Returning to Campus - Staff

This page is dedicated to providing answers and strategies for staff members as we seek to safely move forward for the 2020-2021 school year. Below you'll find information addressing several areas as we seek to return to campus this fall. If you have additional questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your supervisor or an administrator for clarification.

While we will seek to cover as many areas of concern as possible, there will be situations that arise throughout the year where we will need to be flexible, nimble, and decisive in the steps we take to ensure we can remain in session throughout the school year. We are committed to working hard to remain in a face-to-face learning environment, but to accomplish this, it will take the efforts of everyone on campus.

We appreciate the work staff is doing, often behind-the-scenes, to facilitate the return to campus for our students. From the sanitizing of facilities to the processing of enrollment requests, all of it is essential to a successful school year.

Northwest Tech Task Force

• Social Distancing on Campus

  Social distancing on campus will continue to play a critical step in the prevention and transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Social distancing remains one of the most highly recommended measures to take to stop the spread of the virus.

  Maintaining social distance on campus (maintaining more than a 6-foot distance) is required at all times as we work to maintain on-campus classes throughout the school year. This applies to all individuals on campus and across all facilities. 

  Office occupancy limits have been put in place in the administration building and employees are recommended to limit congregating. Additional supplies have been secured, and some already distributed, to place desk mounted shields to provide an additional barrier between employees and others. 

  Meetings:

  During meetings, select appropriately sized rooms that allow for social distancing between employees to occur. Spread out while the meeting is being conducted to allow for social distancing.

  Beyond lowering the overall risk of exposure, social distancing limits who, and how many, employees, and students will have to quarantine or isolate when a case develops.

  We recommend employees continue to follow recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/social-distancing.html

• Face Masks

  Face masks are currently required in a select number of locations on campus, as identified on the building entrances. Although at this time masks are not required elsewhere on campus, wearing them remains highly encouraged. 

  Student Union:
  Face masks are required upon entering the Student Union. The cafeteria is located within the Student Union and is among the highest traffic campus buildings on any given day. When entering the building and going through the cafeteria line, masks are required of students and employees. Once you have picked up your food, you are welcome to dine in the building or take your meal out of the building. If you remain in the building to eat, you are welcome to remove your mask, however, we ask you to continue to practice social distancing at the tables (all of which have been rearranged to make social distancing possible). 

  Cosmetology:

  Due to the difficulty in maintaining social distancing within this program, which requires live human interaction to complete program competencies, this program and the building therein require a face mask to be work at all times within the salon. The salon reserves the right to refuse business if clients refuse to abide by salon requirements. 

  Programs:
  There may be projects or circumstances in which a faculty member may require program students to wear a mask, particularly if an issue arises where social distancing cannot be maintained. Students are expected to respect the directive of faculty. 

  Mask Shaming:

  Northwest Tech administration will not tolerate "mask shaming" from those who choose to wear, or not to wear, a mask. We request students and employees to be respectful of one another take this as an opportunity for learning how to peaceably co-exist in an environment with others who may not think or believe as they do. 

  Other Items:

  Northwest Tech administration reserve the right to require masks at any point that the administration deems it vital to the safety of the campus. The decision to require masks will be made in consultation with the county health department and may be dependent on the volume of cases that may or may not develop during the course of the year. 

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Supplies

  The college will provide masks, sanitized wipes, and pump bottles with hand sanitizer for each student and employee as supplies become available. There are also plexiglass barriers that have been secured that can be placed on desks as an additional measure and can be provided by contacting the college president. 

  If additional PPE or COVID related supplies are needed in the offices, please submit a request through the COVID Supplies and PPE Request Form, and supplies will be routed to you as soon as possible. If there are specialty items not listed that are needed, please contact administration to secure the items. 

• Employee Illness

  We want to ensure staff who are not feeling well DO NOT come to campus. We are instructing staff who are sick or are experiencing symptoms to notify their supervisor immediately, and to notify the Sherman County Health Department via phone at (785) 890-4888 if they are experiencing symptoms possibly related to COVID-19. The supervisor will connect with the Dean of Academic Advancement, Jason Showalter, who will then contact the employee. This will help ensure there is an awareness of the illness and the need to conduct an initial screening.

  We are working closely with the Sherman County Health Department to conduct screening and contact tracing. We anticipate during the opening weeks of school, some employees will be experiencing higher levels of anxiety, and we want to ensure that lines of communication are clear and employees don't attempt to self-diagnose and create unnecessary situations on campus.

• Cleaning of Facilities

  The custodial staff has been realigned to focus efforts on high contact surfaces, restrooms, and contact points on building and classroom doors. During this time, employees are asked to remain cognizant of the cleanliness of their general office area and building and are encouraged to take an active role in maintaining a clean area. 

  Cleaning supplies are available for office areas, and if more are needed to help maintain clean surfaces, please complete the request form for more supplies.

  New cleaning equipment has also been secured and processes implemented for daily disinfecting of contact surfaces, door handles, etc. around campus. Currently, much of this work is being done after hours when buildings are vacant. 

• Academic Calendar

  There have been limited changes this year to the academic calendar due to COVID-19. Please review the calendar below for updates about breaks, start and end dates for the semester, and more. 

  We will make every attempt to remain consistent with the currently published academic calendar for the 2020-2021 school year. For the latest calendar, please always reference the Academic Calendar site at: https://www.nwktc.edu/students/academic-calendar

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