With students, faculty and staff preparing to return to campus this fall and some already on campus, CU Boulder is launching a public health awareness and accountability campaign called Protect Our Herd.
The campaign is aimed at normalizing behaviors to curb the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in the broader community. These behaviors, now required by campus policy updates, include wearing a facial covering both inside and outside while on campus and practicing physical distancing by staying at least 6 feet from others. Public health guidance also calls for regular hand washing.
The campaign also strives to ensure that campus community members understand repercussions of not following these new requirements. For faculty and staff, violations of health and safety policies could result in disciplinary measures. Students who are found to be allegedly violating health and safety expectations will go through the Student Conduct process.
鈥淥ur focus remains on everyone鈥檚 judgment to do the right thing for others and themselves,鈥� Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano said. 鈥淭his is a historic opportunity to demonstrate how we innovate, lead and positively impact our community and our world. We also want to make sure people understand the consequences of not following our health and safety policies.鈥�
The Protect Our Herd website features health and prevention tips, a way for faculty and staff to order operational and campaign signage, and information on symptoms, testing, the required daily health form and how to safely navigate campus spaces. More features will be added as they become available, such as educational videos, social media assets and an image library.
Students, faculty and staff will also begin seeing operational and campaign signage and banners across campus and even downtown, thanks to a collaboration with Downtown Boulder Partnership and the city of Boulder. Campaign content will also be rolled out through CU Boulder Today and CU Boulder social channels.听
鈥淎s student leaders, we are excited about this campaign and call on our fellow Buffs to take these basic steps to curb the spread of COVID-19,鈥澨齭aid CUSG tri-executive Isaiah Chavous. 鈥淲e have to do what we can to safely be on campus so we can stay open and continue working toward our degrees. It will require all students to take on an introspective lens and an increase in self-awareness that ensures we prioritize our health before anything else. We are Buffs together.鈥�
The campus is offering a blend of in-person, hybrid and remote courses beginning this fall, and putting in place new protocols to limit density in housing and on campus between classes. A limited number of CU facial coverings will also be available to all students, faculty and staff upon their return.
