Safe Return to Campus

The Auraria Campus, in partnership with COVIDCheck Colorado, is currently serving as a vaccine point of dispensing (POD). All Coloradans ages 12 and over are eligible to be vaccinated.

Although appointments are encouraged, individual walk-up/drive-up vaccines for people seeking a first dose are available. Second doses must be scheduled at the time of the first dose.

Schedule your COVID-19 Vaccine here 

Find more information on the Health Center at Auraria website.

Yes. All students, faculty and staff on campus this fall are required to be fully vaccinated.

Any individuals who are unable to be vaccinated are required to complete mandatory weekly Covid-19 testing.

Please visit our COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Requirements page for more information.

Yes. Metropolitan State University of Denver, along with other institutions of higher education in Colorado, announced in April that it will require all students, faculty and staff members to have Covid-19 vaccinations before the start of the fall 2021 semester.

For more information, see the MSU Denver Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement page.

If we have a fully vaccinated community on campus, the risk of transmission is extremely low. This is why all parties need to be vaccinated.

All individuals on campus are also currently required to wear a mask, which is well documented to greatly reduce the risk of transmission.

Learn more about the efficacy of each vaccine.

Covid-19 boosters are available to eligible individuals at the Health Center at Auraria. Currently, those who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months prior and meet age, health and occupational requirements are eligible. Appointments are required.

Though no Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine is available at the Health Center, recipients of the J&J vaccine may be eligible to receive either the Pfizer or Moderna booster through recently approved mix-and-match protocols.

Visit our Covid-19 booster shot page for more details.

Yes. MSU Denver is hosting on-campus courses while adhering to all health and safety protocols. Please visit the Health and Safety Assessment Protocol page for more information.

If you have any questions or need help registering, please don’t hesitate to reach out to an advisor.

MSU Denver is committed to providing on-campus learning options. In-person learning is imperative for many programs, suits different learning styles, and improves mental health.

In-person learning is also an equity issue: Covid-19 has disproportionately affected low-income individuals and communities of color, from job loss to health disparities to bigger disruptions to their education. Without more in-person opportunities, this equity gap will only get worse.

No, not all classes will be face-to-face this fall. MSU Denver is targeting 70-100% of its credit hour production from 2019 to return on campus for fall 2021. This allows for different departments to adjust their ratio of class modalities. The University will still be offering a wide array of online courses for students to choose from.

MSU Denver faculty and staff moved back to campus gradually over the summer of 2021. Supervisors are empowered to staff their offices as they see fit to facilitate their work while following health and safety protocol.

Resources to guide a safe return to campus are available in the Faculty & Staff Safe Return Guide.

Long term, an alternative work arrangement policy is in the works. The draft policy is currently being vetted with different constituent groups within the University.

Human Resources has advised that employees ask supervisors to have discussions with their teams on how to accomplish the University mission and adequately serve our students, faculty and staff while accounting for work/life balance and remote work.

Yes. MSU Denver requires masking indoors for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals per the following:

• Masks should cover both the nose and mouth; bandanas and gators are not permitted.
• Face shields will be permitted as an alternative face covering, only with appropriate medical documentation from a licensed physician.
• Masks are not required outdoors but may be advised in large group settings.
• All students in classroom, instructional settings must wear masks at all times.  Instructors who are vaccinated may remove their mask while teaching if 6 feet of distance is maintained. 
• Outside of instructional settings, vaccinated individuals may remove masks indoors only when 6 feet away from other individuals (ex. in an office cubicle with a minimum of 6 feet of distance to others; or when in a private office – with or without the door open). 
• All Individuals may briefly unmask when actively eating or drinking; however, when indoors unvaccinated individuals should find a location away from others to eat.

Students who have a documented medical condition that precludes wearing a traditional face mask should contact the Access Center to discuss their needs. Faculty and staff should consult with their supervisor or HR.

With appropriate medical documentation from a licensed physician, a face shield will be permitted as an alternative face covering. If approved, it is the individual’s personal responsibility to attain their own face shield. All individuals are required to wear face covering and a face shield will only be allowed with appropriate documentation.

Please refer to the information in the Health Protocols section as well as the Student and Faculty/Staff Resources above.

For specific situations, faculty should contact their chairs, and staff their supervisors.

Students can always reach out to their advisor with specific academic questions or the Student Care Center for support.

If a student or employee receives a positive Covid-19 lab result, they should notify their advisor or supervisor and the Health Center at Auraria immediately.

• During normal business hours (Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.) call 303-615-9999 
  
• After hours, please use the Covid-19 After-hours Positive Case Reporting Form 

Additionally, new FAQs have been developed to help members of the campus community understand important Covid-19 guidance and health protocols.

On-campus testing and vaccination will be unavailable the following dates:

Plaza Building Vaccine and Testing Location
Closed November 24, 25 and 26 – Reopens on November 29, 2021
Closed December 21 – January 2 – Reopens on January 3, 2022

5th Street Garage Surveillance Testing Location
Closed November 25 and 26 – Reopens on November 29, 2021
Closed December 24 – January 2 – Reopens on January 3, 2022