Colorado College and UCCS to require COVID-19 booster
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Colorado College in Colorado Springs was the first in the city, and the second university in the state, to require booster vaccines for students, faculty, and staff. Now, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs announced moving forward with in-person classes, booster shots will be required.
These requirements come as Southern Colorado sees COVID case numbers rise to numbers not seen since 2020 due to the spread of the omicron variant.
Earlier Tuesday, KRDO reached out to UCCS about a booster requirement. The school said officials were holding a meeting to discuss whether or not to implement the booster.
By 2:55 p.m., the university came to the decision to require the booster. The booster is now required for all eligible students, faculty, and staff beginning Jan. 18, unless exempt.
Chris Valentine, the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications, told KRDO the spring semester will begin as planned, with in-person classes beginning Tuesday, Jan. 18. Residence halls and dining facilities will also open as scheduled.
Face coverings will also be required on campus.
Regis University in Denver was the first to make the requirement, with a February 1st deadline. Colorado State University is working to make the same requirements.
The University of Colorado Boulder announced Monday the university would begin remotely following the impacts of the devastating wildfires and strong wind in Boulder County.
At this time, Pikes Peak Community College does not have a vaccine mandate but does require students, faculty, and staff to undergo weekly COVID testing unless they are fully vaccinated.
January 3rd was the start of the 2022 Spring semester at Colorado College and the deadline to have a booster shot to return to campus in person.
Requiring a booster adds to the list of requirements already in place at Colorado College. The university also requires twice-weekly testing for students, recommended twice-weekly testing for faculty and staff, KN95 masks in all public indoor spaces, limited indoor social interactions, and no food or drink in classes, meetings, or at events.
CC students spoke with KRDO about having mixed feelings towards the mandate.
Sophie Murphy, a senior at CC, says she is thankful the college has stepped up to keep people safe.
"They’re really trying hard and I have a lot of respect for that," Murphy says. "[They're] making it work and trying to accommodate.“
Charlie Kellogg, also a CC senior, says while he's pro-vaccine and has received all three doses, he's beginning to grow weary of some of the school's requirements.
"I will say, I’m kind of, I’m upset that it’s 2022 and we’re still, like, fully masked up in class and stuff," explained Kellogg.
According to the Colorado College COVID-19 dashboard, the campus has a high vaccination rate. 96.7% of students, 90.9 % of staff, and 98% of faculty are fully vaccinated, already.
Colorado College's COVID-19 Policy and Implementation Committee says on their website that the vaccine mandates are to protect each other on campus, stating, "Colorado College is taking a data-driven, evidence-based approach to mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on our campus. Our layered mitigation system is designed to reduce the risk of infection while allowing us to resume our signature experiential learning environment including in-person classes, field trips, and campus activities."
