Dear Roadrunners,
I hope you all saw the Nov. 22 message about our early closure today. As a reminder, all Metropolitan State University of Denver offices will close at noon to help alleviate heavy downtown traffic ahead of this busy holiday and to foster the safety of our campus community.
The University will resume normal services and business hours Monday.
Please also be aware that network improvements will take place Dec. 16 and Dec. 19 within the Jordan Student Success Building. The building will be undergoing construction, Wi-Fi and wired internet will be unavailable, and employees will be encouraged to work remotely those days. Stay tuned for more information.
Health Institute Simulation Labs progress
I’m also excited to share updates on the Health Institute Simulation Labs project and to recognize the dedication of Steering Committee members and their diligent collaboration with all user groups.
The project team is growing and recently marked an important milestone with the hiring of Howell Construction as construction manager/general contractor. We’re excited to again partner with Howell Construction, which has been involved in the PE/Event Center locker-room renovation and the development of the Tivoli Brewing Science Lab project. The firm also brings previous simulation-lab project experience to the table. Coupled with Howell’s previous successful campus projects, we believe this makes them an invaluable partner.
Additionally, the schematic-design phase, which addressed the general needs for each renovation area, has been completed. The team has embarked on the design-development phase, which includes a deep dive into coordinating the project’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing, technology and furnishing systems. The design team is working with each user group to confirm that all these details are in balance with the project goals.
What’s next
Upon completion of the design-development phase, the team will determine the project’s final guaranteed maximum price in February. This will allow for the completion of final construction documents, and construction should begin in late spring.
This project is far-reaching, and new homes are slated for multiple departments. These moves would not be possible without the support of additional teams, which will be permanently relocated to other spaces across campus to accommodate the necessary moves. These include the Controller suite, the Classroom to Career Hub, the Office of Individualized Studies and the Center for Individualized Learning. These moves will begin in March ahead of construction.
For updates to the project, all Roadrunners are welcome to attend the monthly Design Advisory Committee meetings. Meetings generally include a review of project objectives and updates on stakeholder-group progress and the project schedule.
Please submit any questions or feedback to [email protected].
Have a safe Fall Break
Finally, as we officially enter the holiday season and fall Commencement is just a few weeks away, I encourage you all to make wise, community-minded health choices. As a reminder, the Health Center at Auraria strongly recommends that all students, faculty members and staff members on campus be fully vaccinated and boosted for Covid-19 and influenza. The Health Center at Auraria offers the Covid-19 omicron fall 2022 boosters and flu vaccine to all Auraria Campus students, faculty members and staff members and their family members or household members in the Plaza Building, Room 111. Immunizations are offered free of charge, and there is no need to bring your insurance card. The Health Center at Auraria is accepting appointments and walk-ins.
Sincerely,
Larry Sampler
Vice president for Administration, Finance and Facilities and chief operating officer