Preparations for Continuation Hands-on Instruction Starting May 5th (No Visitors on Campus) - Posted 4/29
Dear Students!
Certain courses at the College have requirements under accreditation/certification/licensure standards that cannot be completed via remote/online delivery, requirements that were not completed before the College moved to a remote model in late March due to the COVID-19 situation.
Therefore, MATC in conjunction with the Riley County Health Department (RCHD), is preparing to reopen to accommodate only those courses, with lab and clinical instruction starting on Tuesday, May 5th. The college will remain closed to the general public as services will continue to be offered remotely until further notice. We ask that you please read the following information in its entirety as compliance with these procedures is crucial in keeping everyone safe.
Programs approved by the Vice President of Student Success (VPSS) to return on May 5th to meet lab/clinical requirements:
- Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
- Automotive Collision Repair
- Automotive Technology
- Certified Nurse Aide
- Construction Technology
- Electric Power and Distribution
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Information Network Technology
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Welding Technology
Before students and faculty return to campus the College will implement a variety of safety precautions, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the RCHD guidelines and directives. These measures are indicated in the sections below.
Screening Protocols
Starting May 1st, a screening questionnaire will be made available that is required for students and faculty to complete. Staff will review the responses from students and will do follow-up phone calls to obtain clarification, if necessary. Faculty will receive a confirmation email from the staff member on Monday, May 4th as to which students can safely be on campus for the week of May 5th – 7th. Students will access the questionnaire in Canvas and will need to complete it prior to coming on campus on May 5th.
- Faculty will be emailed the same questionnaire and will need to complete prior to coming on campus May 4th.
- For weeks of May 11th, 18th, and 25th students will need to complete a subsequent screening questionnaire prior to being on campus those weeks. The surveys will be made available the Friday prior to the following week. Staff will review the responses each week, do follow-up phone calls if necessary, then send a confirmation email to faculty of which students are cleared to come on campus. This additional verification of health status is to ensure that if someone would start to show symptoms, we can identify those and have documentation if we would have a COVID-19 case on campus.
- Each day faculty will take student’s temperature using no touch thermometers prior to entering the lab/clinical area. Additionally, a roster will be provided each week having a space for the student’s temperature to be wrote down each day.
- If the student’s temperature is above 100 degrees Fahrenheit:
- Faculty member should contact administration and/or security to come and verify the student’s temperature.
- Said administrator/security will assist the faculty in notifying the student that they will need to leave campus and cannot return until they are fever free for 72 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication per CDC regulations.
- Faculty will need to send an email to the appropriate staff regarding the student so proper follow-up measures can be taken.
Classroom Management/Cleaning
Great care will need to be taken before, during, and after groups are in educational spaces. Please strictly adhere to the following protocols:
- Students must be on the approved VPSS list (emailed to faculty each Monday morning)
- Students cannot be allowed on campus without a completed screening questionnaire and approval email
- Students will not be allowed to come and go on a single day. Once a student leaves campus they will not be allowed back on campus that same day.
- Class sizes will be no more than 10 people including faculty and program assistants
- Everyone will be required to wash and/or sanitize their hands as soon as they enter the classroom/lab
- Students and faculty should adhere to the social distancing guidelines as provided by the CDC (6 ft)
- Only one person at a time may use restroom facilities
- Cleaning supplies will be provided for each educational area
- Before and after classes all spaces used for instruction including seating, tables, door handles, light switches, tool handles, computer keyboards, toilet, faucet, sink, and any other items or surfaces in contact with students or faculty must be disinfected in accordance with CDC requirements
- Once lab/clinical session has ended, students must leave campus
Students and faculty should be familiar with most recent cleaning and social distancing guidelines from the CDC:
- CDC - Guidance for Institutes of Higher Education
- CDC - Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility
- CDC - Prevent Getting Sick
In addition, the main campus building will remain locked and the Commons area is closed. Students will need to bring a beverage with them as they will not be permitted access to the vending machines or allowed to leave campus to obtain such beverage and return on the same day.
Continue to monitor your MATC email and CANVAS as instructors will be in contact with any additional information.
For the latest updates on what MATC is doing to serve our students and community – as well as a variety of helpful information and resources – visit the College’s COVID-19 page.
For questions or concerns direct your inquiries to [email protected].
