Tri-C Health Bulletins

April 3, 2020

Given expectations that the COVID-19 outbreak will not reach its peak in Ohio for several more weeks, College leadership has been discussing the need to prolong current on-site restrictions to safeguard the Tri-C community.

In concert with Gov. Mike DeWine’s announcement to extend the state’s stay-at-home order, the College will take the following steps to help slow the spread of the virus:
College operations — with the exception of Public Safety, Plant Operations and key administrative functions — will be performed remotely through May 1. This includes the on-site student services previously suspended until April 6, as well as faculty and staff previously advised to work remotely until April 30.

• Access to Tri-C buildings will be limited to staff involved in the critical areas of operation indicated above through May 1.
• The College will continue remote delivery of classes and student services through the end of the semester and will make accommodations for labs and other hands-on learning experiences wherever possible. We expect to make an announcement regarding the summer session very soon.

We will continue to update you as events unfold. In the meantime, visit this webpage for general information about the virus, Tri-C’s ongoing response, and guidance for students, faculty and staff — particularly when it comes to finding available assistance. You can also send questions to today@tri-c.edu.

We understand the hardship this presents for some of you, but these actions are necessary to “flatten the curve” of the COVID-19 spread and return life to normal sooner rather than later.

We are Tri-C strong. Together, we will overcome this crisis.

March 23, 2020

Yesterday, Gov. Mike DeWine issued a statewide stay-at-home order to combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). As part of our ongoing commitment to protect the well-being of our students, faculty and staff, and in support of this directive, Tri-C will take the following additional steps.

Beginning Tuesday, March 24, until Monday, April 6, remaining on-site College operations — with the exception of Public Safety, Plant Operations and key administrative functions — will be performed remotely. This means that all on-site student services and classes are suspended, and access to Tri-C buildings will be limited to staff involved in critical areas of operation.

As previously announced, the College began remote instruction of most classes today. In-person student support services, available on campus through today, were also available online. These classes and services will continue online.

The College will provide guidance on labs and other hands-on learning classes as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience as we determine the best solution under these circumstances. Students who have questions should contact their instructors. If you do not know how to reach your instructor, contact your associate academic dean.

This unprecedented time presents challenges for all of us. As we have mentioned before, overcoming challenges is what we do best at Tri-C. Together, we will persevere and come out stronger, smarter and more compassionate than ever before.

Stay safe and visit this webpage for updates, answers to frequently asked questions and information on available assistance.

March 12, 2020 - Tri-C Health Bulletin: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - A Message from Enrollment Services

Dear Students:

Yesterday, you received a message from Tri-C President Alex Johnson regarding the College’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As you now know, Cuyahoga Community College will move to online or other remote delivery through the end of the semester.

In order to protect our campuses and communities, Tri-C will take the following actions. If you are unsure about your class type or designation, please log in to my Tri-C space and view your schedule.

CREDIT CLASSES

• Face-to-face credit classes will not take place the week of March 16-22.
• Beginning Monday, March 23, class instruction will be delivered remotely via online or other methods such as phone or video conference. Remote delivery will continue through the end of the semester. There will be no face-to-face credit classes for the remainder of spring semester.
• All online-only or blended-learning (online and in-person) classes will continue as originally scheduled on March 16. Blended classes will be taught fully online, with no face-to-face component.
• Clinical rotations for health careers students will continue, unless advised otherwise by the program manager or instructor.
• Performance classes (art, dance, etc.) and labs are currently being evaluated. Moving to online or other remote delivery is particularly challenging for these courses. We will provide further guidance on these issues as soon as possible.
• Faculty received information on next steps yesterday.
• You may receive a message from Blackboard indicating that your online course is now available. Specific information on delivery methods will be communicated by your instructors within the next week.
• The Technology Learning Centers and Learning Resource Centers will remain open to support online learning

NONCREDIT AND WORKFORCE CLASSES

• Noncredit workforce training courses and Corporate College classes will continue as scheduled. If you are in a workforce program that receives credit, please contact your instructor.
• Encore Campus Fridays and Neighborhood Scholars classes are postponed through March 31. We will continually monitor the situation and provide additional details.
• Tri-C Access Centers (at Esperanza Inc., University Hospitals Otis Moss Jr. Health Center and MetroHealth Medical Center) will continue operations as long as the locations remain open. 

STUDENT SERVICES, CAMPUS SERVICES AND CAMPUS FACILITIES

• Our campuses will remain open and operational at this time. This includes all student support services (computer labs, counseling, enrollment centers, financial aid, libraries, testing centers, tutoring, etc.)
• The Technology Learning Centers and Learning Resource Centers will remain open to support online learning.
• Campus fitness centers and pools are closed until April 1.
• The College continues to evaluate new information as it becomes available and provide timely updates to the entire College community. Your understanding as guidelines shift in response to emerging information is greatly appreciated.

If you have questions, email today@tri-c.edu or contact your campus dean of student affairs. We will do our best to provide answers as we work through this situation. 

March 11, 2020 - Tri-C Health Bulletin: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - A Message from the President

Dear Tri-C students, faculty and staff:

On March 9, public health officials confirmed three cases of COVID-19 in Cuyahoga County. In response, Gov. Mike DeWine declared a State of Emergency in Ohio, an action that allows state departments and agencies to better coordinate their responses and access federal resources.

Yesterday, further recommendations were issued for higher education that include transitioning in-person instruction to online learning and limiting high attendance gatherings.

Today, we’d like to update you on steps the College has taken to minimize the potential impact of an outbreak. College leadership is meeting daily to proactively guide Tri-C’s response and preparation. We will provide additional updates on a regular basis as the situation unfolds.

Facilities and Services

• Most Tri-C facilities are open and operating as usual. This includes client events and activities at Corporate College locations.
• Fitness centers and pools are closed, effective immediately, reopening April 1.

Student and Faculty Guidelines (Academic/Credit Classes) 

• Face-to-face classes are postponed until March 23, allowing faculty time to prepare for remote instruction. These classes will be delivered online or by phone, video conference or other methods through the end of the semester. Faculty will contact their students with details within the next week.
• Classes that are currently taught fully or partially online (blended) will resume as scheduled on March 16. Blended classes will be taught fully online, with no face-to-face component.
• Clinical rotations will continue, unless advised otherwise by the program manager or instructor. We are currently evaluating classroom experiences, such as laboratory and performance classes, and will provide guidance soon.
• There are no changes to the academic calendar or commencement at this time.

Student and Faculty Guidelines (Workforce/Noncredit Classes)

• Workforce training and Corporate College classes will continue as scheduled.
• Encore Campus Fridays and Neighborhood Scholars classes are postponed until April 1.
• Tri-C Access Centers (at Esperanza, Inc., Olivet Housing and Community Development Corp., and MetroHealth Medical Center) will continue operations as long as community partner locations remain open.

Campus Meetings and Events (Including Athletics)
In keeping with guidance to help prevent the spread of the virus by limiting large events:

• Athletic events will continue as scheduled; however, spectators will be limited to immediate families of student-athletes at all indoor events.
• All College-sponsored campus events are cancelled until further notice.
• Community and business organization events scheduled at Tri-C locations, including Corporate College, will continue at the discretion of the organization holding the event.

Tri-C Travel Guidance
We have updated the travel guidance issued on March 5 as follows:

• All College-sponsored international or domestic travel for faculty, staff and students is suspended until further notice, with the exception of College-sponsored athletic team travel.
• The College recommends avoiding personal travel to or through any country with Level 2 or 3 designations from the CDC. Members of the College community returning from travel to or through Level 2 and 3 countries are required to self-isolate for 14 days. Consult the CDC website for updates, and check the Tri-C Travel Guidance policy.

We will continue to evaluate new information as it becomes available and provide timely updates to the entire College community. Your understanding as guidelines shift in response to emerging information is greatly appreciated.

If you have questions, email Today@Tri-C.edu, and we will do our best to provide answers as we work through this situation.

In the meantime, let’s work together to keep everyone healthy and safe.

— Alex Johnson

3/10/2020 - Tri-C Health Bulletin: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

On March 9, public health officials confirmed three cases of COVID-19 in Cuyahoga County. An additional five Ohioans are awaiting test results. In response, Gov. Mike DeWine declared a State of Emergency in Ohio, an action that allows state departments and agencies to better coordinate their responses to protect citizens.

2/27/2020 - Tri-C Health Bulletin: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The Office of Compliance and Risk Management is closely monitoring the development of all potential and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States and reviewing the College’s process in the event of a pandemic. We encourage you to learn more about the novel coronavirus at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Additionally, this recent CNN article RE: Coronavirus discusses how you and your workplace can protect yourselves from COVID-19. The main symptoms of the virus are fever, cough and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear anywhere from two days to two weeks after exposure.

Other symptoms include:
Runny nose
Headache
Sore throat
General feeling of being unwell
 
This information is provided by Tri-C’s Compliance and Risk Management team and is not meant to replace the advice of your personal physician.
 

1/29/2020 - Tri-C Health Bulletin: Coronavirus in the News

You may have seen recent news reports of Coronavirus cases popping up throughout the country. 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, is a new respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. It’s not clear yet how easily 2019-nCoV spreads from person to person. The main symptoms of the virus are fever, cough and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear anywhere from two days to two weeks after exposure.

Other symptoms include:
Runny nose
Headache
Sore throat
General feeling of being unwell

We encourage you to learn more about the Coronavirus at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

This information is provided by Tri-C’s Environmental Health and Safety team and is not meant to replace the advice of your personal physician.