campus exists within the broader context of El Paso County where COVID-19 incidence (377/100,000/week), positivity rate (12%), and transmission levels are at an all-time high. Governor Polis has issued Public Health Order 21-02 Concerning Hospital Capacity and Access to Care in response to the shortage of hospital beds throughout the state of Colorado. At the time that the order was issued, 90% of Colorado’s ICU beds were occupied and 88% of medical/surgical beds were occupied. 

At this time, classes may continue to be taught in person, however, it is up to each professor to decide whether a class may need to be moved to remote delivery temporarily. 

Students with positive test results will need to isolate for 10 days. They should reach out to their professors to discuss with them the need for support, adaptation, or assistance with the course. 

Regarding the contact tracing process, please keep in mind that contact tracers reach out only to people identified as close contacts of community members with COVID-19. If a student receives a positive test result, the whole class will not be notified – only close contacts.  

Please send you
r questions regarding COVID-19 policies to covid19@coloradocollege.edu. We will keep you updated about new developments. 

View this email online
powered by emma

COVID-19 Booster Shots + Vaccines for children 5-11 years

This week, CDC has expanded the Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to children ages 5-11


Beginning Friday, Nov. 5, CDPHE is partnering with Children’s Hospital Colorado to offer vaccines for children age 5 to 11 years. Adults and children age 12 and older may also receive COVID-19 vaccines at these clinics on a walk-in basis while supplies last. View the calendar to find clinic dates and sign up for an appointment for your child in advance.
 
Additionally, CDC made the following recommendations about COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine recipients who completed their initial series at least six months ago and are: 

should get a booster dose. People age 18-49 with underlying medical conditions and people age 18-64 who work or live in high-risk settings may get a booster shot.
 
Recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster dose if they are at least two months out from their shot.
 
You may choose which vaccine you receive as a booster shot. CDC recommendations allow for mixing and matching booster shots. Click here to find a vaccine provider near you.
 
We also strongly encourage all members of the CC community to get a flu shot. It is safe to receive a flu shot and your COVID-19 booster dose at the same appointment.
 
Please see the CDC website for more details. Consult with your healthcare provider if you are not sure if you should receive a booster dose. Remember to bring your vaccination card to your appointment.
 
The COVID-19 transmission level in El Paso County remains very HIGH. CDC and the El Paso County Department of Public Health recommend indoor masking, regardless of vaccination status, when transmission levels are substantial or high.   
 
The vast majority of exposures of CC community members occur when members of our campus community interact outside of the CC community. Common exposure activities include unmasked indoor activities such as visiting friends and family, parties and other gatherings, restaurants, as well as travel. 
 
Please remember to take steps to protect yourself and others:  

  • Wear a mask indoors when off campus; indoor masks are required on campus (unless in your personal residence or office).
  • We recommend KN95 masks or similar (e.g., KF94, N95,) surgical, or cloth masks with at least three layers.
  • Make sure your mask fits snugly against your face on all sides and does not leave gaps. A well-fitting mask acts as a filter and catches viral particles that otherwise you would inhale. 
  • Stay home and away from others if you don’t feel well. Free, over-the-counter tests are available from CDPHE using the Rapid At-Home testing program
 
If you have questions or feedback for the committee, please let us know at covid19@coloradocollege.edu. You can also view the committee’s membership and charge 
  

View this email online
powered by emma

Save the Date for Block 3 In the Loop

ITL is Thursday, Nov. 18

ITL is Thursday, Nov. 18

Sent on behalf of the President’s Office and Staff Council:


Please save the date for the Block 3 In the Loop all-staff meeting on Thursday, Nov. 18.

Note this year’s location for In the Loop: Meet in Celeste Theatre inside Cornerstone Arts Center; the program will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. Grab-and-go breakfast will be available for pick-up in Cornerstone Main Space as you exit the meeting. 
 
Those wishing to join the meeting via Zoom from their individual workspace may do so by registering in advance using this link. Feel free to swing by the main space after 9:30 a.m. to pick up breakfast. 
 
Submit good news, kudos, and questions to be answered during the question-and-answer period. You must submit your items by Thursday, Nov. 11. 

In the Loop is a joint venture between Colorado College leadership and the Staff Council to facilitate communication and build community spirit among the staff at Colorado College. These meetings are your chance to directly connect with college leaders and other staff members on a regular basis.

View this email online
powered by emma

Join Board of Trustees for Town Hall Nov. 8

https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20211103/48/b4/39/d6/e9ee0be65f73b9d58408fe4c_1008x222.png

The Colorado College Board of Trustees arrives this week for their fall board meeting, Nov. 4-6. 

You’re invited to attend a town hall where board leaders will share an update from their meeting. On Monday, Nov. 8, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Board Chair Jeff Keller ’91, P ’22, Vice Chair Ryan Haygood ’97, and Secretary Heather Carroll ’89 will join President L. Song Richardson for a town hall via Zoom. Please register here to participate. 

The town hall will be recorded and shared with the campus community next week.

https://images.e2ma.net/images/spacer.gif

View this email online

14 E. Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO | 80903 US

powered by emma

css.php