Modified learning: UCC COVID plan

Modified learning: UCC COVID PLAN

Kelley Plueard, UCC’s director of Human Resources, working with a UCC committee with assistance from the Douglas County Public Health Authority, the Oregon Health Authority, and the Centers for Disease Control, developed a UCC plan for dealing with COVID-19.

“UCC recognizes that health and safety precautions that are due to COVID-19 are necessary until the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission and the governor’s office determine otherwise,” Plueard said.

UCC’s President Debra Thatcher said that the goals for the school’s COVID plan are to make sure students’ needs are met first and foremost. “During COVID-19, our goals include modification of our services while maintaining high standards, providing support for faculty and staff to work in new ways and helping students move forward with their educational goals, all while safeguarding the health of our community,” UCC President Debra Thatcher said.

UCC’s COVID Plan is available on the college’s website. It includes the following key points.

UCC’S COVID PLAN

Purpose

• to provide a consistent guideline to the campus and to ensure that everyone is educated on the standards to prevent the spread of COVID-19

Main Principles of the Plan

• All students, employees and visitors have a shared responsibility to maintain the health and safety of our community
• UCC has the flexibility to determine how and when students and staff return to the campus but will meet at a minimum the public health requirements contained in the UCC COVID plan
• UCC’s determinations about current and future operations are informed by local circumstances and regional readiness in consultation with the Douglas County Public Health authorities.

Campus Practices for the Plan

• Remote learning: teachers use virtual settings instead of students in physical classrooms
• Physical distancing: when on campus, people must maintain a social distance of six feet, and physical barriers have been installed for customer service
• Protective equipment: Masks, face coverings and shields are required when interactions don’t meet the six foot requirement
• Medical Conditions: People with medical conditions can request accommodations for face coverings.
• Hygiene: Signs have been posted to encourage people to wash their hands when they arrive on campus and multiple times during the day and to social distance. People are also encouraged to cover coughs and sneezes.
• Sanitation: Custodial staff are required to follow specific cleaning protocols. The plan lists this as a joint responsibility between custodial staff and everyone coming on campus. The plan says that cleaning supplies are available in classrooms, offices and common surfaces with people asked to wipe down work areas before and after use.
• Health Monitoring: The plan requests visitors, staff and students to self-monitor their health for COVID systems. People who are ill must stay away from campus, and individuals who start to feel ill while on campus are required to inform their supervisor then leave campus. The college also provides self-diagnosis tips such as noticing if difficulty in breathing, cough or fever are present (these are the primary symptoms, the plan says, of COVID-19 identified by the Centers for Disease Control).
• Communication: The plan indicates that UCC will try to share pertinent COVID information through emails, the campus e-newsletter, and through the college’s website.

Contact me at:
UCCMainstream@yahoo.com

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