Early Bird

Fall-semester FAQ series

Each Tuesday and Thursday, look for answers to our most-asked health and safety questions.

By Lindsey Coulter

August 6, 2020

With the fall semester quickly approaching, Metropolitan State University of Denver is working diligently to ensure that faculty, staff and students who have been approved to return to campus have all the information they need to make a safe transition.

While most of the University’s operations will continue remotely, MSU Denver has developed these protocols and guidelines (Spanish version) for the limited number of Roadrunners who will participate in face-to-face classes or who have otherwise been approved to be on campus. The guidelines were created in accordance with recommendations from the Colorado Department of Higher Education and state and local health experts, including our team at the Health Center at Auraria and the University’s Facilities Department. 

Last week, the Early Bird also announced a new series highlighting our most frequently asked questions about the fall semester. Stay tuned each Tuesday and Thursday through the beginning of the fall semester for the most up-to-date health and safety information.

Questions on health and campus access

Will a health check be required at every entry?

Roadrunners are expected to complete a daily health assessment before coming to campus.

What will happen if someone has been in the office and subsequently tests positive?

The Health Center at Auraria will work with the State Health Department, as it routinely does whenever a communicable disease presents on campus, to enact the appropriate response. The response procedure will vary from one incident to the next, contingent on numerous factors.

Does the State Health Department inform individuals whose COVID-19 test results come back positive and do they use contact tracing to inform those who may have been exposed? 

Yes. The State Health Department, in conjunction with County Health Departments, are the agencies responsible for contact tracing of all positive COVID-19 cases. Individuals that test positive will receive a phone call from their local health department. At that time, a contact investigation is started, which is then followed by a contact-tracing investigation. The Health Center at Auraria will collaborate with Health Departments as requested.

If you have a specific concern not addressed in the FAQs, please submit your question on the Safe Return to Campus webpage.