Safe Return Update: Staff Survey Responses

Aug. 3, 2020 @  1 p.m.

Dear CU Denver Staff and Faculty,

Happy August! We are now just two weeks away from the start of the fall semester. We truly appreciate all the hard work you have been putting in during these unusual times and the positive attitude you are able to maintain in the face of what seems like an always changing landscape.

When we asked staff last month for their input about returning to campus this fall, responses surfaced three major concerns. We want to let you know how those are being addressed. (You can view the results of the staff survey in Tableau when logged into the VPN.)

Health and Family Concerns
Many of us are concerned about risks to our health or that of a family member if we return to campus. Those of us who are parents are concerned about balancing school and childcare schedules with on-campus work demands. Here’s how we are addressing these concerns:

• We asked units to prioritize only the most essential operations for on-campus work, and it appears from unit return plans that most faculty and staff will continue to work remotely for all or most of the fall.
• Employees being asked to return to campus who may need work schedule accommodations or adjustments due to health or other concerns can follow this process administered by Human Resources.
• For those employees who will spend time on campus this fall, extensive health and safety protocols are in place, including daily health check-ins, physical distancing, face coverings, extensive cleaning and disinfecting, and more.

Enforcement of Safety Protocols
Some of us expressed concern that others may not follow required safety instructions on campus and hesitation at confronting non-compliant visitors. Here’s what we are doing about that:

• Every person coming on campus will be required to commit to following safety instructions as part of the daily health check-in, and we will be asking units with a presence on campus to identify volunteers to periodically monitor compliance in their area.
• We’ve clarified and are informing students that non-compliance with safety instructions is a violation of the Student Conduct Code.
• We are holding a training webinar on Creating a Safety Culture on Campus for all employees who will be working on campus and want to know more about safety protocols, strategies for addressing non-compliance, and keeping everyone safe. The webinar will be held on Friday, Aug. 7 from 2 – 3 p.m. You can register here.

Transportation and Parking
A number of us expressed concern about using public transportation and the costs and challenges of on-campus parking if we switched to driving to campus. As noted above, most faculty and staff will continue working remotely. However, for those who will be driving into work, we’ve made the following changes to CU Denver parking:

• Parking at the CU Denver Building and the Business School will operate on an open first-come-first-served basis rather than assigned parking. Full-time open parking permits are $133 per month, and part-time permits (two days a week maximum) are $85 per month.  
• Parking at the Lawrence Street Center will continue to operate as assigned spaces. LSC parking permits are $148 per month. 
• If you are already a parking permit holder and you want to maintain your permit, you do not need to do anything more. If you want to request a new permit, or change or cancel your existing permit, fill out the form at the Facilities Management parking permit website. 
• We are continuing to work on one-day discounted parking options at surrounding vendors (Denver Performing Arts Center or other garages) and will make announcements if and when those become available.
• Read more details about CU Denver parking this fall. For information about AHEC parking options, visit their website.  

Your Safe Return Coordinating Team co-leads,
 
Kelly Hupfeld – Kelly.hupfeld@ucdenver.edu
Alana Jones – Alana.jones@ucdenver.edu
Paul Teske – Paul.teske@ucdenver.edu