CU Denver Coronavirus and Travel Policies Update

March 9, 2020 @ 7:44 p.m.

We are writing today to provide a number of updates, including revised CU Denver guidance for anyone considering travel in the coming weeks. Other updates and information will follow later in the week. Please refer to the COVID-19 website for more information.

Please read this information closely.

Of particular urgency, community members should know the following:

• If you are exposed to COVID-19: The university is following the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) recommendations for exposure. These guidelines identify what steps you should take if you are exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case. CDC identifies low, medium, and high categories of risk. At this point, Colorado public health officials are contacting those who have had known contact with persons confirmed with COVID-19. If a public health official contacts you, please let your supervisor know immediately, follow the recommendations of the public health agency, and submit a case report via the Maxient website. If you need to self-quarantine, please see the COVID-19 website for guidance.
• If you have symptoms: Tell your supervisor and call the Denver Public Health Epi Line at 303-602-3614. Someone on that line will be able to offer guidance and direct you to healthcare. If you get sick with fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher), cough, or have trouble breathing:
  • Do not come to campus.
  • Seek medical care. Call ahead before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room.
  • Avoid contact with others.
• For students who are sick: We are asking faculty to modify their attendance policies as needed so students who are sick are not penalized when they stay home as directed. 
• Children in the workplace/classroom: If your child’s school is canceled, make alternative childcare plans. To keep children safe and prevent community spread, do not bring children to the workplace or classroom. (See university guidelines on children in the workplace/classroom here.)
• Badge: Please make sure your CU Denver Lynx Card building-access badge is up to date with proper permissions. This will be very important in the event of any building closures. To check your badge status email: downtown.access@ucdenver.edu or call 303-315-7777.
• Events: The university is not canceling events at this point, but this is subject to change.
• Travel policies have been revised. Further guidance is provided on the COVID-19 website but here are some key points:
  • Effective immediately, all university-related travel—international and domestic—that is considered “nonessential” is stopped, regardless of the funding source of the travel. Going forward, only essential travel will be approved, and such travel is subject to suspension at short notice. (See CU Denver | Anschutz definitions of essential and non-essential travel.)
  • All university-sponsored travel considered essential will now require approval by your unit, dean, and the provost. If you have previously received approval and scheduled travel, you will still need to receive updated approval by your unit, dean, and the provost. Unit heads may implement more stringent travel restrictions in order to maintain the unit’s business continuity.
  • We strongly recommend that you limit your personal travel, domestically and internationally; please keep this in mind with the upcoming spring break. In particular, if you are required to self-quarantine after a personal trip, be aware of how your absence impacts your unit and university operations. For those traveling on personal travel, you may not be eligible for administrative leave for self-quarantine. Please see leave policies related to self-quarantine.
  • We strongly encourage people at risk for serious illness from COVID-19, as identified by the CDC, not to travel.
  • Anyone returning to the U.S. after any travel to China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea will be required to self-isolate in a U.S. location away from campus for at least 14 days before returning to campus. This will be expanded as other areas become Level 3 locations. 
  • Please be in contact regularly with your supervisor if you are required to self-quarantine to determine when you can return to work.
  • Student international travel is suspended for the spring semester unless authorization is received by the provost. This does not include students on trips that have already started. A decision on international travel for future terms will be made as the situation develops. If an international trip is canceled, the participants will be contacted directly by the university.

CU Denver | Anschutz Policies and Guidance for Travel

The following policies and guidance below are in addition to those noted above.

International Travel

Starting March 9, 2020, all international university-related travel is now restricted and treated by the university as high-risk, requiring additional approval by your unit, your dean, and the provost before booking. Such travel is discouraged and subject to suspension at short notice.

Travelers are responsible for reviewing all Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and U.S. Department of State guidelines prior to departure. University travel is suspended to all countries with a CDC categorization of “Warning Level 3: Avoid non-essential travel.” These countries currently (as of March 9) include China, South Korean, Italy, and Iran. Travelers returning from those locations are required to self-quarantine for 14 days, whether their travel was for vacation or work. See the COVID-19 website for updated guidance on required self-quarantine.

Student Travel

Student international travel is suspended for the spring semester unless authorization is received by the provost. This does not include students on trips that have already started. A decision on international travel for future terms will be made as the situation develops. If an international trip is canceled, the participants will be contacted directly by the university.  We strongly encourage students to limit personal travel, both domestic and international.

Employee Travel 

University-related international travel by employees is now restricted. To be considered for an exception, you must submit international travel requests through Concur. These requests must be approved first by the employee’s unit head or department chair, then the appropriate dean, and finally the provost. Employees should follow regular university policy on pre-approval for international travel. Only after receiving approval will an employee be allowed to purchase tickets. Please be aware that travel may be canceled at any point. Questions about employee travel may be directed to Associate Director of International Operations Joanne Wambeke.

Leave policies related to self-quarantine:

If you are required to self-quarantine, notify your supervisor and submit a case report through the Maxient website.

• If you are asymptomatic, please work with your supervisor to identify ways to work from home.
• If you are unable to work from home and you are a leave-eligible employee, you may take paid administrative leave for work absences as a result of having traveled on university-approved business after March 9, 2020. If you did not travel on university-approved business, you will be allowed to use any accrued vacation.  
• If you get sick, you should use sick leave.

For questions about leave, please contact the CU Denver | Anschutz Human Resources Employee Relations team at 303-724-9686.

Responsible Travel and Risk Assessment

As the situation evolves, additional international and domestic travelers may be required to self-quarantine, so please plan ahead if you are contemplating personal travel. Please also consider the impact, should you be required to quarantine, on your unit or department.