A Letter from Dr. Joe Wyse

Press Release: March 11, 2020
March 11, 2020, 6:05 p.m.

A Letter from Dr. Joe Wyse

To the Shasta College Community:

We have been closely monitoring developments surrounding the COVID-19 virus; federal, state, and county health agency directives and guidance; and local efforts related to COVID-19. While there are no confirmed incidents of COVID-19 directly impacting our facilities, students, or employees at this time, we have developed several contingency plans to ensure we are proactively protecting the health of our students and employees. Your health and wellbeing is the priority concern in this situation.

Several educational institutions across the country have implemented restrictions on public events, travel, access to facilities, and daily operations. Given the absence of a confirmed COVID-19 incident impacting Shasta College directly, we have up to now allowed the majority of our planned events and operations to continue uninterrupted. Over the past few days, state and county health officials have encouraged educational institutions to be more proactive in protecting public health. From their direction and that of our Chancellor, we feel it prudent to begin implementing measures designed to limit potential exposure, as explained in more detail below.

1. Community events with an expected attendance of 100 people or more are in the process of being canceled through April 3. The Community Speaker Series Event with Mara Liasson on March 16th has been canceled. A full list of canceled events will be made available at www.shastacollege.edu/covid19.
2. Academic, performing arts, and athletic program events will be evaluated individually. This may result in events continuing without public attendance, events being postponed to a future date, or events being canceled. Participants will be notified as soon as a postponement or cancellation decision is made and the public will be notified through the Shasta College website and social media platforms. Notifications will come out as decisions are made.
3. Field trips and employee travel will be evaluated individually. All international travel for faculty and staff has been suspended until further notice. Students and employees concerned about a health risk may decline to participate in a field trip or work-related travel without negative consequences.
4. Shasta College has received approval from the state Chancellor’s Office to offer all eligible academic courses through Distance Education platforms such as Canvas if needed. All faculty should continue to prepare to deliver their courses online should it become necessary, as appropriate to their subject matter and in consultation with their Dean.
5. Counselors are encouraged to meet with students via telephone Zoom or other communication technology platforms when appropriate instead of having in-person sessions.
6. Our Residence Halls (Dorms) will remain open to students without restrictions at this time.
7. Board of Trustee meetings will continue as scheduled. We are scheduling the meetings in larger spaces to allow for social distancing measures. Today’s meeting is in the 800 building, room 806.
8. Department, Division, and staff meetings may continue to occur at this time. We encourage administrators to consider hosting meetings through Zoom, conference calls, and other communication technologies to allow people to meet remotely.

We understand you may have individual concerns regarding COVID-19 and your health. Employees should contact their supervising administrator or the Human Resources Office with their concerns. Students may visit the Health and Wellness Office with their concerns. We will provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with medical conditions resulting in a heightened risk of getting sick. We strongly encourage everyone to stay home when feeling sick or presenting any symptoms related to a potential COVID-19 infection. Shasta College cannot provide or perform tests for individuals who suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Individuals should call their health care provider.

This is a dynamic situation and we will keep everyone informed as new developments and information emerge. Please visit the resources below for more information:

Shasta County Department of Health Services: https://www.co.shasta.ca.us/index/hhsa/health-safety/current-heath-concerns/coronavirus

California Department of Public Health: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx

Centers for Disease Control (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html