³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø Supports Pueblo County Plan for COVID-19 Mitigation
Release Date: October 21, 2020
³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø (³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø) President Timothy Mottet joined Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment (PDPHE) officials, Pueblo County Commissioner Garrison Ortiz, and Mayor Nick Gradisar at a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20 to voice the university's support of city-county leadership and ongoing COVID-19 mitigation efforts.
Today, ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø announced a campus wide COVID-19 mitigation plan with guidance from local public health officials. Read the entire campus mitigation plan.
The critical mission at ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø is teaching and learning, said Mottet. We are dedicated to ensuring every student has an experience that creates unique opportunities and pathways to degree completion. We also recognize the importance of protecting our students and employees during a global crisis, and we believe we can achieve both of these goals by partnering closely with public health, Pueblo city and county leadership, and our campus stakeholders.
Staffing levels at ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø have remained steady at 50 percent since July 2020. Approximately 70 percent of all courses are being offered in an online or hybrid format. Effective immediately, ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø will adjust staffing to 25 percent in-person services with remaining staff working remote. There will be no change to in-person courses at this time.
According to Randy Evetts, Public Health Director at the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment, ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø continues to lead our community in efforts to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We appreciate the university's diligence and partnership. PDPHE fully supports the mitigation plan and the work ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø is doing to keep our community and businesses moving forward.
Public access to the campus will be limited to the Administration building and Buell Communication Center (BCC) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday, through Nov. 6. Health screening is required for all visitors or guests and is available in the Administration building and BCC from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Scheduled tours at the Visitor Center, located in the BCC, will continue. Pueblo Countys Voting Service and Polling Center, located in the BCC at ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø, will open as planned beginning Oct. 30. ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø's ballot box drop-off location remains available for public access in the visitors parking lot near the Administration building.
"By enacting an aggressive two-week mitigation plan, we hope to support Pueblo's efforts and will avoid a Safer at Home Level 3 mandate from the state. We are committed to keeping our community safe and business in Pueblo open," Mottet explained.