COVID-19 & CU PT
CU Physical Therapy Mar 13, 2020
Prospective Student Info
2020-2021 Application Cycle
In adapting to COVID-19, please review changes to University of Colorado PT Program prerequisite and other application requirements HERE.
Ongoing Updates
Remote Working Extended Through April 30
Those currently approved to work remotely will be doing through at least Thursday, April 30. Campus and University leadership continue to review and evaluate the situation.
The most current information and resources are available at https://www.cuanschutz.edu/coronavirus
Student Resources
General resources available here.
Anschutz Health and Wellness Center has launched a page with videos, blogs, articles, recipes and tips in the areas of physical activity and fitness, mental wellbeing and nutrition, all from our various experts/team members. Take advantage here.
A Message from the Program Director
Dear CU Physical Therapy Students:
I am writing you about the recently declared pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus and its impact on our academic program. Over the past week, our university has worked hard to consider the best balance to support our mission while also keeping you, your families, and our community safe. Because of the recent increase in numbers of cases of COVID-19 nationally and in Colorado, we are working closely with university leadership to enhance online learning options in order to help mitigate the spread of the virus and to slow that curve.
Changes to our mode of teaching will be observed beginning next week, March 16-20, while PT courses on campus will be on hiatus. During this time, faculty will be working to convert in-person courses to online courses via Canvas and Zoom. Faculty members will contact you during this week and ask you to test your connection to the new or updated Canvas sites. You may also be asked to test new course modules, discussion board posts, or document uploads. Be certain to test the Canvas site for all your courses no later than March 19. Please notify your instructor if you have difficulty accessing his or her course.
Instead of returning to class on campus, beginning Monday, March 23, you will have online learning sessions. Faculty will also host virtual office hours and online discussion sessions. You are partners in this process just as you were during all your previous in-person educational experiences. We will work together in the days ahead to discuss the options for small group sessions and the practice of clinical skills. Our approach will largely depend on how the guidance for university access evolves over the next several weeks.
Here are recommendations and expectations for the remainder of the current semester:
Online Instruction
- Read your campus email daily.
- Check your computer capacity for Zoom, including a camera. Login to Zoom will occur through links sent to you. You can also access Zoom via this site: https://ucdenver.zoom.us
- Check Canvas daily for announcements and updates.
- March 16-20: Faculty transition courses to online teaching, but continue to honor your current due dates and work on pending assignments.
- March 19: Attempt to access the Canvas sites.
- March 23: Online instruction begins.
Clinical Education Experiences
- Do not evaluate or take care of patients who are under investigation for COVID-19 or those confirmed to have COVID-19!
- Continue to reach out to us for learning help, support and other questions.
- Clinical Education Experiences (CE I and CE III) are continuing as scheduled. Students will not be required to travel out of state for Clinical Education experiences. If you have concerns about your out of state placement and/or your safety during clinic, please contact Joe Palmer for CE I and Jenny Rodriguez for CE III.
- Clinical Education III/Internship interviews scheduled May 11-22 will continue as planned.
- CU Anschutz has suspended all school-related domestic and international travel for students. It is also strongly recommended that personal travel is limited.
- The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is regularly sharing news with the campus community through e-mail and a website, www.cuanschutz.edu/coronavirus.
- Other good resources are:
- CDC COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment: https://covid19.colorado.gov
As you are aware, the status of the pandemic is changing daily. We are making changes to our teaching approach to prevent further transmission. We take our responsibility seriously to protect our students and our community. You can expect that this online process of learning will continue for the next 4-6 weeks. We will update you as more information becomes available.
The faculty and staff recognize that this transition will create more questions. Please trust that we are seeking clarity on pending issues and will send out messages frequently.
Finally, take good care of yourself! The uncertainties that accompany this situation can be unsettling. Continue to reach out to your faculty advisor if you are sick or in need of other support.
Thank you,
Michael Harris-Love, PT, MPT, DSc, FGSA
Director, CU Physical Therapy Program
Associate Dean of Physical Therapy Education, School of Medicine
Research Health Scientist, Eastern Colorado GRECC, RMR VA Medical Center
Email: Michael.Harris-Love@cuanschutz.edu | Phone: 303.724.0687