Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

Hello System Office Employees,

We hope you are well!  The holiday season is almost upon us.  We wanted to provide some information to help keep you safe and well over the next few months.

There has been a trend of increasing COVID cases across the State of Colorado and at CCCS.  Please know that the COVID Operations Team will continue to monitor impacts of COVID-19, including possible variants.  Here’s what you should continue to do:

1. We encourage employees to get vaccinated and stay current with their COVID vaccines.  The CDC recommends the bivalent COVID-19 booster.  You can find information on this vaccine that offers protection against the original COVID-19 virus and the omicron variant of the COVID-19 variant from the CDPHE: https://covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine.
2. The CCCS System Office Testing Protocol remains suspended.  If numbers increase within the State of Colorado, we may reinstate the Testing Protocol, if necessary.
3. If you have COVID symptoms (please see below), please do not come into the office and remember to get tested.  If you do test positive, report results to System Office HR at: COVIDNotices@CCCS.edu so we can accurately track cases.
   • Fever or chills
   • Cough
   • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
   • Fatigue
   • Muscle or body aches
   • Headache
   • New loss of taste or smell
   • Sore throat
   • Congestion or runny nose
   • Nausea or vomiting
   • Diarrhea
4. Public Health Emergency Leave continues to be available for COVID related absences and HR can guide employees through that process. Just email COVIDNotices@CCCS.edu.
5. If you are travelling, you can find valuable information and guidance on the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html.

Please let us know if you have any questions. Stay safe!

Laura DuClos and Greg Busch

COVID Operations Team

Hello System Office Employees,

We hope you are well! The good news is that COVID numbers remain stable and low both in the State of Colorado and at CCCS.  Please know that the COVID Operations Team will continue to monitor impacts of COVID and any other health emergencies, such as Monkey Pox.  Here’s what you should continue to do:

1. We encourage employees to get vaccinated and stay current with their boosters.
2. It’s that time of year for flu shots.  Check with your healthcare provider on what is available to you.
3. If you have COVID symptoms (see below), please do not come into the office and remember to get tested.  If you do test positive, report results to System Office HR at COVIDNotices@CCCS.edu so we can accurately track cases and assist employees with Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL). This leave is not in our normal Banner Leave system, so it is important that you email COVIDNotices@CCCS.edu.
   • Fever or chills
   • Cough
   • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
   • Fatigue
   • Muscle or body aches
   • Headache
   • New loss of taste or smell
   • Sore throat
   • Congestion or runny nose
   • Nausea or vomiting
   • Diarrhea
4. Monkey pox is the other health emergency we are watching closely. On August 4, President Biden declared monkeypox a public health emergency. Your safety is important to us and we are monitoring the virus and guidance from the CDC, CDPHE, and local public health officials. Numbers in Colorado are on the decline and remain low.  By most accounts, monkeypox is passed through prolonged, direct, skin-to-skin contact. You can help to reduce the likelihood of transmission in the workplace by following many of the same practices used to stay safe throughout COVID. This includes:
   • Staying home when you are sick or experiencing any symptoms;
   • Washing hands often with soap and water or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer, especially after using the bathroom and before eating;
   • Avoiding touching your face; and
   • Continuing to practice alternatives to handshaking or hugging when greeting others.

You can learn more about monkeypox on the CDC and CPDHE websites:

• https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/about.html
• https://cdphe.colorado.gov/diseases-a-to-z/monkeypox

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Laura DuClos and Greg Busch

COVID Operations Team

Good morning System Office Employees,

We hope you are well! The good news is that COVID numbers remain stable both in the State of Colorado and at CCCS.  Please know that the COVID Operations Team will continue to monitor impacts of COVID-19, including possible variants.  Here’s what you should continue to do:

1. We encourage employees to get vaccinated and stay current with their COVID vaccines.
2. The CCCS System Office Testing Protocol remains suspended.  If numbers increase within the State of Colorado, we may reinstate the Testing Protocol, if necessary.
3. If you have COVID symptoms (please see below), please do not come into the office and remember to get tested.  If you do test positive, report results to System Office HR at: COVIDNotices@CCCS.edu so we can accurately track cases.
   • Fever or chills
   • Cough
   • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
   • Fatigue
   • Muscle or body aches
   • Headache
   • New loss of taste or smell
   • Sore throat
   • Congestion or runny nose
   • Nausea or vomiting
   • Diarrhea
4. Public Health Emergency Leave continues to be available for COVID related absences and HR can guide employees through that process.

There is another health emergency we are watching closely. On August 4, President Biden declared monkeypox a public health emergency. Your safety is important to us and we are monitoring the virus and guidance from the CDC, CDPHE, and local public health officials. At this time we will continue to operate under regular, approved in person work and alternate work arrangements and are not planning changes to office protocols or fully remote operations.  We will keep you apprised of any changes that may occur.

By most accounts, monkeypox is passed through prolonged, direct, skin-to-skin contact. You can help to reduce the likelihood of transmission in the workplace by following many of the same practices used to stay safe throughout COVID. This includes:

• Staying home when you are sick or experiencing any symptoms;
• Washing hands often with soap and water or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer, especially after using the bathroom and before eating;
• Avoiding touching your face; and
• Continuing to practice alternatives to handshaking or hugging when greeting others.

You can learn more about monkeypox on the CDC and CPDHE websites:

• https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/about.html
• https://cdphe.colorado.gov/diseases-a-to-z/monkeypox

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Laura DuClos and Greg Busch

COVID Operations Team

Good morning System Office Employees,

It appears COVID is stabilizing a bit, both in the State of Colorado and CCCS, and we wanted to provide a few updates:

1. The CCCS System Office Testing Protocol for staff members who are not fully vaccinated will be suspended as of Friday, July 1^st.  We will continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19, including possible variants, and may reinstate the Testing Protocol, if necessary.
2. If you have COVID symptoms (please see below), please do not come into the office and remember to get tested.  If you do test positive, report results to System Office HR at: COVIDNotices@CCCS.edu so we can accurately track cases.
   • Fever or chills
   • Cough
   • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
   • Fatigue
   • Muscle or body aches
   • Headache
   • New loss of taste or smell
   • Sore throat
   • Congestion or runny nose
   • Nausea or vomiting
   • Diarrhea
3. Finally, Public Health Emergency Leave continues to be available for COVID related absences and HR can guide employees through that process.

Thank you for all you do for students at CCCS and enjoy the long weekend with family and friends.

Laura DuClos and Greg Busch

COVID Operations Team

Hello System Office Employees,

Happy Friday!

The System Office COVID Ops Team has been monitoring the State of Colorado COVID numbers and Federal, State and County guidance.  That information, along with the fact that the System Office has a high vaccination rate (95%), Chancellor Garcia and System Office Leadership have approved a return to System Office “new normal.”

Here’s what that looks like for the System Office:

• On May 2, 2022, we will transition to our new normal with employees either returning to the office or following Alternate Work Arrangements (AWA) that have been submitted over the last year.  We encourage employees who have an approved Alternate Work Arrangement (AWA) to review them with their supervisor to ensure this remains the best fit for you and your department.  If you have changes or are interested in implementing an AWA, work with your supervisor on what that looks like.  The form and instructions are on the Employee Tab of the System Office portal, in the System Office Employee SharePoint.
• For now, the System Office will continue with the Testing Protocol for staff members who are not fully vaccinated.  New employees will test or provide record of vaccination.  We encourage employees to stay up-to-date on vaccinations and boosters, based on CDC guidance that can be found: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html?s_cid=11747:cdc%20fully%20vaccinated%20definition:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN:FY22.
• We will continue to secure doors on the four Lowry Campus System Office buildings, unless there is a public meeting in a specific building.
• Employees will not be required to wear masks while in buildings on the Lowry Campus.  We encourage staff who may feel more comfortable wearing masks while in the office to continue to do so.
• If you have COVID symptoms, do not come into the office.  Also, it is important that we continue to track our positive cases. We ask that staff members who test positive for COVID continue to report this to System Office HR at: COVIDNotices@CCCS.edu.  Public Health Emergency Leave is still available for COVID related absences and HR can guide employees through that process.

The COVID Ops Team will continue to meet and to monitor the safety of our employees.  We believe the above processes, along with the continued monitoring of COVID-19 rates and resulting Federal, State and County guidance and with continued tracking of our employees, will help us to evaluate the need for any changes.  Employee safety remains a top priority for the System Office.

Have a wonderful week-end!

Sincerely,

The System Office COVID Ops Team

Hello System Office Employees,

This is a follow-up to the COVID Update Message Chancellor Garcia sent out this afternoon.

Our state is making good progress with COVID numbers again where cases and hospitalizations are down, resulting in changes to the protocols the System Office must follow. Guidance on the processes that we have become accustomed to over the last few months are rapidly changing. As you have probably noticed, there is new guidance on COVID-19 from the CDC, the Governor, the CDPHE and local health departments. This is exciting news and the System Office COVID-19 Operations team, along with System Office leadership, are looking to the future. Our goal is to continue to monitor the safety of our employees, while moving forward with positive changes towards returning to our new normal.

Due to the significant decline in COVID-19 cases across the state, as well as high vaccination rates among System Office Staff (94%), the following are the new protocols:

1. As of Monday, March 14, 2022, System Office employees will not be required to wear masks while in buildings on the Lowry Campus. We encourage staff who may feel more comfortable wearing masks while in the office to continue to do so.
2. For now, the System Office will continue with the Testing Protocol for staff members who are not fully vaccinated. New employees will test or provide record of vaccination.
3. Employees will continue to work remotely, if possible, until we are notified of further changes by Governor Polis. Of course, if employees choose to come into the office to work, that is fine. Note: Our plans call for providing a month’s notice before officially transitioning to Alternative Work Schedules. In the meantime, we encourage employees to revisit with their supervisor the System Office Alternate Work Schedule that they have on file with HR.
4. We will continue to secure doors on the four Lowry Campus System Office buildings, as the number of System Office employees working from the office is still low.
5. We encourage staff who are hosting in-person meetings to consider social distancing and continue making the Webex option available for those who may not feel comfortable meeting in-person.
6. If you have COVID symptoms, do not come into the office. Also, it is important that we continue to track our positive cases. We ask that staff members who test positive for COVID continue to report this to System Office HR at: COVIDNotices@CCCS.edu. Public Health Emergency Leave is still available for COVID related absences and HR can guide employees through that process.

The March 14th change in masking is dependent on continued low COVID case numbers and positivity rates. We believe the above processes, continued monitoring of COVID-19 rates and resulting Federal, State and County guidance, along with continued tracking of our employees will help us to evaluate the need for any changes. Employee safety remains a top priority for the System Office.

Sincerely,
The System Office COVID Ops Team

Dear Colleagues,

As we mark the two year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for continuing to deliver on our mission “to provide open and equitable access for all who seek to improve their lives through education and training” amidst this historic time.

The last two years have been the most challenging in my professional lifetime as we experienced six waves of an unprecedented, ever-changing pandemic that has turned our lives upside down. Throughout the pandemic we have adapted our operations so teaching and learning continued while keeping the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff as our top priority. I could not be more proud and grateful to you and our students who at every turn responded and adapted to urgent changes and new COVID-19 protocols.

Throughout the evolution of the pandemic we have done our best to provide guidance recommended by public health experts. I am encouraged by the current trends, including the sharp downturn in case rates as well as the reduced severity of the Omicron variant. Based on today’s guidance, we have arrived at a point where, based on local conditions, colleges can choose to begin rolling back some of the measures put in place to stem the spread of the virus. As a result of the progress we’ve made and the tools available to us, particularly the widespread availability of vaccinations and safe and reliable testing procedures, we are moving to a time where the COVID-19 is not a crisis but, rather, a meaningful public health challenge that will need our consistent attention as we continue to deliver on our mission while providing a safe learning environment for our students and employees. Of course, one thing we have learned over the last two years is that COVID has many forms and can reemerge in different variants with varying levels of severity so it is entirely possible that we may have to reinstate the current protocols, or even adopt new ones, if circumstances dictate that we do so in order to keep our students, employees and communities safe.

The administration at each of our colleges and the system office will continue to develop and communicate plans for guiding their respective organizations away from the emergency phase of the pandemic. They will provide specific details about changes in COVID protocols based on local conditions in their respective communities.

The public health experts are in general agreement that this highly transmissible virus will remain with us. So, while the crisis has abated somewhat, I urge all of us to stay vigilant and to get the vaccines and boosters that protect us. And, when conditions and circumstances dictate, I urge you to use all our tools—from masking and social distancing, to PCR and at-home rapid testing, and to isolating—when you are ill. If more severe variants arise, or a variant that vaccines and previous infections do not protect against, I am confident we know what to do to continue to carry out our mission. We have become quite proficient at meeting the demands of a pandemic while maintaining our academic and operational excellence, thanks to all of you.

Two years of the pandemic has left many of us feeling battered, frustrated, and just plain tired; yet, your kindness and grace have been an inspiration to me throughout this trying time. I am sincerely optimistic that the situation is improving.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of students and in the well-being of our communities.

Joe Garcia
Chancellor

Hello System Office Employees,

The Omicron variant continues to spread through Colorado and has impacted many at CCCS. While vaccination and boosters provide the best protection against severe illness from COVID-19, testing is an important tool in slowing the spread of the virus.

There is currently a nationwide shortage of the rapid antigen home tests. Here are some options that are or will be available as the shortages are resolved:

• The State of Colorado has free at home rapid tests: https://covid19.colorado.gov/covid-19-testing-at-home.
• Beginning Wednesday, January 19th every home in the United States will be able to request four free rapid antigen home tests, without shipping fees, from the federal government (https://www.covidtests.gov).
• Tests can be ordered via the USPS: https://special.usps.com/testkits?fbclid=IwAR3C4U9a03PYJk29kvAPaNUMBDqSST1fBgn7y6uYy4wva_vm7Er4O0AyIfY.
• Kaiser Permanente will now reimburse members for FDA-approved rapid antigen home tests purchased at local drugstores or online. Members can submit a reimbursement claim (https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/colorado/sign-on.html#/signon) for tests purchased on or after January 15, 2022. For more details, visit the Kaiser COVID-19 Testing FAQs: https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/coronavirus-information/testing#faqs
• Anthem BC/BS will also reimburse their members for FDA-approved rapid antigen home tests, but have not provided us with a reimbursement link at this time. Anthem members should keep receipts for any tests purchased after January 15 and we will share additional information as we receive it.

We encourage System Office staff to sign up for either the Kaiser Permanente (https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/colorado/register) or Anthem BC/BS (https://www.anthem.com/blog/your-health-care/sydney-app/) mobile app to receive the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 vaccinations, boosters and testing.

Please stay safe, protect yourself and your families and thank you for the work you do at the System Office.

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Hello System Office Employees,

With COVID-19 cases increasing across Colorado, we want to remind you to contact System Office HR if you have a confirmed case of COVID-19.  We are tracking our numbers across our system to help evaluate the effectiveness of our safety measures.  HR can direct you to resources, guide you through Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) request processes and answer any COVID-related questions you may have. Please note, the time frame for isolations and quarantines has changed, based on CDC guidance.  You can find detailed information on the CDPHE website:  https://covid19.colorado.gov/isolation-and-quarantine.

The Qualtrics implementation process continues to move forward and we appreciate those of you who submitted your COVID-19 vaccination documents.  For employees who have decided to complete weekly COVID-19 weekly testing, this requirement will begin on Monday, January 17^th.  You can expect to receive email reminders from Qualtrics beginning next week.

We are aware of the increased demand for COVID-19 testing especially at free CDPHE provided locations and we urge you to plan ahead.  CDPHE indicates that wait times may vary as demand for PCR testing ebbs and flows.  Furthermore, we understand there maybe challenges in obtaining Rapid Tests for at home use.   For those who will be testing weekly, System Office supervisors will work with you if you experience difficulties in accessing COVID 19 testing as we all wait for COVID testing capacity to increase.  Here are the links to websites that list free testing within the State of Colorado:

• Testing in the Tri County area: https://www.tchd.org/827/Free-Testing-Sites.
• State of Colorado COVID testing: https://covid19.colorado.gov/testing.

Please remember to social distance, wash hands often and get vaccinated and boosted to keep you and your families safe.  Thank you for all you do in supporting CCCS colleges and have a wonderful day!

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Hello System Office Employees:

This message is being sent on behalf of the System Office COVID-19 Operations Team. After the first of the year, all System office employees (with the exception of CCCOnline Instructors) will be required to test for COVID-19 weekly. Employees may submit their COVID-19 vaccination records in lieu of testing. In order to support this initiative, we will implement a new secure system, Qualtrics, where employees can easily upload vaccination cards and weekly testing results. The System Office is still working on setting up Qualtrics, but here are some important details:

1. The projected launch date of Qualtrics will be December 20, 2021. Employees will receive an email notification from Qualtrics, where you will be asked to complete a survey and indicate whether you want to upload your vaccination card or participate in weekly testing. At that time, you will be able to upload your vaccination card by following the directions in the survey. Reminders will be sent out after the winter break to remind employees to complete the survey by January 7, 2022.
2. If you upload your vaccination card, no further actions will be necessary.
3. If you choose to participate in weekly testing, you will receive email notification and directions from Qualtrics to begin the weekly testing process on January 17, 2022.
4. After January 17, 2022, supervisors will be able to determine if employees have completed their weekly testing and will reach out to their employees with any necessary follow-up.

In the Staff Resources above are two documents for your review: CCCS System Office COVID-19 Testing Protocol and the updated CCCS COVID-19 Office Etiquette Guideline. We ask that all employees review these documents.

The System Office COVID-19 Testing Protocol will be discussed at the System Office Town Hall this Thursday, where we encourage you to bring any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Hello System Office Employees:

It’s been a few months since we sent out an update from the System Office COVID Ops Team. As you know, Colorado has made progress in containing and treating COVID-19; unfortunately, recently, we are experiencing an increase in COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations across Colorado. We write to remind everyone of our current COVID-19 protocols for the System Office. In addition, we want to let you know we are working on the details and processes for the new COVID-19 testing and vaccination protocols that will be effective January 10, 2022. Here is a recap of what is going on with COVID at the System Office.

1) Masks: All individuals entering the system office facilities, whether vaccinated or not, must wear a mask in public spaces or in the presence of others. This means employees working in the office are expected to wear masks in all public areas on the Lowry Campus (e.g. break rooms, hallways, conference rooms, copier/work rooms, mail room, bathrooms, etc.). Masks need not be worn at your desk when others are not present or if you are able to close an office door. If staff forget to bring a mask or their mask becomes unusable, extra masks will be available from Greg Busch or at the front desk. If you have health reasons that you cannot wear a mask, please contact Laura DuClos in HR for guidance.

2) Social Distancing: Staff are expected to practice social distancing from others. Please respect other employees’ space in the public areas on the Lowry Campus (e.g. break rooms, hallways, conference rooms, copier/work rooms, mail room, bathrooms, etc.). Facilities will continue to work to provide hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes in all copier rooms for staff after using the printers and copiers. Please do not place hand sanitizer on copier/printer keypads or wipe down keypads with sanitizing wipes, as it damages the copiers/printers.

3) If you are sick: Stay home if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms including but not limited to:
– Temperature that exceeds 100.4°
– Cough
– Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
– Chills
– Muscle pain and body aches
– Headache
– Sore throat
– Feel fatigued more than normal
– New loss of taste or smell
– Other less common symptoms have been reported, including gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Work with your supervisors on the ability to work remotely or the need to utilize sick leave.

4) Work Schedules: Current COVID-19 conditions may have pushed out the start date of your Alternate Work Arrangement. Therefore, employees and supervisors should continue to work through that together. However, if you have not formalized your Alternative Work Arrangement and are interested in doing so you should go ahead and work with your supervisor to get the Alternative Work Arrangement paperwork submitted to HR.

5) Mandatory Testing and Vaccination in Lieu of Testing: After the first of the year, all System Office employees (with the exception of Instructors) will be required to test for COVID-19 weekly. Employees may submit their vaccination records in lieu of testing. The System Office COVID Ops Team will be providing further guidance regarding this process in the coming weeks and well in advance of January.

Thank you for your continued support and efforts to help reduce the spread and severity of COVID-19 and its variants and in helping to keep yourself and your colleagues safe.

Not vaccinated yet or are you in need of a booster? Find information on where to get vaccinated here: https://covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine/where-you-can-get-vaccinated. Public Health Emergency Leave is available for use for the time to get your vaccine.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Have a wonderful day!

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Dear Colleagues,

From the beginning of this pandemic and throughout its evolution, the Colorado Community College System has had the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff as our top priority. At the same time, our statutory mission is to provide open and equitable access for all who seek to improve their lives through education and training. Individual livelihoods and Colorado’s economy depend on our ability to do those things well, and we are making plans for the start of the Spring 2022 semester with those objectives in mind.

Based on information available as of October 2021, all of our colleges will continue with face-to-face teaching and learning in the Spring semester. In order to continue to provide face-to-face teaching safely, the colleges and system office will implement COVID-19 testing protocols for faculty, staff, and students. Employees and students who work on campus, attend in-person classes, access support services, or participate in other activities at our colleges or system office will have the choice to provide results from regular COVID-19 testing or, alternatively, provide evidence that they are fully vaccinated. We expect to have reporting tools for regular testing results and/or vaccination verification systems and procedures fully operational well before the start of Spring classes. Several of our rural residential colleges with intercollegiate athletic programs instituted rigorous testing protocols this Fall and have kept their colleges’ transmission levels relatively low. Students who choose not to undergo regular testing or submit proof of vaccination have the option of taking a wide range of remote courses that do not require their presence on our campuses. The administration at each of our colleges will provide more details specific to their communities regarding the implementation of testing or vaccination verification as well as other COVID protocols effective for the Spring semester.

In recognition that each of our 13 colleges is in a different community with different vaccination and positivity rates, and each is under the direction and control of a different local health authority, the presidents of our 13 colleges are authorized to implement additional and in some situations differing COVID-19 mitigation protocols in order to best reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and its variants in their respective communities. Additional protocols may include face coverings, physical distancing, and other mitigation strategies. COVID protocols are subject to change as we continue to respond to COVID-19 and its variants and as may be required by differing circumstances in the many communities we serve.

Everyone in the CC CS community, whether vaccinated or not, is expected to stay at home and get tested if they have any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (such as fever or chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea), or upon discovering that there is a reasonable chance they have been recently exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Thank you to our faculty, staff, and students for your efforts and resiliency as we continue to work our way through this pandemic. We will continue to do the best we can under difficult circumstances to protect our students, employees, and communities.

Joe Garcia
Chancellor

Hello System Office Employees:

By now you have seen the communication from the Chancellor yesterday regarding vaccines and masking. As outlined in this communication, effective August 16, 2021, a mask requirement will be put in effect for the System Office.

All individuals entering the system office facilities, whether vaccinated or not, must wear a mask in public spaces or in the presence of others. This means employees working in the office are expected to wear masks in all public areas on the Lowry Campus (e.g. break rooms, hallways, conference rooms, copier/work rooms, mail room, bathrooms, etc.). Masks need not be worn at your desk when others are not present or if you are able to close an office door. If staff forget to bring a mask or their mask becomes unusable, extra masks will be available from Greg Busch. If you have health reasons that you cannot wear a mask, please contact me for guidance.

In addition to the mask mandate, staff are expected to practice social distancing from other staff. Please respect other employee’s space in the public areas on the Lowry Campus (e.g. break rooms, hallways, conference rooms, copier/work rooms, mail room, bathrooms, etc.). Facilities will continue to work to provide hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes in all copier rooms for staff after using the printers and copiers. Please do not place hand sanitizer on copier/printer keypads or wipe down keypads with sanitizing wipes, as it damages the copiers/printers.

Stay home if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms including but not limited to:

• Temperature that exceeds 100.4°
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Chills
• Muscle pain and body aches
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Feel fatigued more than normal
• New loss of taste or smell
• Other less common symptoms have been reported, including gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Work with your supervisors on the ability to work remotely or the need to utilize sick leave.

If current circumstances with COVID-19 and it’s variants requires you to push out the start date of your Alternate Work Arrangements, employees and supervisors can work through that together. However, it is still expected that your submit your ongoing plans by August 23.

Thank you for your continued support and efforts to help reduce the spread and severity of COVID-19 and its variants and in helping to keep yourself and your colleagues safe.

Not vaccinated yet? Find information on where to get vaccinated here: https://covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine/where-you-can-get-vaccinated. Public Health Emergency Leave is available for use for the time to get your vaccine.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,
Laura DuClos

Hello System Office Employees,

Our state is making good progress with COVID numbers where cases and hospitalizations are down, resulting in changes to the mandates the System Office must follow. Guidance on the processes that we have become accustomed to over the last year are rapidly changing. As you have probably seen or read in the news, there is new guidance on COVID-19 from the CDC, the Governor, the CDPHE and local health departments. This is exciting news and the System Office COVID-19 Operations Plan team is looking to the future. Our goal is to continue to monitor the safety of our employees, while moving forward with positive changes towards returning to our new normal.

We continue to encourage employees to take the vaccination. As you are aware, System Office leadership has approved that System Office employees who are able to work remotely may continue to do so through June 30, 2021. On July 1st, System Office employees can stay the course and continue with remote work. However, we will shift into a new phase of a reset period July 1st through August 23rd. During this time, supervisors will start working with their staff on implementing the new alternate work arrangement guideline that will be in place as COVID-19 starts to wind down. An update regarding the new guideline will be given at the All Staff meeting scheduled on Tuesday, May 25th and it is anticipated that this guideline will be available in early June.

Based upon the guidance from the State, CDPHE and our local health department, the mandates that we must still follow are:

1. Mass gatherings: If there are more than 100 people in one room, 6 foot distancing is still required.
2. Masks: Any individual, age eleven (11) and older, who is not fully vaccinated, is encouraged to wear a mask indoors. Vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks.

As such, starting June 7, 2021, employees no longer need to adhere to social distancing, unless you are planning a gathering of 100 people or more. In addition, persons who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to wear masks in the office. We encourage employees who have not been vaccinated to continue to wear masks for their own health and safety. Of course, if you are fully vaccinated and choose to wear a mask, that is perfectly fine too. The System Office is not tracking who has or has not been vaccinated and encourages all employees to respect that these are personal/health decisions for us all, individually. As human beings, we all need space to reset and transition to what we feel most comfortable with, which may include continuing to wear a mask or to maintain the six feet of social distancing. Because we are all transitioning to this new guidance, attached please find a System Office COVID-19 Etiquette guideline that has been developed to help us all return safely and respectfully to campus.

We also encourage you to review the phone number you have set up in the Lowry Campus Emergency Notification System, to ensure that you continue to receive all emergency information that may be sent out. You can do this by going to the Welcome Page on the CCCS portal and in the Lowry Campus Security channel, click on Lowry Emergency Notification System and follow the instructions. If you have questions regarding this, please contact Greg Busch at greg.busch@cccs.edu.

As a reminder, if you need time away from work, either to obtain the vaccination or if you feel unable to work due to symptoms from the vaccination, you are eligible for paid time under the Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL). This leave is tracked outside of our normal leave system and you simply email your supervisor, requesting the date and time. Your supervisor should then forward the email to HR at COVIDNotices@cccs.edu.

As stated above, nothing changes on July 1, 2021, except that we will begin the reset period, which will continue through August 23, 2021. Leadership will continue to monitor and follow the CDC and the CDPHE guidance during the Public Health Emergency caused by COVID-19. If you do have any questions regarding this communication or the attached Etiquette guideline, please address them with your Executive Staff lead.

Stay healthy everyone!

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Hello System Office Employees,

System Office leadership has approved that System Office employees who are able to work remotely may continue to do so now through June 30, 2021. If you are coming into the office, we still require that you wear a mask and maintain social distancing of six feet or more with others. However, you are no longer required to email Greg Busch or Laura DuClos that you are coming into the office, as we are easily meeting the 75% or less office capacity limits set for businesses. Out-of-state business travel is still discouraged.

We are also looking to the future and evaluating workspaces in our buildings on the Lowry Campus. Potential issues for social distancing will be identified and guidance for utilizing conference rooms and meeting spaces will be posted. This work is still underway. In addition, the work of the alternative work arrangements committee also continues and new guidance is expected in late May/early June. Stay tuned for more information.

As a reminder, if you need time away from work, either to obtain the vaccination or if you feel unable to work due to symptoms from the vaccination, you are eligible for paid time under the Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL). This leave is tracked outside of our normal leave system and you simply email your supervisor, requesting the date and time. Your supervisor should then forward the email to HR at COVIDNotices@cccs.edu.

We will continue to review the guidance that the Colorado Department of Public Health is providing, along with our local health departments and will provide updates as we can.

Stay healthy everyone!

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Read the press release here.

April 28, 2021 (Denver) – Colorado Community College System (CCCS) Chancellor Joe Garcia announced today that CCCS will continue to follow recommendations of health authorities but does not intend on mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all students, faculty, or staff for the Fall 2021 semester.

The system will continue to strongly encourage all students, faculty, and staff to not only get vaccinated, but to follow all other safety protocols. “The health and safety of the students, faculty, and staff is our top priority,” said Garcia. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have closely followed the recommendations of national, state, and local health authorities. We moved quickly to remote instruction and support face coverings, social distancing, testing, and quarantining when necessary, all while delivering on our mission and ensuring access for countless Coloradans.”

As community college students are more likely to work part-time or full-time jobs, be parents, and have limited resources, CCCS seeks to remove barriers to educational pursuits and serve all learners as student-ready institutions.

Online learning is still heavily used across CCCS colleges as a way to support social distancing protocols. For those who do attend class on campus, community college classes are small, typically about 20 students, and follow safety recommendations by health authorities.

The rural colleges that have residence halls and athletic teams may require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19, like other immunization requirements to participate in intercollegiate athletics or to live in residence halls. As with other vaccines, students with medical, religious, or personal reasons will have the option to request an exemption.

Hello CCCS Staff:
Please see the announcement (below) from Governor Polis yesterday. If you need time away from work, either to obtain the vaccination or if you feel unable to work due to symptoms from the vaccination, you are eligible for paid time under the Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL). This leave is tracked outside of our normal leave system and you simply email your supervisor, requesting the date and time. Your supervisor should then forward the email to HR at COVIDNotices@cccs.edu.
Let us know if you have any questions!
Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Governor Polis Announces All Coloradans 16+ Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine Starting April 2

DENVER – Today, Governor Jared Polis announced that starting this Friday, April 2nd, all Coloradans over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine, and all Coloradans over the age of 18 will be eligible to receive the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Governor shared that the State anticipates that everyone who wants it will have access to the vaccine before the end of May. He was joined by Brigadier General Scott Sherman to discuss the next phase of vaccine distribution.

“Each vaccine is a step towards getting back to normal. Today is a monumental step forward in Colorado’s efforts to get vaccines to every person who wants one, and I want to thank our frontline heroes — both professional and volunteer — who have stepped up, racing to get shots into arms,” said Governor Jared Polis. “This is one of the greatest feats in human history, and we couldn’t have gotten to where we are now without their tireless efforts. Soon everyone in our state will be able to get the protection they need, but it’s going to take some time. It could be next week, it could be in five weeks. So while availability opens to everyone this Friday, April 2nd, be patient and know that your time will come.”

Currently, 70% of all Coloradans 60 and older have been vaccinated, including 79% of all Coloradans 70 and older, 71% of Coloradans 65-69, and 53% of Colordans 60-64. More than 1.5 million (1,579,599) Coloradans have received their first dose of tha vaccine, and almost 1 million (999,618) have been fully immunized.

In order to meet its ambitious vaccination goals and get shots into arms as quickly as possible, Colorado has launched five Vaccines for All Community Vaccination Sites. Depending on supply, a maximum of 6,000 doses per day will be administered at each site, six days per week, for a total of 36,000 doses administered each week through the program. To date, 35,322 doses have been administered through these sites.

In the last two weeks, Governor Polis joined the launch of the Broadmoor World Arena site in Colorado Springs, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, and The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland. Five locations are open in five counties, and starting April 1 the state will partner with Denver County to launch a site at Ball Arena. Information about the community vaccination sites can be found below:

•  Adams County – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
  • Sunday – Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Register:
    centura.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-information/vaccine-events
    Call: 720-263-5737l
•  El Paso County – Broadmoor World Arena
  • Friday – Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    Register:
    centura.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-information/vaccine-events
    Call: 720-263-5737
•  Mesa County – Grand Junction Convention Center
  • Monday – Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    Register:
    health.mesacounty.us/covid19/vaccine/
• Larimer County – The Ranch Events Complex
  • Monday – Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    Register:
    larimerhealth.secure.force.com/Vaccine/
• Pueblo County – Colorado State Fairgrounds
  • Friday – Monday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Register:
    centura.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-information/vaccine-events
    Call: 720-263-5737

Colorado also has numerous strategies in place to narrow gaps in vaccine distribution. In addition to standing up Community Vaccination Sites, the State’s Equity Outreach Team is working directly with community-based organizations, providers, local public health agencies, and Tribes to set up vaccine clinics in underserved communities across the state. As of today, 111 clinics have been completed, with 10-12 clinics completed per week on average. More than 75 clinics scheduled through April 6th are expected to administer 30,400+ doses.

Finally, Governor Polis announced that Colorado will be launching mobile vaccine clinics to create even more access for Coloradans in the coming weeks. These buses will travel to small communities and meet Coloradans where they are. More information will be coming as these clinics come online.

The Governor delivered this good news with the caveat that this is still a time for caution. New cases and hospitalizations are holding steady, but emerging COVID-19 variants are cause for concern. For Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, it typically takes two weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. That means you can be infected from exposure to COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination.

Please view the press conference on the Governor’s Facebook page.

###

www.colorado.gov/governor

Hello System Office Employees,

COVID-19 vaccination progress is continuing within the State of Colorado and Phase 1B.4 will begin tomorrow, Friday, March 19, 2021. This phase includes two new categories of vaccine eligibility that potentially impact the System Office: 1) front line workers in higher education, and 2) staff needed for continuation of operations for state government. Yesterday, System Office and College Leadership had a meeting with the Governor’s COVID Response Team to receive guidance on what this means for System Office employees and our colleges. While we wish all of our employees could be eligible for the vaccine in this phase, the guidance we received clarified that eligibility at this time is intended only for certain staff who fit within the limited definitions published by the CDPHE.

We are now looking at how our employees might fall into one of these two specific categories. Upon initial review, we have determined that staff who are required to work in the office are eligible for vaccination under Phase 1B.4. This includes all Facilities Staff (Custodial, Grounds, Maintenance, and Security) and a few other staff. Executive Staff will meet next Monday and discuss whether any additional System Office staff should be included. Your supervisor will notify you if you meet this criteria.

You may be eligible for a variety of other reasons and you should continue to check in with your health care providers and stay aware of eligibility guidelines and local vaccine distribution centers to see if other opportunities may arise for obtaining a vaccination. We do encourage you to individually stay informed on the vaccine rollout and get vaccinated as you become eligible. You may follow updates on Colorado COVID-19 vaccines by going to the CDPHE website: https://covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine.

As a reminder, System Office employees who are able to work remotely may continue to do so through May 31, 2021. This will be re-evaluated as that date gets closer.

Stay healthy everyone!

The System Office COVID-19 Operations Plan Team
Greg Busch, Ken Campion, Keith Dahl, Laura DuClos, Diane Duffy, Angela Gramse, Cody Neuhold, Mark Superka

Hello System Office Employees:

System Office leadership has re-evaluated the current COVID-19 situation within Colorado and employees who are able to work remotely may continue to do so through May 31, 2021. Please continue to notify Greg Busch and Laura DuClos if you are coming into the Lowry offices, even for a short time, so they can evaluate the staffing levels present in the buildings and notify the Facilities staff. You should also notify your supervisor.

With vaccinations now being given in Colorado, we are beginning to look to the future. Our public health experts advise us that the vaccination process will take time. You may begin to hear more about some of our colleges and their plans to open up more in the Fall. Please know that you will be given plenty of notice before any change in our approach to regular working in the System Office starts to occur. We also want to make you aware that the Chancellor has charged a working group comprised of employees from all levels and various departments at the System Office to look at our current Flex Place / Teleworking process for the System Office. We’ll be hearing more from this group and leadership in the coming months. Stay tuned!

We encourage you to stay the course, wear your masks, social distance and, above all, stay safe!

Have a wonderful day!

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Download and watch the CCCS System Town Hall here.

Hello System Office Employees,

We have received many questions regarding vaccination prioritization in Colorado. Please see the message below from Governor Polis regarding the State of Colorado COVID Vaccine Prioritization List.

Please note, pre-K-12 educators are listed in Phase 1B.2. The following is information from the FAQs:

At this time, it is critical that we focus on making in-person learning for children as safe as possible. Remote learning in pre-K-12 settings has the potential to hurt the participation of women in the workplace, and can also have negative effects on the mental and physical health of children. Because these risks are not as prominent for students in higher education, we have made pre-K-12 education a priority.

We recommend that you continue to work with your physician regarding your health and where you fall in the COVID Vaccination Prioritization List. We will keep you updated if anything changes.

Have a wonderful day!

Greg and Laura

Dear State employees,

As we have worked together during this extraordinary and challenging year, I have said the COVID-19 vaccine is our path back to the Colorado we know and love, and with every vaccine administered the light at the end of the tunnel gets a little brighter.

From the onset, Colorado has approached vaccine distribution in a way that is equitable, saves the most lives, and ends the health emergency as soon as possible. I’m incredibly proud to say that 90% of our highest-risk, frontline health care workers have received both doses of their vaccine. And we are well on our way toward reaching our goal of vaccinating at least 70% of Coloradans 70 and older by February 28, having currently vaccinated 190,995 – or nearly half – of the people in this group.

Given the progress we’ve made thus far, and the estimated number of vaccines we anticipate Colorado will be receiving in the coming weeks, I’m excited to announce new updates to our vaccine prioritization list.

Starting on February 8, PreK-12 educators, child care workers in licensed programs, and Coloradans ages 65-69 will also be eligible to receive the vaccine. Coloradans 65-69 will be able to sign up the same way that our 70 and older population has, through their local provider. Our PreK-12 educators will work with their employers, as many major school districts have already partnered with local providers.

Beginning in early March, our frontline essential workers and Coloradans ages 16-64 with two or more high risk conditions will also be eligible. We’ll have more information on how this group can sign up soon.

This is a big next step. But we wouldn’t be making it if I didn’t believe we were ready.

Since the early days of this pandemic, our decisions have been driven by data and the best information we have available. We know that getting this right is crucial, not only to save lives, but to make sure that our small businesses can stay open so we can focus on building back stronger than ever before.

For more information, visit COCOVIDVACCINE.org or call 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926). These resources can help you find contact information for providers and sign up for their waitlist.

I am grateful for all your hard work over this last year. Colorado’s response has been strong because of the incredible dedication from each and every one of you. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Governor Jared Polis

Hello System Office Employees,

Happy Tuesday!!

System Office leadership has re-evaluated the current COVID-19 situation within Colorado and employees who are able to work remotely may continue to do so through March 31, 2021 . We must do our part to help keep our COVID-19 numbers down at the System Office and in the State of Colorado, so we also ask that you continue to limit the amount of physical interaction with other staff.

Vaccinations are now being given in Colorado. This is exciting news! Vaccination distribution continues to be an evolving process and the CDPHE has said they are focusing on K-12 as essential educational workers. As such, we believe most of our staff will not fall into the groups who are qualified to take the first rounds of vaccinations available. Attached to this email is a flowchart that was provided by the CDPHE that outlines when Coloradans can expect to get the COVID-19 vaccination. You may also find information on the vaccines at the CDPHE website: https://covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine.

Kaiser Permanente has started to vaccinate Coloradans as a distribution partner of the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) and the State of Colorado. The distribution is based on CDPHE’s phased rollout plan. KP members and non-KP members are both eligible to be vaccinated based on their position, age, or medical condition. This is not a benefit specific to state employees and any Coloradan may register. Please visit this site for more information and to register for a place in line to receive a vaccine.

As always, please continue to wear your mask, social distance six feet or more, and wash your hands frequently. Stay at home if you feel sick. We also ask that you continue to notify one of us, Greg or Laura, if you come into the office for any reason. This helps us to track when employees may be in the building so: 1) facilities can ensure the cleanliness of all areas and, 2) we are able to communicate to the correct employees should an outbreak or potential exposure occur. Your assistance with all of this is greatly appreciated.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Hello System Office Employees,

In December, System Office leadership decided that employees who are able to work remotely may continue to do so through February 15, 2021.  We are also now receiving questions from employees on the vaccine rollout. Here’s what we know:  We are aware of CDPHE’s Phased Vaccination Distribution plan. The most recent information from CDPHE (January 5^th)  indicates that efforts to inoculate frontline health workers (1a) is expected to wrap up around January 15^th, and, based on the current supply of COVID-19 vaccines, officials expect to finish much of the next phase (1b) – moderate-risk health care workers,  first responders and adults 70 and over by February 28^th.  Front line workers such as essential education staff and grocery store employees will follow, which is expected to begin in late February or early March.   We will be working to define which staff may fall into the various phases and will provide additional information as it becomes available.  If you are interested, you can monitor the state’s vaccination roll out at https://covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine.

The FAQs and the Leave Management Guide on the CCCS COVID-19 website has also been updated with information on new leave available on January 1, 2021, under the  Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA).  This leave is similar to the FFCRA, which ended December 31, 2020.  As always, please contact HR if you have any questions regarding leave.

Finally, it is important to remember to practice self-care during these trying times.  Below is a list of resources available to all of us:

Colorado State Employee Assistance Program
Call 303-866-4314 or complete this form to schedule an appointment.

Colorado Crisis Services (24/7 live response) 1-844-493-8255

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24/7 live response)

Find Your Words (understanding depression)

Center for African American Health (culturally responsive counseling)

Denver Indian Health and Family Services (culturally responsive counseling)

Servicios De La Raza (culturally responsive counseling)

Asian Pacific Development Center (culturally responsive counseling)

Substance Use Treatment and Support

Local 2-1-1 (connection to community resources to meet basic needs)

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Hello System Office Employees,

Happy Thursday!!

System Office leadership has re-evaluated the current COVID-19 situation within Colorado and employees who are able to work remotely may continue to do so through February 15, 2021. We must do our part to help keep our COVID-19 numbers down at the System Office and in the State of Colorado, so we also ask that you continue to limit the amount of physical interaction among staff to the greatest extent possible. We will re-evaluate the status of COVID-19 towards the end of January 2021 and will send updated guidance at that time.

The good news is that vaccinations have started in Colorado. However, we believe most of our staff will not fall into the groups who are qualified to take the first rounds of vaccinations made available. You should work with your own physician based on your personal circumstances and what that looks like for you. We will keep you updated as more information about Colorado’s plans becomes available.

Although there is hopeful news out there regarding a vaccine, please continue to wear your mask, social distance six feet or more, and wash your hands frequently. Stay at home if you feel sick. We also ask that you continue to notify one of us, Greg or Laura, if you come into the office for any reason. Even if it is to just pick up an item. This helps us to track when employees may be in the building so: 1) facilities can ensure the cleanliness of all areas and, 2) we are able to communicate to the correct employees should an outbreak or potential exposure occur. Your assistance with all of this is greatly appreciated.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Take care and have a wonderful holiday and well deserved break!

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Hello System Office Employees,

Hope you are all doing well!

Here’s an update on where we are at in keeping our workplace safe during COVID and so you know what to expect if you test positive for COVID. On October 13, 2020, we shared the System Office, Quick Action Guide, which is an outline of the process that the System office follows when an employee reports a positive COVID case or symptoms. This is located on our COVID-19 Updates website page. When you report a positive COVID result or symptoms, HR will ask you a few questions regarding the date when your symptoms first began and the date you were last in the office. This helps us to determine if we need to notify any other employees of a potential exposure.

If you have tested positive, HR will ask you to isolate for ten days from the onset of symptoms. You will be allowed back in the office once the ten days have passed and you have been fever-free for 24 hours and have improved symptoms. Remember, some symptoms may continue for weeks after this threshold has been met; however, you are no longer contagious. This is the guidance we have received from our local health department, Tri County Health. Also, under lawful orders, we are required to share information regarding our positive COVID cases with Tri County Health. Tri County Health provides guidance to us in tracking COVID cases to ensure we are doing all we can during this pandemic.

As a reminder, if you do come into the office for any reason, please continue to wear your mask, social distance six feet or more, and wash your hands frequently. Please limit your exposure to others who may also be in the office by trying to spend the majority of your time in your own work space. Also, continue to notify one of us, Greg or Laura, if you come into the office for any reason. Even if it is to just pick up an item. This helps us to track when employees may be in the building so: 1) Facilities can ensure the cleanliness of all areas and, 2) we would be able to communicate to the correct employees should an outbreak or potential exposure occur. Your assistance with all of this is greatly appreciated.

Additional leave granted under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) will be ending on 12/31/2020. If you need leave related to COVID-19 after 1/1/2021, there may be emergency paid leave available under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act that goes into effect January 1 or you will be asked to use your own leave balances. Please work with HR on the options for your specific circumstances. Supervisors will continue to work with their employees and HR on more flexible work arrangements, when they can, to assist employees with needs during this time.

We appreciate everyone continuing to work together and for following the Governor’s plea to help keep our State safe by working remotely when we can. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Take care!

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Hello System Office Employees,

This is a follow-up to Chancellor Garcia’s message to the System Office this morning. The COVID-19 numbers in Colorado are increasing, so let’s all help by doing our part for our System Office community. As a reminder, if you do come into the office for any reason, please continue to wear your mask, social distance six feet or more, and wash your hands frequently. Please limit your exposure to others who may also be in the office by trying to spend the majority of your time in your own work space. Also, continue to notify one of us, Greg or Laura, if you come into the office for any reason. Even if it is to just pick up an item. This helps us to track when employees may be in the building so: 1) Facilities can ensure the cleanliness of all areas and, 2) we would be able to communicate to the correct employees should an outbreak or potential exposure occur. Your assistance with all of this is greatly appreciated.

Travel: The winter holidays will soon be upon us and some employees may be considering travel. Or you may be considering having guests from out of town. We ask that employees keep their supervisors and/or HR apprised of their travel plans or guests visiting, both prior to leaving and before returning to the office, while the COVID-19 virus is active. This will allow us to work together to identify the most appropriate response to a given situation based on the applicable CDC guidelines on quarantines and restrictions. We advise that you research the state/city/area wherever your destination takes you (or your guests come from). Share your plans with your supervisor so they can be apprised, especially since the CDC risk assessments and State/City declarations of emergency can change quickly.

If the CDC or CDPHE requires quarantine upon your return from travel, or the visit from your guests, CCCS will not allow you back at work during the quarantine period. Quarantines after your scheduled leave will be addressed as follows:

• Where possible, you will be assigned to work remotely during the necessary quarantine period beyond the end of your scheduled leave.
• For time during the quarantine period you cannot work remotely, you will need to work with Human Resources on the appropriate application of emergency sick leave or annual leave.
• Each situation that emerges will be evaluated based on its specific and unique circumstances and appropriate and reasonable arrangements will be made in conjunction with the employee, supervisor and HR.

Safety: Many of us are working remotely, some visit the office and yet others must perform their jobs in the office. Here are a few safety tips for all of us:

• If you do come into the office and are in a locked building either by yourself or with minimal staff, if someone comes to the front door – contact Security. They will assist you with handling this situation.
• The State of Colorado Risk Management office has an online Ergonomic Self-Assessment that employees may take to evaluate their work spaces: https://state-co-ergo.ehs.com/login. Check it out to see if your home workspace is set up correctly.
• If you have taken any equipment home during COVID-19 to create a better remote workspace for yourself, remember that the equipment is on loan to you temporarily. Finance is working on a document that employees can inventory what equipment they’ve taken home, so we may keep track of our assets. More to come on this in the next week or so!

Thank You!!: We’d also like to take the time to thank all the employees who have provided front desk/phone coverage: Cynthia Hoeppner, Barb Pontarelli, Marie Mueller, Mario Montoya, Jennifer Jaderborg, Erin Allen, Lauren Jablonski, Karen Vidrio-Aguirre, and Makenna Becker. Kate Barnes has done a wonderful job at the Front Desk during the pandemic and all these employees deserve our thanks for a job well done!

We appreciate everyone continuing to work together and for following the Governor’s plea to help keep our State safe by working remotely when we can. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Take care!

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Colleagues,

By now you have heard that Colorado is experiencing a significant spike in individuals testing positive for COVID-19. Yesterday afternoon Governor Polis spoke to Colorado urging all of us to do our part to help reduce the spread of the disease. He asks that we drastically reduce our in-person interactions and only interact with folks in our own households through November. That includes us.

Many of our colleges will be taking steps to minimize the risk to students and employees. Although we have a relatively small number of employees working in our Lowry offices, I am asking employees who are working in the office to discuss with their supervisors options for working more remotely and to limit the amount of physical interaction among staff to the greatest extent possible. Employees who can work remotely should continue to do so. Please watch for a follow up email from Laura DuClos and Greg Busch that outlines some additional information regarding office procedures and personal travel.

Within the last week, two system office employees tested positive for COVID-19, and both these individuals had been on campus. In addition, one employee who had been on campus is experiencing COVID like symptoms. All system office employees who had any contact with these three employees have been notified. In all cases, our System Office Director of HR, Laura DuClos, and the System Office COVID Response Team have been working with the Tri-County Health Department on appropriate actions. We will continue to operate with an abundance of caution. For information about our protocols, please refer to the System Office COVID-19 Quick Action Guide. I also encourage employees to sign up for the statewide Exposure Notifications. Read more about signing up for these notifications here: CO-Exposure-Notifications-One-Pager.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude for all of your hard work in support of our students and our colleges. It has been an extremely challenging year. I have been impressed with everyone’s unwavering dedication and hard work throughout this historic year. In recognition of your extraordinary effort, I am providing staff with a day of paid administrative leave on Friday, November 27. Our campus will need to remain minimally accessible and anyone who may be required to work on November 27 will be provided with the equivalent amount of paid administrative leave on another day prior to the end of the calendar year.

Thank you for all you do, and stay safe.

Hello System Office Employees,

Happy Tuesday!!

System Office leadership has re-evaluated the current COVID-19 situation within Colorado and employees who are able to work remotely may continue to do so through January 15, 2021. You may also elect to work in the office and we will continue as is for now. We will re-evaluate where the state is at in the first part of January 2021 and will send updated guidance at that time.

Please continue to wear your mask, social distance six feet or more, and wash your hands frequently. We also ask that you continue to notify one of us, Greg or Laura, if you come into the office for any reason. Even if it is to just pick up an item. This helps us to track when employees may be in the building so: 1) Facilities can ensure the cleanliness of all areas and, 2) we would be able to communicate to the correct employees should an outbreak or potential exposure occur. Your assistance with all of this is greatly appreciated.

The System Office Operations Plan team has also created a COVID-19 Employee Quick Action Guide and Checklist that outlines the processes we will follow if an employee is either experiencing symptoms, exposed to a positive case or an employee tests positive for COVID-19. The document is attached to this email and it is also available on the CCCS COVID-19 Updates website. There are Employee Action items for each situation described and you will be able to follow what you should do along with the next steps that will be taken, at the System Office, to ensure the safety of you and all of our employees.

Also, don’t forget to take your COVID Safety and Awareness training, if you haven’t done so already. To register for this course, follow this registration link: https://at.ccconline.org/partners/cccs/. We ask that you complete the course before October 31, 2020.

We’d also like to take the time to thank you for completing your work safely and effectively under these circumstances. As Leadership looks to the future, we know that employees may want flexible work arrangements. System Office leadership will take lessons learned over the past several months into account as they develop our new normal plans for future work arrangements.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Take care!

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Hello CCCS Employees,

Hope that this email finds you all well!

System Office leadership continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation within Colorado and, as you are already aware, employees who are able to work remotely may plan on doing so through October 31, 2020. We will re-evaluate in mid-October and then communicate whether we change our current processes or not.

We’d also like to remind everyone to continue to wear your mask, social distance six feet or more, and wash your hands frequently. These actions are helping the COVID numbers in Colorado and we encourage you to remain diligent in following these guidelines. The low numbers at our colleges and at the system office are due to the conscientious efforts of all of you. Please keep up this great work!

The System Office FAQs have been updated and contain information regarding the Coronavirus itself, resources, business and personal travel, etc. They are out on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates website, the first link under Staff Resources. We encourage you to re-visit these as a re-fresher on guidelines and protocols that have been established for the System Office staff. Also, don’t forget to take your COVID Safety and Awareness training, if you haven’t done so already. To register for this course, follow this registration link: https://at.ccconline.org/partners/cccs/. We ask that you complete the course before October 31, 2020.

On September 15th, the System Office and some of our colleges conducted our first CCCS Virtual Health Fair. Our healthcare vendors shared information about resources available to you and we have posted their presentation out on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) website, under Staff Resources: CCCS Virtual Health Fair Presentation. Another great resource for all of us is located on the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) where resources and guidance are available in both English and Spanish: COVID-19 Information and Resources. For assistance in managing stress, you may also want to check out the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) webpage: Coping with Stress.

Last but certainly not least, we’d like to acknowledge the work that our System Office Facilities staff has done on protecting, maintaining and cleaning our work areas, buildings and grounds during the pandemic. Thank you Custodial, Grounds, Maintenance and Safety!! If you would like to thank these departments and employees, we encourage you to send an email to either Makenna Becker (makenna.becker@cccs.edu), Administrative Assistant, or Cody Neuhold (cody.neuhold@cccs.edu) Director of Facilities, thanking the staff in the Facilities departments. They are going to post the emails in the Facilities Building and share the emails with the Facilities Staff.

Happy Friday everyone!!

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Hello System Office Employees,

System Office leadership continues to monitor the COVID situation in Colorado. Our state of Colorado leaders continue to work and grow in learning how to co-exist with this virus and to keep it in check in our communities.

As you may be aware, on August 10, 2020, the Governor encouraged state employees who are able to work remotely to continue to do so through October 31st. Chancellor Garcia has asked all of us at the system office to do the same. Along with the state, we will continue to monitor the data and may extend that date at a later point in time. Any staff who are unable to perform their work remotely, or who prefer to work in the office, can still come into the office. It is up to you and your supervisor to determine if remote work is effective for your position. If you do start working in the office or change your remote/office schedule, work with your supervisor on what that looks like and then report to either Greg Busch or Laura DuClos so that we can continue to track and ensure proper social distancing and cleaning protocols in the utilized areas of our buildings.

CCCS Staff who come into the office must perform a self-assessment each day they plan on coming in, prior to their arrival. This includes taking your temperature and self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html). Thermometers are available in each building for you to check your temperature at work. Stay home if you are ill in any way and call your health care provider if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Report any COVID-19 related systems or testing statuses to HR as soon as possible so they can work with you on available leave options.

We would like to remind you that the Governor’s executive order of August 14th requires Coloradans to wear face coverings so you must wear a face covering when you are in common areas and have it at the ready to put on if you encounter another person, while also staying at least six feet away from others. If you need an accommodation for the face covering, please contact Laura DuClos in HR.

School may be starting for children in your own family. Attached is the System Office Leave Management Options chart. If you require leave to manage your child’s education, due to a school schedule, closure, or other educational circumstances please reach out to Laura DuClos in HR to talk through your situation. Keep in mind that each situation is unique and HR will be your best resource for navigating your options.

The front door of our building will remain locked for now. However, school will be starting at CCA soon and we know students and visitors for CCA can easily become lost on the Lowry campus. As such, we will be adding additional signage to Building 959 to guide people to the correct location and/or provide the phone number to our front desk – where they can obtain further assistance.

Questions have also come up recently regarding travel for work. For right now, international travel is prohibited. Out of state travel will probably not happen due to most conferences and events being conducted remotely. There may also be budget concerns regarding out of state travel, so be sure to work with your supervisor on any questions surrounding this. For those who are required to travel to different locations within the state, this travel needs to be approved by both your supervisor and the business/organization where you will be working. You must wear appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment), which includes a face covering, and practice social distancing. You will also need to identify local COVID-19 requirements at the remote location, comply with those requirements and ensure those requirements meet the minimum CCCS COVID-19 standards.

These are challenging and unprecedented times. Know that you have resources through the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (CSEAP). Visit their website for more information on the free resources available to you: https://www.colorado.gov/c-seap.

As always, thank you for all that you do for our organization. This will be a challenging semester for all of our colleges, for both employees and students. Let’s focus on supporting them as best we can. Their safety and yours are top priorities when making our decisions.

If you have any questions or additional feedback please let us know. We hope you are well!

Sincerely,
Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Hello System Office Employees,

System Office leadership continues to monitor the COVID situation in Colorado. We are also listening to your feedback.

We need to continue to do our part to learn how to co-exist with this virus and to keep it in check in our communities. While there is still more to learn and we do not have all the answers, we understand the need for employees to plan ahead, as much as possible.

Through September 7, 2020, work that can be performed remotely will continue to be remote. Any staff who are unable to perform their work remotely, or who prefer to work in the office, can come into the office. It is up to you and your supervisor to determine if remote work is effective for your position. If you do start working in the office or change your remote/office schedule, work with your supervisor on what that looks like and then report to either Greg Busch or Laura DuClos so that we can continue to track and ensure proper social distancing and cleaning protocols in the utilized areas of our buildings.

CCCS Staff who come into the office must perform a self-assessment each day they plan on coming in, prior to their arrival.  This includes taking your temperature and self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html). Stay home if you are ill in any way and call your health care provider if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Report any COVID-19 related systems or testing statuses to HR as soon as possible so they can work with you on available leave options.

Per the Governor’s executive order of July 16, you must wear a facial covering when you are in common areas and have it at the ready to put on if you encounter another person, while also staying six feet away from others. If you need an accommodation for the facial covering please contact Laura DuClos in HR.

We understand there are questions about what happens if you become ill, you have a high-risk health concern, or your child’s daycare or school continues remote or even closes. Attached (see Staff Resources) is a CCCS Leave Management Guide that provides an overview of different options available based on generalized situations. Keep in mind that each situation is unique and HR will be your best resource for navigating your options. Please reach out to Laura DuClos in HR to talk through your situation.

Chancellor Garcia has scheduled another town hall to provide updates, including information about our COVID response.  The town hall will be held via WebEx for System Office employees on July 29 from 3:30 – 4:30 pm. The meeting will be recorded and posted for those that may be unable to attend.

Thank you for your dedication and continued performance. We will provide additional updates beyond September 7 based on the information available in the coming weeks. Rest assured we will provide an appropriate transition period, with consideration for anyone’s needs for accommodations, when we do return to the office on a more regular basis. Your safety is of utmost concern in our decisions.

These are challenging and unprecedented times. Know that you have resources through the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (CSEAP).  Visit their website for more information on the free resources available to you: https://www.colorado.gov/c-seap.

If you have any questions or additional feedback please let us know.

Sincerely,

Greg Busch and Laura DuClos

Chancellor Garcia and staff provided an update to system office staff regarding CCCS’s response to COVID-19, implications of safer-at-home orders, budget impacts, as well as trivia games and new staff introductions.

• Click here to watch the Town Hall recording. Video Password is: wReiYjn6

Chancellor Garcia provided an update to system office staff regarding CCCS’s response to COVID-19, implications of safer-at-home orders, budget impacts, and answered questions from staff.

• Click here to watch the Town Hall recording. Video Password is: eJsSPKg3

Dear System Office Colleagues: 

The COVID-19 crisis continues to challenge and change our daily lives in ways none of us could have imagined. I want you to know that our Board has the utmost confidence that we have risen, and will continue to rise in the days and weeks ahead, to work through this crisis. During the Board meeting last week, each of our members expressed their appreciation of the way you are all supporting each other and our colleges, reflecting the spirit of community.

Share Your Work-from-Home Setup

It has been almost a month since the majority of us first made the transition to working from home. For me, it took considerable time to set up a workable space along with troubleshooting new technology. I applaud all of you for making this transition with grace while meeting evolving demands and without losing productivity. 

From my many WebEx and Zoom meetings, which I have now mastered hosting and joining, one thing is clear – you are all getting creative with your work-from-home (WFH) setups. Some of you have set up your office in a basement, piled high with boxes in the background while others have migrated to the kitchen table, the living room couch, or that rarely used guestroom. The combination of video meetings and working from home has given us a new lens for how we view each other as colleagues. And, the occasional appearance of a loved one or beloved pet is additionally heartwarming to see. Never feel embarrassed about the occasional sound of a barking dog or a child’s voice joining one of our calls. We’ve all been there and, although my kids are long gone, I love hearing and seeing yours. 

You are doing a tremendous job at figuring out how to work during these challenging times and I encourage you to share a photo of your setup using the Formstack link here*. I have had the pleasure of seeing only a few of you in your WFH environment and would love to see more! 

Branded Virtual Backgrounds

With so many video meetings and the popularity of virtual backgrounds on the rise, it was only a matter of time before our staff tinkered with creating branded backgrounds. If you’re looking to jazz up your background, feel free to download these from the staff resource section here: https://internal.cccs.edu/virtual-backgrounds/. The backgrounds are not mandatory to use.

Stay Connected to System News & College Updates 

Lastly, if you are on social media and looking for ways to stay up to date on news and announcements across our system, I encourage you to follow our channels that are updated daily.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Links to College Social Media Channels

• Arapahoe Community College
• Colorado Northwestern Community College
• Community College of Aurora
• Community College of Denver
• Front Range Community College
• Lamar Community College
• Morgan Community College
• Northwestern Junior College
• Otero College
• Pikes Peak Community College
• Pueblo Community College
• Red Rocks Community College
• Trinidad State College

We will continue to get better at staying connected in this new world of work while we keep our sights set on the future when we are able to be back together at the office and on campus.

*Don’t worry! WFH photos submitted by staff will not be shared with the public or posted to CCCS social media platforms. Photos submitted will be shared only amongst system office staff at future Town Halls or other staff events.

Chancellor Garcia provided an update to system office staff regarding CCCS’s response to COVID-19, implications of stay-at-home orders, budget impacts, and answered questions from staff.

• Click here to watch the Town Hall recording. Video Password is: TownHall2020
• Click here for the Town Hall Q+A.

Dear System Office Colleagues:

Thank you for your phenomenal efforts and leadership in supporting our colleges and each other during this intense and unprecedented period. You are responding to issues that sometimes change hourly and have dedicated many, many long hours to ensure people have the information and resources they need.

Starting next week, our students will begin learning in a different setting. The majority of our faculty and instructors will teach remotely and most staff will continue to work from home. We are in a new world. Though this situation remains fluid, I want to emphasize our goal is the same, which is to continue to provide high quality instruction and other services to our students while doing all we can to keep them, our faculty, and our colleagues safe, and to play our part in slowing the spread of COVID-19.

Stay-at-Home Orders

We have faced daily adjustments to our plans and our operations as different and often conflicting orders and guidelines have come down from federal, state, and local officials. This week alone, new stay-at-home executive orders came from Denver, Durango, Boulder, Jefferson, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, some western slope communities, and the Governor’s statewide order.

In alignment with the orders, we have scaled back our in-person workforce further to the fewest employees possible to maintain infrastructure and operations. At Lowry, security and a limited number of staff are providing essential operational functions. We have asked all others to continue to fulfill their professional responsibilities from home.

Advocacy Efforts at the Federal Level

I continue to have daily conference calls with our executive staff, college presidents and frequent calls with the Governor’s office, the Department of Higher Education, and the CEOs of all the other colleges and universities in the state.

Last Friday evening, I signed a joint letter with all other Colorado college and university CEOs to our congressional delegation to seek financial assistance as part of the federal response to the crisis. It now appears that higher education has been included in federal legislation intended to ease the economic repercussions of the crisis although the amounts that will go to colleges, the manner of distribution, and the role of the states are still taking shape.

As of this writing, Wednesday evening the Senate passed a compromise stimulus bill, with approximately $14 billion for higher education. The bill now heads to the House which we expect to pass later this week. To understand the nuances of the Senate’s legislation as it relates to higher education, I encourage you to read the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) summary article here: COMMUNITY COLLEGE DAILY Washington Watch: What the CARES Act holds for higher ed.

Stay Safe, Stay Connected

The way in which we now connect with each other to work and learn is vastly different than being together at the office and on our campuses. Yet, our distance does not change who we are as a community.  Please make every effort to stay connected to your colleagues using the technology available to us.  We are still a team, even if we are not all together in the same building.

Thank you, colleagues. I am grateful for your partnership and your resolve. I am confident that we will come through this together. While we experience every dimension of this extraordinary time, please take care of yourself and each other.

System Office Employees,

The City and County has issued a Stay at Home Order which goes into effect at 5:00 tonight through April 10. CCCS buildings will adhere to this order as part of the City and County of Denver. What this means is that if you have not been designated as an essential personnel you should not report to the office while the order is in place.

It is our expectation that unless otherwise approved for leave, or designated as essential, employees will work remotely. Please continue to work with your supervisors on remote work schedules and expectations and keep your supervisor informed of any leave you are using. Employees will need to continue to notify Human Resources of any requests for paid Administrative Leave (https://cccs-forms.formstack.com/forms/temporary_covid_19_work_accomodation_request).

If you have work in the office that is essential for your job, please make arrangements to get that before 5:00 PM tomorrow (Wednesday). If it is not essential please do not come to the office. After tomorrow you can work with your supervisors as needs arise.

Your Executive Team member has identified the individuals designated as essential. If you have been designated, you will soon receive a Letter of Access should you need to provide that information to law enforcement. Identified personnel should work with their supervisors on expectations for schedules and job requirements.

Per the order, essential personnel will include those that carry out one of the following functions:

• Public Safety Personnel;
• Law enforcement;
• Security personnel;
• Emergency management and response;
• Public and environment health functions;
• Responsible for carrying out functions minimally necessary to maintain the value of the businesses’ inventory, ensure security, process payroll and employee benefits; or
• Responsible for carrying out functions minimally necessary to facilitate the entities ability of continuing remote work for the majority of its personnel.

We will send additional communications as our situation evolves. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Human Resources at Covidnotices@cccs.edu.

Dear System Office Colleagues:

Together, we are facing a truly unprecedented situation as the global coronavirus pandemic continues to spread. During this time, I want to reach out to say I am grateful for every one of you as we respond to challenges affecting our colleagues, our institutions, our students, our friends and families, and our way of life. Thank you for holding our community together.

We are working almost around the clock to protect the health and safety of our employees and students, while continuing to provide access to high quality instruction for the rest of the current semester and beyond. With so many changes underway, I want to give you an update on where we are on a few important items.

Remote Work & Instruction

Thank you to our HR and IT staff for supporting the many employees who have already or are in the process of transitioning to working remotely – this is a tremendous undertaking and your hard work is greatly appreciated as we do our part to help reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. Although most employees will work remotely at least part-time, the System Office will remain open unless and until the Governor directs otherwise.

Across our colleges, many staff, faculty, and instructors have also moved to remote instruction and work. Our goal is to continue to provide in-person resources and other critical services to students, such as computer labs for those who do not have access to continue their studies online, as well as housing at our residential campuses where students have nowhere else to go. That means that some personnel will still report to work, although we hope to limit the amount of time they are onsite and the amount of direct contact they have with others.

Last week in our press release, we announced our shift to online/remote instruction for all courses, where possible. I want to acknowledge the hard work of Academic Affairs and CCCOnline staff for their tireless work in creating a digital toolkit and providing technical assistance to support our colleges in navigating the transition to remote or online instruction. For many of our CTE program offerings, remote instruction will not be possible because they require hands-on instruction and lab work, e.g., welding, machining, automotive and diesel technology, and many others.  In those cases, we are working to insure small class sizes, space for “social distancing” and all necessary precautions. 

Impacts to Large Meetings & Events

• April State Board meeting: It is very unlikely that we will hold this meeting in person. If we do, it will be at the System Office rather that ACC.
• April CCCS Student Excellence Awards: This event has been canceled and will not be rescheduled.  Awards will be presented by the individual colleges.
• The Conference Center has been closed for all events until further notice.
• College Commencements: We are exploring alternatives to traditional spring commencement ceremonies.  Options include “virtual” commencements, delayed commencements to the end of the summer term, or inviting spring and summer graduates to attend mid-year commencements in December.

Staying Informed & Reporting Measures

I have had, and continue to plan for, daily conference calls with our college presidents, with the Governor’s office, the Department of Higher Education (CDHE), and the CEOs of all the other colleges and universities in the state as we work together to identify the best ways to protect our students and our employees, to slow the spread of the virus, and continue high quality academic instruction.

We have also been asked to provide regular reports to CDHE on issues such as campus facility closures, commencement changes, and, most importantly, cases of presumptive positive COVID-19 test results for students or staff. 

The good news is that we have not yet had such a confirmation but the bad news is we expect that will change.  About 10-12 students or college staff have been tested and are showing symptoms but are still awaiting test results. In the meantime, they have been self-isolating and are staying off campus.  To date, no confirmed cases have been reported for system office staff. If any such cases arise in the coming days, we will follow the Governor’s facilities closure guidelines.

Resources for Staff

In addition to the rapid changes we are making, the temporary closing of school systems and the workplace modifications being made by many organizations and businesses can be stressful for our staff, faculty and instructors.

We have support in place to help you; I encourage you to use the resources listed below.

• CCCS COVID-19 website for the latest information from the System Office.
• Send your questions to COVIDNotices@cccs.edu. This email will allow multiple HR staff access to your email inquiry related to COVID-19.
• CCCS employees have access to free and confidential resources through the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (CSEAP); (303) 866-4314.

I am grateful for your consistent support of our mission and for your willingness to be flexible as we make adjustments to new ways of working and learning.

System Office Staff,

Apologies for the late email. There have been several developments around COVID-19 since last week, including requests to limit large gatherings and recommendations to reduce social interactions in order to help prevent the spread of the virus. Please note that we are regularly updating the CCCS website with coronavirus information (https://internal.cccs.edu/coronavirus/). CCCS’ top priority is in serving students and providing the highest quality educational programming possible as well as insuring the health of our staff and communities.

This morning we asked the senior leaders at the System Office to support supervisors in working with employees to transition to remote work, where possible. This may include assigning special projects that could be different than your regular job duties. Our offices will remain open at this time and those who prefer to come to the office to work will be able to do so. Some teams may also work on a rotating schedule for employees reporting to the office. Please work with your supervisors to understand their expectations. With more employees working remotely there should be plenty of social distancing for those that do report to the office. Further, the facilities crew will continue to adhere to current CDC guidelines for cleaning office spaces.

Any requests to work remotely must be approved by your supervisor in advance of the transition. You will need to work with your supervisor on identifying any technology needs and clarifying expectations, including changes in schedules that may be necessary to manage child care or other needs. Attached you will find a document from IT on Tips for Successfully Working From Home. If you have any questions about this information or IT needs, please contact the IT Help Desk at support@cccs.edu or 303-620-4357.

Employees working remotely who are unable to fulfill their full time responsibilities (current or altered), due to non health related reasons such as child care needs, will be required to use sick or annual leave for any time they miss. Any employee with a health related reason to be out of the office should submit a Temporary COVID-19 Work Accommodation Request (https://cccs-forms.formstack.com/forms/temporary_covid_19_work_accomodation_request) for review by HR, even if you have already been granted approval from your supervisor to work remotely. This will help HR keep track of employees who may be eligible for administrative leave when they are unable to work remotely.

Any employee who has been identified by a health care provider as needing COVID-19 testing or anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should notify us immediately at COVIDNotices@cccs.edu. This email is being checked by HR staff and your confidentiality will be appropriately maintained. This notice will allow us to respond to any additional actions CCCS may need to take such as notifying employees of a case of COVID-19 or closing an office for extensive cleaning. Again, your personal information will not be revealed in these communications. Any employee who becomes ill with COVID-19 will be eligible for paid administrative leave.

We will need to track administrative leave usage. A tracking sheet for supervisors can be found on the coronavirus update webpage (https://internal.cccs.edu/coronavirus/). Supervisors can use this Excel document to keep track of this time and report that information back to HR. HR will send requests for this information at multiple intervals, depending on the length of this evolving situation.

If you have any questions for Human Resources regarding COVID-19 please email COVIDNotices@cccs.edu or call 720-858-2426. Using these formats rather than contacting a specific individual will ensure your questions are accessible to several HR staff so we can respond as timely as possible.

Thank you to everyone who has worked to help our colleges with transitioning to remote instruction and to help CCCS respond to COVID-19. Let’s continue to work together to support each other and check in with our colleagues even though we may not see them face to face.

Sincerely,

Christina Cecil

Chief Human Resources Officer

To ensure the health and safety of campus communities across Colorado, the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) activated its emergency operations team focused on coordinating the system’s response with the CO Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the guidance provided by the Governor’s Office and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) on any CCCS campus, preparation continues to receive the highest level of attention from college leaders and system administration.

“The health and safety of our 125,000 students and 20,000 employees is our highest priority as we coordinate our response and take informed actions,” said Joe Garcia, CCCS chancellor. “Our thirteen college presidents and I are having regular, ongoing conversations and heeding the guidance of public health experts and the CDC.”

Immediate actions taking place across all thirteen colleges include limitations on large group gatherings, implementation of restrictive travel policies, and the possible extension of Spring Break for students. Staff and faculty will utilize the extra time to transition appropriate courses from in-person to remote instruction and exams, and implement risk reduction plans tailored for each campus.

Due to varying institutional size, location, and programming across CCCS colleges, some courses may not be appropriate to transition to remote learning, such as welding and nursing labs. To provide students with the opportunity to continue their educations in which they have invested so much time, money, and effort, while ensuring safety for students in these career and technical education programs, courses will be held in spaces that allow for adequate social distancing.

“We are prepared for this fast-moving, fluid situation and are implementing appropriate plans at each of our colleges to keep our communities safe and avoid interference with student academic progress,” said Garcia.

CCCS hopes to keep offices and colleges open, but also wants to ensure alignment with best practices to promote a healthy environment such as implementing plans to allow employees to work remotely and ensuring paid sick leave.

Hello System Office Employees,

The weather is warming and we lost an hour as we sprung our clocks forward. And you may be excitedly thinking about your Spring travel!

In response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) issues, we would like to remind you that although you may not be in a high-risk category for COVID-19, one of your colleagues may be. We want to work with all employees to prevent exposure in the workplace where we can. We ask that everyone is respectful of this need and that employees keep their supervisors apprised of their travel plans and adhere to established Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) guidelines while the COVID-19 virus is active. You can keep up to date on travel advisors issued by the CDC here:https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html and CDPHE here: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/2019-novel-coronavirus.

Below is current information regarding system office employee travel outside of Colorado as of today. Information about COVID-19 is regularly changing and these guidelines are subject to change, potentially while you are on vacation. We will keep you informed of our requirements but we ask employees to maintain open communication with supervisors prior to and upon return from leave, before returning to the office. Supervisors should work with Human Resources on how best to respond to employees.

CCCS Sponsored Travel

Until further notice, CCCS has suspended sponsored international travel to countries that have been assessed at Level 2 or Level 3 by the CDC. This includes any required layovers in Level 2 or Level 3 areas, even if this is not your final destination. CCCS will also prohibit sponsored travel to areas of the U.S. that have declared a “State of Emergency”. Additionally, conferences and other events outside of these areas are cancelling on their own.  Should you have any CCCS sponsored travel, please monitor the status closely.

The Governor has issued a “State of Emergency” for Colorado but CCCS has not suspended in-state travel. For in-state travel, please work with your supervisors and use your best judgement.

Employee Personal Travel

You and your supervisor should work with Human Resources to identify the most appropriate response to your return to the office, based on the applicable CDC and CDPHE guidelines on quarantines and restrictions.

International Travel– If you are planning to travel to a country that has been assessed at a Level 2 or Level 3, you must disclose your travel plans to your Supervisor and Human Resources immediately. The CDC recommends quarantines when an individual returns from one of these countries and CCCS will not allow you back at work during the required quarantine period. Quarantine following your scheduled leave will be addressed as follows:

• Where possible, you will be allowed to work remotely during the necessary quarantine period beyond the end of your scheduled leave.
• For any time during the quarantine period you cannot work remotely, you can use sick leave.
• If you do not have sick leave available, you can use annual leave.
• If you do not have available sick or annual leave, and cannot work remotely, please contact Human Resources.

Domestic or International Travel, with exception to the Level 2 or Level 3 Countries – You should research the CDC travel advisory for your destination. Because risk assessments are changing rapidly, share your travel plans with your Supervisor and check in prior to returning to the office in the event new or revised advisories are issued.  If the CDC or CDPHE requires quarantine, CCCS will not allow you back at work during the quarantine period. Quarantines after your scheduled leave will be addressed as follows:

• Where possible, you will be allowed to work remotely during the necessary quarantine period beyond the end of you scheduled leave.
• For any time during the quarantine period you cannot work remotely, you can use sick leave.
• If you do not have sick leave available, you can use annual leave.
• If you do not have available sick or annual leave, and cannot work remotely, please contact Human Resources.

The internal CCCS website (https://internal.cccs.edu/coronavirus/) is being updated to include current information on COVID-19 and our guidance. FAQs will be posted on this site later today for your reference and updated as needed.   Please note that information about COVID-19 is changing quickly and our response to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) may change just as quickly.

Your safety and that of our students is a priority for CCCS and we want to work with you to do whatever we can to prevent the spread of illness in the workplace. We are actively monitoring and evaluating this situation and making timely decisions based on the most up to date information. Thank you for your cooperation in helping to maintain a healthy work environment, being considerate of your colleagues and their personal situations, and for your part in preventing the spread of illness in the workplace. Because of the seriousness of this situation, if it is identified you have violated this directive, you may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Remember, if you are sick please stay home. If you have any questions, or need to discuss accommodations due to your personal situation, please contact me or any of the Human Resources staff.

Dear CCCS Community,

I know that the developing news about Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has generated a great deal of concern throughout our communities and campuses and that many of you have legitimate questions about how we will continue to serve our students while doing all we can to protect everyone’s health and safety. I want to take this opportunity to provide an update on the steps we are already taking based on what we know now and what our plans are to respond to the rapidly evolving situation that seems to change hourly.

I am working closely with the System Office leadership team, including Greg Busch, CCCS Emergency Management Director, and our college presidents to address COVID-19.  We are also working closely with and taking guidance from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the CO Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) in implementing the System and College emergency preparedness plans for potential pandemic incidents. Staff on the CCCS Executive Team are taking the lead in developing plans that fall in their various functional areas.  Specifically, the System is developing plans and guidance for continued academic instruction; official System and College travel guidance; personnel related questions; and IT support of students, staff and faculty.  This information will be refined, in collaboration with College Presidents and their staff, and you can expect more direct guidance and communications from your college leadership.

Please see the links below for the most current information about ways to protect yourself from COVID-19:

CDPHE             https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/2019-novel-coronavirus

CDC                 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

We recognize this is a rapidly evolving situation and I ask that you watch for continued updates as the situation changes.  In our effort to provide you with real time information as it develops, you should expect to hear from me and/or your college president on a regular basis, perhaps as often as several times a week until the situation is resolved.  CCCS has made preparing for COVID-19 a top priority and we are committed to ensuring that our offices and campuses are safe for employees and students.

I do not intend to minimize the severity of the current situation, nor do I want people to be unduly alarmed.  As many others have said, the best thing we can do now is not to panic, but to prepare.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation, for sharing your ideas, and for working together in the best interests of our students and our college families and communities.

Colleagues,

By now you have heard the news that there are two “presumptive positive” cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Colorado. CCCS is closely monitoring this rapidly changing situation. Our leadership teams here and across the system are examining developments and updating plans, including our pandemic and infectious disease preparedness plans. Our goal is to keep our employees and students safe through preparation, not panic.

I encourage you to stay informed and remain diligent in your personal care. Here are some helpful resources with current information about COVID-19:

• The Center for Disease Control (CDC) website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• The Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) website: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/2019-novel-coronavirus
• If you have general questions about COVID-19 please call CO-Help at 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911 or email COHELP@RMPDC.org.Answers are available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and more.

As Spring break approaches and you are considering travel plans, you are encouraged to consult the CDC travel alerts (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html) for the most up to date information. Keep in mind, it might be possible to travel to a destination, but not be able to return home if restrictions are implemented. CCCS will adhere to CDC guidance on quarantines and restrictions. If you travel to an area where quarantines are in place, you will not be permitted to return to the office during the established quarantine period so plan accordingly.

If you are sick, please stay home, even if it is just a head cold. We provide sick leave to assist you in resting and recovering when you are not well. If you are sick, consider telemedicine options to avoid healthcare environments. Human Resources has compiled the information below about our medical carriers various telemedicine platforms:

o   Anthem – Customer Service, 800.542.9402

• 24/7 NurseLine, 800.337.4770
• Video Visit, www.livehealthonline.com
• Email, www.anthem.com, log into your account to email your doctor

o   Kaiser – Customer Service, 303.338.3800

• Phone visit, 303.338.4545 to schedule
• Video Visit, 303.338.4545 to schedule
• 24/7 nurse line, www.kp.org, Appointment Center to schedule
• Email, www.kp.org, log into your account to email your doctor

o   UHC – Customer Service, 877.283.5424

• 24/7 nurse line, 866.402.0006
• Virtual Visits, 877.283.5424 to schedule
• Email, myuhc.com, log into your account to email your doctor

Rest assured we are taking this situation seriously and your safety and that of our students is our utmost concern. Stay informed, wash your hands, and don’t panic.

Colleagues,

I know many of you have been following the news reports regarding the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) incidents, both globally as well as here in the US. The System Executive team met yesterday with Greg Busch, Director of Emergency Management, to continue to discuss our emergency plan preparedness should an epidemic occur. The college Presidents are communicating with their institutions and are having similar conversations and taking necessary actions to prepare for their response. We will continue to monitor the situation and update staff appropriately.

Should you have any specific concerns or questions (e.g. leave, accommodations, personal situation, etc.), please contact Laura DuClos, System HR Director, at Laura.DuClos@cccs.edu or 720-858-2449.

What You Need to Know

COVID-19 is a type of virus that causes diseases of varying severities, ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory disease.

How is it spread?

• Through coughing and sneezing
• Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands
• Because COVID-19 is new, we are learning more each day about the transmission patterns and incubation periods.

What are the symptoms?

• Fever
• Cough
• Difficulty Breathing
• Severe Illness

What can I do (from the CDC)?

• The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.  (Source:  Center for Disease Control)

The outbreak of COVID-19 is changing rapidly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) are providing updated information:

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html 

CDPHE: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/2019-novel-coronavirus

If you have general questions about COVID-19 please call CO-Help at 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911 or email COHELP@RMPDC.org. Answers are available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and more.

Again, we will continue to monitor this situation and update everyone as necessary.