Dear Faculty and Staff,
Thank you for remaining flexible and open to the evolving changes that we need to make in order to accommodate best practices to combat the spread of COVID-19. A public message to students and the community will be sent later today. Please stay up-to-date with all developments by monitoring your email and reviewing all communications.
As you are aware, the recommendations and requirements issued by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and NC Department of Health are evolving rapidly. Davidson County Community College remains committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and community.
Based on the latest developments and recommended best practices by state and federal authorities, DCCC will transition to an alternate operations model starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Faculty and staff with the ability to work remotely will begin doing so on Tuesday. Additional communications will be provided by supervisors to address remote work plans.
Business operations will continue, with phone lines and email communications remaining open.
- Starting Tuesday, March 17, all faculty and staff with the ability to work remotely will begin doing so.
- Travel to campus should remain limited. Only staff who are identified by their supervisor as having essential on-campus duties will be permitted to come to campus.
- Davidson Campus employees: If you need to pick up personal belongings or work related materials (such as your laptop), view the building schedule for Tuesday, March 17, 2020. This schedule outlines the times each building will be open for you to collect necessary items. You can also forward your phone at this time if requested by your supervisor.
- Davie Campus employees: You may visit the Davie Campus at any time on Tuesday, March 17 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can also forward your phone at this time if requested by your supervisor.
- At any time, if you are exhibiting any symptoms of illness (especially cough, fever, and shortness of breath), are at high-risk, or are quarantined due to recent travel, you should remain at home.
We understand that transitioning to online education will take a period of adjustment for our faculty, staff, and students. This week of extended Spring Break for students is meant to help us start this process.
In order to help you successfully transition, we’ve identified the following support resources:
- Faculty Resource webpage with links to online instruction/technology tips and tutorials as well as resources to help students.
- Laptops and VPN access for faculty/staff identified by their supervisors as needing access to complete work remotely
- Ability to establish call-forwarding to personal phone lines (select “call forward” on your office phone, dial 9+your personal number)
- Center for Teaching and Learning professional development (communications will be sent in the future regarding learning opportunities for online platforms)
Additional communications will be sent by individual supervisors and/or VPs to provide further details regarding remote work expectations. If you have any questions about your leave status, pay, or personal circumstances, contact your direct supervisor.
Important Reminders:
- COVID-19 symptoms include cough, fever, and shortness of breath.
- Stay home if you are sick. Contact your primary care physician.
- Scientific and medical evidence is increasingly demonstrating the urgency of social distancing in slowing the spread of COVID-19. We ask you to implement these practices yourself and with family and friends — stay home to the extent possible, avoid crowds, keep at least 6 feet between yourself and others, and wash your hands frequently.
- Beware of scams. Unfortunately, there are bad actors who attempt to take advantage of others during these situations. Please be cautious with both the content of email and text messages and especially those with links to sites or attachments that originate from addresses outside the college. Organizations are being warned that these bad actors are taking this opportunity to send links and files related to the Coronavirus that if opened can deliver viruses and cause disruptions to organizations or compromise personal information. You should also watch for other types of scams. Review the advice from our NC Attorney General Josh Stein. Additional resources are available through the AG’s Office.
- Remember that you are an employee of the college, even when working from home. Please refrain from personal social media posts during work hours and from any communications about COVID-19 not representative of guidance from the CDC or from state and local health authorities. Refer people to our DCCC Coronavirus Response page if they have questions about college operations.
– Dr. Darrin Hartness
