ROCK SPRINGS– Western Wyoming Community College announced today that the college will be closing all buildings and moving to online courses for the remainder of the Springs Semester.
The press release sent out by WWCC President Kim Dale reads as follows:
Western continues to monitor current events related to the COVID-19 virus. Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff while addressing continuity of instruction and student learning outcomes.
Due to rapidly changing circumstances and the data to support virus prevention through social distancing, Western has decided to close its buildings (with very limited exceptions in the residence halls) through the end of the spring semester. To this end, all courses will be converted to virtual delivery. This is a change from earlier communication outlining program and course exceptions.
Western is currently offering nearly 200 fully online or hybrid courses. By March 30, another 200 courses will be converted to fully online delivery. The remaining courses will be offered through a combination of virtual simulation, web conferencing and online delivery.
High school dual credit students will complete their coursework via virtual delivery. High school concurrent credit students will follow the high school attendance protocol. We stand ready to help our school district partners and outreach centers to best support this student population.
All employees are directed to work from home, unless notified specifically by a supervisor. Since we still need basic functions and support for those students still residing on campus, some employees will be required to work on campus. Supervisors are contacting employees to determine longer-term telecommuting arrangements and staggered work schedules for on-campus staff to ensure social distancing. Employees will be allowed to schedule time with his/her supervisor to arrange time to pick up office materials. Anyone who is experiencing virus symptoms must stay home.
Due to this crisis, Western administration is authorizing compensation for all employees through the end of the semester. This includes part-time employees, work-study and student workers. This compensation and how it is calculated is determined based on employee classification. Specific information related to compensation may be found on the MyWestern portal.
Western has created an FAQ page for students and community members found on the Western website under Coronavirus Updates. Please watch for ongoing information as we monitor the situation and determine when it is safe for students and staff to return to campus.
I am extremely proud of our faculty and staff who are exercising tremendous creativity and dedication to ensuring our students receive a quality educational experience during this unprecedented time. I would also like to personally thank the Western COVID-19 Response Team who continue to work long hours to ensure safety, learning outcomes, business continuity and ongoing communications.
And thank you to the entire Western community for your flexibility, support and understanding. We promise to update our communication as things change.
