COVID-19

On behalf of the entire College family, I wish you, your families and loved ones continuing good health as we all navigate the COVID-19 challenge day by day.  Although no one knows exactly when we can get back to normal, or exactly what “normal” will mean from here on out, that day certainly will come.  In the meantime, thank you, each and every one, for your contributions in meeting this unprecedented challenge, and especially for your cooperation in helping the College to continue meeting its critical educational mission for Wilson County.

We are working closely with the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), with City and County governments, and with many of you, both as groups and as individuals, to serve your needs in as full and timely a fashion as possible.  With your assistance, goodwill, and understanding, we are meeting those many different needs with a degree of success far beyond what even I, myself, might have hoped for.  That success belongs to all of you.  Take a moment, please, to appreciate your own good work, and to congratulate others for theirs.

I would like especially to thank and commend our College students and employees for the truly outstanding job you have all done in adapting to this new, albeit temporary, reality.  As I have already conveyed to employees, in my forty years in higher education, I have lived and worked through all sorts of challenges, from hurricanes and blizzards to on-campus fatalities.  But I can say as a simple fact that I have never been privileged to witness such a remarkably positive, quick, and effective response to such a difficult challenge by so many students, faculty, and staff.  Your efforts have been and continue to be simply remarkable.

Finally, I won’t lengthen this email by adding any operational updates or directions.  I know that, whoever you are, the appropriate College folks are communicating with you often and thoroughly so that you know what to do, when to do it, and what resources we can offer to help you.  Those folks will continue to communicate with you, and we’ll continue to offer any assistance and resources available to us, for as long as it takes to see this thing through to the other side.

In the meantime, stay smart, stay safe, stay healthy, and we look forward to that day, hopefully not unimaginably far in the future, when we can enjoy just another ordinary day back on campus.

Respectfully,

Tim Wright, President
Wilson Community College

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last day of classes for the spring semester has been extended to Monday May 11, 2020. Your instructor will modify and post a new course schedule that reflects this extension.

In addition, the last day to drop a class (LDD) without grade penalty has also been extended to May 11. This means a student can drop a class through the last day of class and receive a “W” on their transcript. Please note that a grade of “W” does not affect GPA, but may have satisfactory academic progress (SAP) implications that could affect financial aid eligibility.

If you have questions related to W’s contact your academic advisor.

Remember that it is critical to check your college email daily to stay informed of updated information related to your classes.

In an effort to assist currently enrolled students during the COVID-19 crisis the College is offering the following support services.

The College’s Food Pantry provides students with microwavable meals/ready-to-eat snack items (ramen noodles, granola bars, crackers, etc.), and some canned goods, that can supplement food resources at home. Beginning Wednesday, April 1, students can visit the Food Pantry in Building F on Wednesdays between 1:00-2:00 p.m. for walk-in pick-ups. Students who are experiencing more serious food insecurity from COVID-19 impacts may request emergency food assistance by emailing Kate Kehayes at kkehayes@wilsoncc.edu.

To assist currently enrolled students who do not have a laptop or personal device to complete coursework online, the College has a limited number of laptops that can be checked out through the Library. For more information visit the Library page at https://www.wilsoncc.edu/student-services/library/.

An open computer lab in the Library is also available for currently enrolled students to complete coursework and assignments for Spring classes. Staff will be on hand to assist students as needed. For more information visit the Library page at https://www.wilsoncc.edu/student-services/library/.

WCC certainly understands that graduation ceremonies are important milestones that students work hard to reach and loved ones sacrifice to support, but unfortunately we do not foresee being able to hold Commencement and other graduation ceremonies as scheduled. The COVID-19 response has resulted in the cancellation of many significant events and the resulting feelings of frustration and disappointment are natural and understandable. Of all the traditions in higher education, there are none we value more than the main Commencement ceremony and program graduations the College holds each year. We very much want to, and plan to recognize all graduates in a meaningful way, once normal operations can resume. With the conditions surrounding COVID-19 changing every day, we are not in a position to determine exactly when that will be. Although we are unable to make definite plans at this time, we wanted to notify graduates so you can plan accordingly and focus on the ultimate goal of completing your program requirements. Our top priority is helping you achieve your educational goals while preserving the health and safety of the College family. Please continue to check your WCC email and Moodle for important updates and information.

As of right now, Summer Registration is postponed.  However, please remember to check your College email and Moodle for any updates, because within a few weeks we will choose new, re-scheduled registration dates.  We understand that you’re anxious to get back to a regular routine, and that you’re wondering when you can register for summer courses.  As COVID-19 continues to impact our community in multiple ways, WCC is making every effort to avoid further disruption to your educational goals while we work to preserve the health of our students and employees.

In an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19, most buildings and facilities on campus are closed to students and the public. Classes are ongoing and will continue primarily online for the foreseeable future. We are making every effort to avoid further disruption to your educational goals while we work to preserve the health of our students and employees as COVID-19 impacts our community. Please remember to check your College email and Moodle for any updates.

WCC students and friends,

Thank you for your patience this week as we’ve worked to respond effectively to the COVID-19
pandemic. At the same time, we’ve had to wait for various government and education authorities to develop guidance and then communicate it to us, some as late as yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. Now, we think we’re ready to resume classes, as described below.

Please read the following carefully. If you have any questions, contact your instructor by email.
In accordance with North Carolina Community College System guidance, all classes will be moving to an online format. Some classes will resume on Monday 3/23/20, while others will resume on Monday 3/30/20. Your instructor will post in Moodle the date that YOUR class(es) will resume. It is important that you read all announcements and emails from the College and your instructor(s) so that you know what date to resume your class(es) online.

In some cases, an extension may be necessary for you to meet the course’s objectives and
competencies. As you can understand, we simply can’t predict that for certain right now.
WCC faculty and staff are working hard to make sure that you can successfully complete your classes with the least amount of disruption possible. We thank you for your ongoing cooperation as we all work through this unprecedented challenge day-by-day with goodwill and determination.

Respectfully,

Tim Wright, President
Wilson Community College

Wilson Community College students and friends,

From an abundance of caution, and in order to comply with the Governor’s recent public request for everyone to take all measures possible to reduce the spread of COVID-19, WCC has decided to extend Spring Break for students through next Friday 3/20/20. Please note that we do not know of a confirmed or even presumptive case of COVID-19 at WCC at this time.

That extra week will give us time to complete plans already in progress to switch as much instruction as possible to online format, and then to resume instruction beginning Monday 3/23/20. We will continue that online approach until at least Friday 4/3/20, and assess the situation once again.

To summarize:

• Fri 3/13 thru Fri 3/20: Spring Break extended.
• Mon 3/23 thru Fri 4/3: In online mode.
• Mon 4/6: Hopefully resume regular operations.

These actions are essential to lower the risk of transmitting COVID-19, and will also give you the two weeks needed to make certain you are virus-free. This is important not only for you and our immediate College family, but especially for our elderly and/or high-risk loved ones whom we all want to protect from unnecessary exposure.

While most classes will switch to fully online status, it may be that, for practical purposes, some others simply cannot operate effectively in online format. Whether we will continue those as fully face-to-face classes, or in some modified format, or suspend them until we can safely resume, are decisions that will be made on a class-by-class basis.

Students, please check your WCC email, the College website, and each of your courses in Moodle daily next week, as we will be sending you all of the information you will need to resume your classes—in whatever form—beginning Monday 3/23/20.

In the meantime, anyone is welcome to call with questions, and we will certainly try our best to answer them. However, if you can wait a few days into next week to give us a chance to finalize plans and begin sending out the information referred to above, we would sincerely appreciate it.

College family, thank you all for your understanding and cooperation as we work through this admittedly difficult time with dedication, with care for each other, and with continued focus on our mutual mission—your education, the very important goal that we are all here to accomplish.

With respect and appreciation,
Tim Wright, President
Wilson Community College

Wilson Community College students, colleagues, and friends,

No doubt you have questions concerning how the coronavirus (COVID-19) might impact College operations in the foreseeable future. Basing our information and decisions on the best and latest information available from local, state, and national health officials, this email will address (1) employee and student travel and attendance; (2) meetings and events; and (3) postponement, cancellation, or format-change of instruction or work.

(1) Effective immediately, all non-essential, College-sponsored and College–funded travel for employees and students is suspended until further notice, except as approved by the president. However, instructional travel, such as for workbased learning or clinical requirements, is permitted. If funds already paid for non-essential travel are non-refundable, the College will address those costs.

Further: Employees, students, and any other campus visitors whose travel has put them at risk of exposure to COVID-19 are hereby asked to avoid campus for two weeks following that possible exposure, and to seek medical assistance immediately. In addition to your own knowledge of possible exposure, please consult these U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention webpages, which list potential high-risk areas and may aid in your decision-making:

• U.S.A.: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html
• Global: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html

Also, if you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19, then Students: Contact your instructor before returning to campus. Employees: Contact your supervisor before returning to campus.

(2) Until further notice, meetings and events hosted on campus, including those scheduled by outside groups, may be postponed or canceled. The College will make these determinations and notify organizers on a case-by-case basis.

(3) At this time, the College has not canceled, postponed, or switched to all-online classes. However, the College is preparing for any of those possibilities—as you probably know, a number of universities have already closed or gone 100% online. We would communicate with you fully if that were to become necessary.

We do not intend to alarm anyone beyond what common-sense precaution dictates. The situation is extremely fluid, with new factors, advice, and directives appearing daily, even hourly. We will continue to act in the best interest of all the College family, based on the most reliable advice available, and to communicate any significant information in a timely manner. In the meantime, please follow all advice for personal hygiene, travel, and meetings made available by the CDC, NC Dept. of Health and Human Services, the Wilson County Emergency Management System, and other reputable sources.

Respectfully, and with appreciation for your ongoing cooperation,
Tim Wright, President
Wilson Community College