Chancellor Phil DiStefano Explains New Learning Structure For CU Boulder Students

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - After trading campus life for remote learning due to COVID-19, it will be back to school for University of Colorado Boulder students on Aug. 24. There will be changes. First of all, they will be on campus until Thanksgiving break and then leave for the remainder of the semester on a remote learning setup, including final exams.

New students will be put in groups in which they will live in dorms and go to classes together. This is to limit the number of people they will be exposed to, but no restrictions will be made off campus other than those imposed by the health departments.

It's an expansion of an existing program, according to the Chancellor Phil DiStefano. In an interview CBS4's Rick Sallinger asked him, "What about the rest of the students?"

"If you have 50 students in a class, 25 might go in person," he replied. "On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the other 25 would have that class remote."

There will be no increase in tuition, but that doesn't leave everyone satisfied.

Margeaux Robinson's family lives in Kansas City.

"I'm paying out-of-state tuition, and when I'm paying that out-of-state tuition money I feel I should be in person with my teacher," she said.

A month ago the buffalo statue in front of Folsom Field was wearing a mask. Now it's been taken off, but masks will be required for students and staff.

Safety is priority for many like Danny Yum.

"I guess I feel safer now. They did say they would swing back to remote for the end of the semester, too."

The safety measures will include on-campus COVID-19 testing of students, faculty and staff, rapid response teams for tracking, students will be given credit to learn and do contact tracing, mandatory safety training on distancing, an updated conduct code for compliance with public health requirements, and return to work protocols.

The university is stressing two goals: a quality education and a healthy one, reducing each person's potential for infections contacts by more than 50%.

"If the virus flares up again, let's say in October, November, and students need to leave the campus, they would continue to take their courses by remote," said DiStefano.

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