Dear Chargers:
I thank each of you for the many ways, large and small, that you have stepped up to move our college forward during this health crisis. I am amazed, proud, and deeply grateful for the creative ways you have come together to move this entire institution from our usual in-person format, to a remote delivery. Our students appreciate Cypress College for providing a safe and collegial environment in which to learn; please don't ever underestimate the important continuity each of you provide in our student's lives. I am happy to say that although the next few weeks or months will be a changed landscape, we will still be providing this important stability for our students.
CURRENT STATUS:
So here's what we know so far. The campus will be closed for an indefinite period of time, but our instruction and services will be continuing in a remote format. Thanks go to our faculty who have already begun moving their instruction to a new learning environment, and to our counselors who will be continuing counseling services using Cranium Cafe. I want to thank Senate President, Craig Goralski, who asked every faculty member to reach out to students immediately, letting them know what to expect in the coming days for their courses. Please continue doing this. Some of you are still getting up and running in this new format, others may be weeks away from fully implementing and continuing your full curriculum. Wherever you are, please communicate this with your students and help them re-engage in their learning process.
SERVICES:
Our student services will be online by Monday, March 23 and this is being communicated to students. Our A&R team will have a Virtual Counter, all DSS, EOPS, VRC, and counselors will be using Cranium Cafe; our Health Center will be back up and running remotely to take phone calls and provide referrals. The LLRC is setting up a referral laptop check out for needy students. Our Foundation has set up a fund to address emergency textbook needs, and tutoring, library resources, and even free textbook links are being sent to students today. A survey will also go out today to assess our students' technology needs, resources, and personal challenges.
CLASSIFIED PROFESSIONALS:
We are asking all classified professional to re-engage with your manager, if you haven't already. You should be checking your email regularly throughout the work day as valuable information will be communicated. Your division teams have already begun conducting Zoom updates and we will be conducting training for remote access to many of your current business practices through your own remote desktop. Functions like accessing Banner, Argos, Degreeworks, inputting RQs and timecards, and submitting files are already in the works and we will be conducting training in the coming days to help you work remotely for as long as necessary. We will also be asking some of you to return to campus in staggered shifts to allow the important work of the college to continue. Your manager will be in touch with the plans for your area and how it impacts you.
ACCESS TO CAMPUS:
Although we are limiting access to the campus, for those who do need to come on campus — to pick up important files, to access your classroom to video a lesson plan, to pick up needed equipment — we are asking that you notify your manager for approval, and they will notify Campus Safety so they know when you will be here. If you are asked to come on campus, your manager will coordinate this with Campus Safety on your behalf. Campus Safety can be contacted at (714) 484-7387. Also, it is critical that we keep the buildings secured, so please be sure to close and lock doors behind you when entering and leaving. We are finding that rooms and doors are being left unsecured and our Campus Safety Team is struggling to keep up.
UPDATED INFORMATION:
I will be sending a Daily Briefing every afternoon to provide information, resources, and respond to questions in this rapidly changing environment. Questions like travel reimbursement, access to remote technology, hiring committee meetings, and operational challenges will be provided each day. We plan to resume all shared governance meetings in a Zoom meeting format as soon as next week so please keep a lookout for these meeting invitations.
Acknowledgements:
I want to give a special shout out to our Campus Safety Team who have been here each and every day keeping our campus secure. They have been heroes, along with our M&O staff who are returning to campus to ensure our system stay connected. Our Distance Education team, led by Dean, Treisa Cassens; DE coordinator, Kathleen McAlister; Distance Education Manager, Terry Gleason; Library faculty, Monica Doman; and our entire LLRC team have accomplished miracles moving us online so quickly. All our managers and staff have taken a proactive approach to handling this emergency, communicating individually to you, and solving more problems than any can now keep track of. We have a remarkable team and I am grateful to each of you. I also appreciate our collaboration with our Senate, UF, AdFac, and CSEA leadership who have been invaluable in getting communication out and helping me to better understand and respond to the concerns and needs of our employees.
CLOSING:
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in The Hobbit, “So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.” As we get through the days and weeks to come, please remember that not only are we going to get through this, we are going to do it with courage, hope, and care for one another.
Be safe, be thoughtful, be fair, and thank you for making your students feel the same way. We got this!