COVID-19 Information for CCC Faculty and Staff

Gov. Brown released an executive order on March 19 prohibiting all in-person instruction through April 28. On April 7, Gov. Brown announced an extension directing us to teach online through June 13 and to limit on-campus operations to critical employees through the end of the 2020-21 academic year. 

The Executive Team has decided to keep both summer and fall terms online, with some exceptions for particular programs.

The fall registration date has been moved to June 1 to allow more time for faculty to move classes online and for us to more clearly define which classes will be remote and which ones are online. “Remote” means classes will be taught at a set time and day each week, and “online” means there is no dedicated time and day to meet as a class. 

As of now, all events on our campuses are canceled for summer term, and the status of community education has yet to be determined.

Student support services has already expanded services to phone, email, live chat and video conferencing. Messaging is being sent to students on how to navigate in Moodle so they are comfortable with the system before the term starts.

Gov. Brown released an executive order on March 19 that limits our on-campus work to just “critical functions.” As of 5 p.m.  March 20, Clackamas Community College will move to remote operations. 

On April 7, Gov. Brown announced an extension to her higher education provision. The new executive order directs us to teach online through June 13 and limit on-campus operations to critical employees through the end of the 2020-21 academic year. This means our buildings will remain closed to the public and everyone except critical employees will remain working from home through spring term.

All of our buildings on the Wilsonville and Oregon City campuses will be closed with no access granted except for those identified to maintain critical function. For those who have requested building access, those requests will not be filled for now.

Significantly limiting the number of employees working on-site will allow us to meet three key goals: 

1. Adhere to the social distancing guidelines
2. Maintain instruction and business operations
3. Maintain the safety and integrity of college facilities

Employees will be notified by their supervisors no later than noon on Friday, March 20 if they will remain working on-site. Staff and employees working on-site will be on staggered schedules and asked to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

As the way we do our work changes during this period, we have been getting a lot of questions from employees regarding expectations about performing work from home and their pay. We have established the following guidelines to address these questions.

• All non-critical full-time employees are expected to work remotely.
• Part-time classified members should check with their supervisors to see if work is available.
• Part-time faculty members will hear soon whether classes will be scheduled or canceled.
• Employees will still be expected to use their accrued leave if they become sick, take vacation or personal leave, or are unable to work a full schedule due to child care or other personal reasons.

There is no set date for returning to regular operations. Below is the presentation Tim Cook shared in the April 23 Tim Talk outlining criteria from Gov. Brown for re-opening the state of Oregon.

• Reopening Oregon: A Public Health Framework for Restarting Public Life and Business

One way we are helping slow the spread of the coronavirus is to encourage social distancing by allowing those who are able to work from home.

To facilitate this, ITS is working on several initiatives to help with our transition to remote work:

• ITS has ordered 400 laptops, which are estimated to start arriving during spring break. Laptops will be distributed to those who do not currently have one based on priority as determined by the Executive Team. ITS will then need about a week to get them ready for distribution. They will contact those who have requested laptops once this happens.
  • To request a laptop, fill out this form.
  • If you already have a college-issued laptop/computer, you may use it to work from home. Here’s how:

1. Get supervisor approval.
2. Fill out equipment control form and submit it to your supervisor.
3. Request remote access on your college-issued device by submitting an ITS Service Desk ticket. (Note: Your device must be on campus for this request to be fulfilled.)
4. Follow the ITSRemote Access Policy and Support document.

• ITS is currently developing a Cisco Jabber Server to enable your desk phone to ring to your computer. They have ordered headsets for you to be able to have a clear conversation while using Jabber.
• ITS is updating our ability to have an easier way of logging in from home in order to access your network drives.
• ITS is setting up the ability for the Service Desk to help support your CCC computer remotely.
• ITS will be providing the college community daily updates by 4 p.m. on the status of services/tickets we are working on in support of our immediate move to online and remote environment.

Other online resources available to you:

Microsoft 365

• Use Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Use Teams to communicate and share files with coworkers.

Video conferencing (Zoom)

• Zoom instructions to hold virtual meetings.
• CCC Zoom Support and Resources

• 3/26 Zoom info session: CLICK HERE THURSDAY TO JOIN THE SESSION – 3/26 1:00 pm

Cengage

• For faculty, Cengage is offering free access to all of their ebooks and platforms through Cengage Unlimited. Contact Support at (800) 354-9706 or visit https://lnkd.in/eZWNxfk for more info.

Free/low-cost internet access

• everyoneon.org  Site has an easy-to-search tool that connects folks with local internet service providers (ISPs) who offer low-cost internet service programs.
• Comcast's Internet Essentials - Free for 60 days for qualified low-income families. Call 1-855-846-8376 for English or 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.
• Comcast is offering Xfinity WiFi free for everyone, with hotspots available to all, including non-Xfinity subscribers. To access the service, look for the “xfinitywifi” network name in a list of hotspots. For more information, go to www.xfinity.com/wifi.
• Spectrum Broadband - Free for 60 days to households with a K-12 student or college student who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription. Installation fees will be waived for new student households as well. To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395.

Remember to work with your supervisor to see if working remotely is an option for you and to develop a schedule.

Best practices and requirements for online learning

A document with best practices and requirements for online learning has been compiled. This document covers tools like Moodle and Zoom, as well as FERPA and accessibility considerations with online instruction.

Library support

The CCC Library can support instructors with free online material and online library instruction options. Librarians created this document, which will continue to be updated as new resources and service options are discovered.

Library and research help

24/7 online chat help is available to students and faculty.

Communication with students

• For instructors who want to communicate directly with students, but are hesitant to use personal phones to text or call, there are two options:
  • Enter *67 before the phone number to block your number from appearing.
  • One of our instructors set up a virtual phone number via Google Voice for free. She is using that to text her students. It keeps an excellent log of communication.

• Sending mass emails and texts:

  • The Remind platform is an excellent option to send out both mass e-mails and texts.

    • messages can be administered entirely through Remind's free web-based account.  There is no need to create a phone number to text from.
    • messages can be sent both as texts and e-mails.  Each student can have both a phone number and an e-mail in the system.
    • Student info can be uploaded from a spreadsheet;
    • You can send messages to up to 150 students at a time, and have up to 10 groups that receive messages. 

On April 7, Gov. Brown announced an extension to her higher education provision. The new executive order directs us to teach online through June 13 and limit on-campus operations to critical employees through the end of the 2020-21 academic year.

In light of this news and the likelihood of another extension, we have decided to continue our online learning through summer and fall terms. This means all courses where possible will be held online, similar to spring term. 

Any changes that we are making to instruction at this time are temporary in nature, and in response to COVID-19.

Yes, particularly if you feel you are vulnerable. As noted above, all courses that are transitioning to online may need to extend past four weeks. Please contact your dean to discuss options.

Update: Online instruction has been extended through summer and fall terms.

No.

We will be announcing plans for student-facing training in the next two days. If there are students who are in fairly lock-step programs, e.g. Nursing, please do communicate with them through the department or designated lead faculty. If students reach out to you about your specific classes in spring, share with them what you know. If you are transitioning to a remote learning environment, use the tools available to you to prepare communication before students enter your class. For instance, in Moodle, using various communication tools (announcements, discussions) to set the stage for what they can expect.

In light of the campus closure to the public, the bookstore is closed through April 28. Textbooks can be shipped.

Free shipping on orders: the bookstore has waived shipping for Spring Term textbooks.

Rental Returns: Students can print a free ups label to ship rental returns to the bookstore. Students can also wait to return rentals until April 6. No late fees will be charged until April 8.

• Financial aid will disburse spring quarter as planned on March 27.
• The deadline to drop a course has been extended to April 19
• The scholarship application deadline has been extended to April 30.
• The $50 late registration fee will be turned off for spring term.  We expect that there will be more changes in student schedules during this coming week and we don’t want to penalize them with this fee.
• The $30 deferred payment fee that is normally applied to students who have balances at the end of the second week will also not happen for spring term. With all of the funding challenges that will likely be experience by students we wanted to provide a little more flexibility.
• We are extending the deadline for students to drop and receive a refund to April 19 (was April 12).
• We are delaying the rule that would require instructor consent once a class begins by one week. Currently the rule would require students to get your permission to add your class (assuming there are openings and they meet the pre-reqs) once next week begins. Again, we expect a lot of changing by students and didn’t want to have a large number of students contacting you for your permission and then for those to be processed by my staff.  We suspected that you would prefer to spend your time preparing for your online classes starting on April 6 and not providing permissions.  Your consent will be required once April 6 comes (unless you have a late start class).
• The waitlist will stop running as of 12:15 a.m. Friday, March 27. So what this means is that you will be able to allow anyone you wish to add your class if it is full as of tomorrow morning. This isn’t changing so wanted to provide clarification.
• If your class is full or if a student does not demonstrate they meet your section pre/co-requisites (via placement, submission of transcripts to advisors/graduation services, or actually took the course here at CCC), they will still need your permission to add.  This isn’t changing.
• At this time, we don’t expect that we will need to adjust the deadlines that happen at the end of week 6 (drop without a grade or non-payment fee and hold). 
• The fall registration date has been moved to June 1.

VP David Plotkin has directed division deans to encourage opening more sections to accommodate students rather than, for instance, expanding caps for online courses.

Students who do not have a computer or internet access:

• CCC has 200 Chromebooks available for students to “check out” for spring term 2020. To apply for a Chromebook, students can fill out this form. Students who are chosen as recipients will receive an email with the time and date to pick up the Chromebook from the Oregon City campus in time for the start of spring term on April 6. If you have any questions, please email ASGFrontDesk@clackamas.edu.

• Students receiving federal financial aid can use their refund (after tuition and fees are paid) to purchase a laptop.

• Some companies may be offering temporary aid for those affected by the coronavirus. CCC cannot recommend any specific service but as of March 17, the following programs are offering free/low-cost internet access:

• everyoneon.org has an easy-to-search tool that connects folks with local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who offer low-cost internet service programs. Lots of new entries in this challenging time!
• Comcast's Internet Essentials - Free for 60 days for qualified low-income families. Call 1-855-846-8376 for English or 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.
• Comcast is offering Xfinity WiFi free for everyone, with hotspots available to all, including non-Xfinity subscribers. To access the service, look for the "xfinitywifi" network name in a list of hotspots. For more information, go to www.xfinity.com/wifi
• Spectrum Broadband - Free for 60 days to households with a K-12 student or college student who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription. Installation fees will be waived for new student households as well. To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395.

Online tutoring:

Online tutoring and Writing Center help is available to students.

Food Resources:

• Please check out Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon's excellent summary on accessing food resources during these unprecedented times. Assure students that SNAP benefits will be issued as normal, and that they can apply online and do not need to go into a DHS office. This webpage also has a great run down of resources, including Oregon Food Bank's Find Food Page and a list of school districts providing nutrition services to their students during closures.

Healthcare:

• Oregon Health Authority has information about how to access healthcare (apply for Oregon Health Plan, find care, etc.), as well as the latest updates on COVID-19

Childcare:

• ERDC has been expanded to help families during this challenging period. DHS has eliminated co-pays and increased the income-eligibility from 185% of FPL to 250% or 85% of median wage. See Press Release. Students can access ERDC app and mail/submit it to a DHS office. More info can be accessed via 211 or DHS DPU phone line, 1-800-699-9074.

STEP:

• During these challenging times that disproportionately impact many of the students we serve in STEP, it's critical we continue to provide holistic support and help navigating resources. Please find ways to offer these services to students virtually during any closures. Other tangible resources to consider: laptops, tablets, or hotspots can be purchased with STEP funds and loaned to STEP students. In addition, when awarding support services to students (tuition, fees, books, tools, transportation), please consider the impact this current public health crisis will have on their unmet need. If you have questions or other ideas, please email me to discuss how we can address students' need and maintain grant compliance. (PCC's STEP webpage provided as reference, please see local college STEP leads for area-specific info)

Filing for Unemployment:

• COVID-19 is having a decided impact on our economy, and the employment of many of our students. More information on filing for unemployment can be found here: Oregon Unemployment Insurance. Encourage students to find out about the TUI program and STEP resources available through OED, that may be able to help support their college completion and career goals with added resources. WorkSource also has services to help while searching for new employment.

Taxes:

• In the midst of all of this, please don't forget to try to encourage students to file their taxes and claim the EITC - cash that they may be leaving on the table, and that could be really helpful during these challenging times. Info about free online tax filing can be accessed here: Cash Oregon.

Immigrant students:

• We need to stay apprised of the Public Charge Rule change that could be causing many of our immigrant students and their families to turn down crucial benefits that they qualify and are entitled to receive to support the health and basic needs of their family.

Consolidating Campus Resource Info:

• As recommended by the Hope Center, please consider how you can streamline and consolidate campus benefit information and access to emergency funds, proactively mitigating obstacles that could limit students' access

Various Community Resources (including help getting connected to those listed above and housing/utility assistance help):

211info can help you find services:

• CALL 211 or 1-866-698-6155
• TEXT your zip code to 898211 (TXT211)
• EMAIL help@211info.org
• HOURS 7 days per week, 8 a.m.-11 p.m .

As the college is taking health and safety precautions regarding COVID-19, College Safety is increasing security and limiting access to buildings. Effective Thursday night, March 19th, all building exterior doors on all three campuses will automatically lock by 10:00 PM and will remain locked until further notice. 

All employees with the ability to work remotely are encouraged to do so. Please make all necessary arrangements to work remotely with your direct supervisor. For those employees working on campus per a conversation with their supervisor, please make arrangements with your supervisor for building access.  

Deans, Associate Deans and Executive Directors, contact Tom Sonoff (thomas.sonoff@clackamas.edu) or Jessi Alley-Snell (jessi.alleysnell@clackamas.edu) with the names of employees needing card access to buildings.

The following information will be needed for card access:

• First and last name of employee
• Employee ID number
• HID number - this is the number on the back of the employee ID card printed in small gray print
• Name of building needing access into

We will also be posting signage on doors on how to access student services as we are now helping our students via phone, email and video conferencing.

The college is following social distancing practices recommended by public health agencies.

View the college's Social Distancing Policy.

The Community Education Department is assisting the College in capturing internal staff training opportunities in order to secure much needed FTE where possible. At this time, they are looking to capture past trainings in addition to future trainings. All trainings or workshops related to gearing up for and supporting online courses as well as technology related trainings such as Zoom or Moodle count.

• Step 1 – Submit the staff development workshop course specifics to Community Ed using this fillable form.

• Step 2 – Capture names and staff ID’s of those in attendance by using the blank roster form or by following the instructions for creating Zoom registrations and send to communityeducation@clackamas.edu.

If you are not sure about a training, please submit it and the Community Education Department will determine what type of workshop should be set up for you.

Thank you so much for your submissions.  Each training makes a difference no matter how big or small!

In April, President Tim Cook announced that our usual graduation ceremonies for our GED, Adult high School, and degree and certificate completers were postponed due to COVID-19. Since that time, we have explored other options to celebrate student accomplishments with all the pomp and circumstance they deserve.

We surveyed graduating students asking if they would prefer a virtual ceremony, a live ceremony in December, or a combined ceremony with the Class of 2021 in June. By and large, the majority of responders said they would prefer a live event, and many of them commented that they would prefer the event be held sooner rather than later, and we want that as well.

We are organizing a Class of 2020 Drive-Thru Graduation Procession around the Oregon City campus loop on June 12. We still have details to work out and will honor social distancing guidelines, but we are working to get participating students their caps, gowns, tassels, honor cords, diploma covers, fun swag, and photo opportunities. We invite faculty and staff to participate in this event and line the CCC streets to cheer them on as our graduates make a final lap around the college.

Mark your calendars for June 12 (times yet to be determined) and be on the lookout for further information and instructions on how to participate in this unique 2020 commencement event.