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Johnson County Community College Coronavirus Update

March 12, 2020

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – (March 12, 2020) – Johnson County Community College has been closely monitoring reports of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and addressing ways it impacts the campus community. This is an evolving issue and will continue to change over the coming weeks.

In order to help minimize the spread of the coronavirus and protect our campus community, Johnson County Community College will begin taking the following steps:

  • March 14-22: Campus will be closed — including all events and activities — during spring break. Essential personnel on campus only. Efforts will be directed towards continued work on building support for online delivery of courses.
  • March 23-29: Campus will be closed — including all events and activities. Essential personnel on campus only. This time will be used to provide additional support to instructors and to transition to an online-only learning environment.
  • March 30: Begin delivering all courses remotely. Campus will continue to be closed. Students are strongly encouraged to remain at home for the two weeks following spring break.

Faculty and Instructional Support Staff

Faculty are expected to deliver all courses remotely as provided in the plan submitted by the Academic Branch. Ed Tech will be providing CANVAS training sessions, as well as an email with advice and support if faculty would like to discuss issues regarding remote delivery of their courses. Communication from faculty to students is key. In the next few weeks, please make plans to communicate with students through CANVAS, email, phone, etc.

Other Support Staff

Managers will be working with Administration to determine what is needed for essential college functions and staffing. Please prepare to receive further detail from supervisors on departmental operations over the coming weeks. Human Resources will provide additional guidance via email.

Students

We understand that this significant disruption to your learning environment is not ideal, nor may it be possible for all. Faculty are receiving support to make this modified experience as effective as possible. There are a number of non-academic functions (i.e. tutoring, registration, financial aid, counseling, etc.) that require specific modification to meet your needs during this interim period. For detailed information about these functions, please rely upon our COVID-19 website (jccc.edu/covid19).

Travel

Be mindful about travel for the next few weeks. If you’re visiting a high-risk area, you may be subject to quarantine upon return. JCCC is following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel advisories. As of March 11, 2020, JCCC has suspended all college-related international travel as a precautionary measure. Domestic travel to identified high risk areas (such as New York and Washington state) is being addressed on a case-by-case basis. To check the current CDC travel recommendations, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Events

Gatherings pose unique risks. For that reason, on-campus events will be canceled starting Saturday, March 14, through Sunday, April 5. Organizers of these events will be contacted, or they may contact the event sponsor directly. We will continue to monitor and assess the risk for any events beyond April 5, including commencement.

More Information

Our actions will be guided by information from the Johnson County Department of Public Health and the Center for Disease Control. The College intends to return to normal campus operations as soon as possible, while continuing to consult with public health officials in order to make the most prudent decisions.

Please know that we will share updates as soon as they’re available. In the meantime, the best source for updated information is our COVID-19 website.

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