Demonstration on the Auraria Campus

Yes.

No. We fully support the First Amendment right to protest and have seen more than 20 peaceful protests on our campus in academic year 2023-2024. Camping on campus, on the other hand, is a violation of Auraria’s long-standing campus policy prohibiting camping and poses public health and safety risks.

Campus leaders and professional staff have engaged with and met with leaders from the Students for a Democratic Society group, as well as student government leaders, several times.

The Auraria Campus has a full-service police department operating 24/7 year-round. They are fully trained in law enforcement procedures as well as how to engage with students and other community members. We have had more than 30 protests on campus this academic year. ACPD is routinely alerted when protests are planned, and their team stands ready to monitor and assist to maintain safety. In the most recent demonstration, ACPD repeatedly engaged with students and other protesters to inform them about campus policy and respectfully and repeatedly asked them to remove their tents.

AHEC administration makes decisions related to campus security. They do so generally based on dialogue with leadership of all three institutions, the City of Denver, Auraria Police, as well as other emergency and operations personnel from the state. Auraria leaders have been in frequent dialogue since the demonstrations began about appropriate response to various scenarios.

Students who are arrested for violation of AHEC policies or laws are booked by Auraria Police or the Denver Police Department. Auraria leaders have not had discussions or made specific determinations about conduct and campus-specific implications. When the demonstration began, protesters were provided written copies of the camping policy and Student Code of Conduct from Student Life staff, who discussed the policy and answered any questions the students had. We received verbal confirmation that the students understood the policy and code of conduct.

The university has a process when they receive information regarding employee activity that may violate university policies. This process includes meeting with the individual involved to learn more about the situation.

CU Denver’s Resident Handbook outlines a policy for public posting in common spaces. This policy requires that signs and posters displayed in common areas must be preapproved by the Resident Life Coordinator prior to posting. The policy will continue to be enforced. Unapproved signs and posters may be removed.

Our residence and dining facilities continue to be safe and secure places to be. Housing & Dining services are currently under summer operations schedules, as utilized by programs and organizations at various times throughout the summer. All roads leading to residential and dining facilities are open. You can reach out to a member of the Housing & Dining Team in person or at housing@ucdenver.edu.

Rave emergency text and email alerts, deployed by the Auraria Campus Police Department (ACPD) and the Office of Emergency Management, are intended to give you real-time information about emerging campus situations warranting your immediate attention. Based on best practices, these notifications are often provided several times each hour until a situation is resolved. Please abide by instructions in these alerts, which are intended to keep you aware and safe.

If you feel your safety is compromised or have any concerns, contact ACPD for assistance at (303) 556-5000  or Text-a-Tip to 720-593-TIPS (8477). If you call 911 from a CU Denver desk phone, you will be routed to ACPD.

To sign up for campus alerts, please visit ucdenver.edu/emergencymanagement/alerts