Dear Colleagues,

Greetings for another year and another reactivation of our important work that supports the creative industries in so many
ways. Several important things:

Please read the Chancellor’s Message carefully, as it contains essential information about the dorm move-in, the modality for
classes, labs, and studios (for the 1st two weeks), a requirement for COVID Booster shots, and a message about the victims of
the fires near Boulder. Regarding new COVID protocols, these include a new booster requirement and our plans to have
virtual classes for the first two weeks of the semester before we return in person on Monday, Jan. 31. Staff who can work
remotely are expected to do so for the next four weeks (with Supervisor consultation), returning in-person on Jan. 31st.

1) As of now (Monday, January 3rd) we are unaware of any fatalities or serious injuries to CU Denver faculty and staff in
the Louisville and Superior areas that were stricken by fires. Our CAM faculty and staff had uneven experiences—one
family losing everything material in the fast-moving fire. Others were more fortunate. This past weekend the
Chancellor’s Cabinet and Deans were activated to ascertain needs of faculty and staff victims in this disaster. Of the 4
CAM people living in that area, one family lost their home and contents. There is a process of determining immediate
need that is ongoing. Dr. Monique Snowden and her team are surveying the students who live in that area.
Anecdotally, we know of at least one student who was living in a home lost to the fires. I know that we all want to
help, but right now there is triage and assessment of what the needs are. When we learn more it will be passed on.

2) The search committee for the MEIS Chair position met right before break and forwarded the name of a preferred
finalist. As we have done with other leadership searches, there will be a 45-minute open forum, so that I may gather
information and add to the extensive process that we started in the Fall. Topic: MEIS Chair Search Open Forum Jan
10, 2022, 11:00 AM Mountain https://ucdenver.zoom.us/j/5500013374

3) Chancellor Marks is hosting a “Community Conversations: COVID” virtual discussion on Tuesday, Jan. 11 from 10-11
a.m. The Zoom link is embedded in the Chancellor’s Message of today, January 3rd, 2022.

4) We have not set a date and time for a welcome back meeting, as we want to respect your time as the new semester
gets settled and we are all more grounded.

The challenges Colorado has faced/is facing (shootings, fires, COVID) are significant, but artists/creators/scholars not only
provide vital first-stage support to foster individual creative self-awareness, expression, and personal growth -- but also to
motivate our community to reach out and explore the potential of emerging areas of public consciousness. I believe that
encouraging the development of "creative fluency" will also lead us, as we continue to challenge cultural and social barriers
wherever we encounter them, to record, through our scholarship and art, the vibrant dynamics of our society, and to
recognize our inherent accountability as active and necessary contributors to this culture. At the University of Colorado
Denver let’s all recommit to increase the visibility of our creative actions and accomplishments and place more emphasis upon
the sort of unique, interdisciplinary collaborations that establish enabling mechanisms for the healing we need and will gain
through wider public access to education, culture, design, and the arts. Thank you for all you are doing!