COVID-19 Update – Archive

MAY 14, UPDATE

Northwest Iowa Community College is continuing to take enhanced precautions to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of its employees, students, and community. NCC is extending the online delivery format of credit classes for the summer term starting May 20, 2020. According to the current plan, a few selected hands-on courses will be permitted to resume instruction on campus with a maximum of 10 students and/or other social distancing precautions being implemented as required by the State of Iowa and following federal and Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines.

NCC’s Continuing Education, Adult Literacy/ESL, and Workforce classes are being evaluated on a class-by-class basis. Limited class offerings will be available this summer starting May 18. Please check NCC’s website (nwicc.edu/continuing-education/continuing-education-courses) for the most up-to-date information on class offerings, times, and locations.

The LLRC will reopen on May 18, 2020. It will be open to members in limited increments throughout the day in order to allow for disinfecting and sanitation between peak hours. Members will be asked to follow social distancing guidelines. The LLRC-East is closed for the summer. Please check the NCC website (nwicc.edu/llrc) for the most up-to-date information that includes detailed guidelines and hours of operation.

The Residence Halls will open May 19 for a limited number of students. All common areas will be closed. All group activities are cancelled for new students at this time. Social distancing precautions and regulations will be implemented as required by the State of Iowa and following federal and CDC guidelines.   

Support services for students including admissions, tutoring, counseling, disability services and more are available for all students. If assistance is needed, please call or email (specific emails listed below) the campus. Our employees will be working Monday-Thursday from 7:00am-5:30pm. We will help you via phone or computer.

• Admissions — ext. 132, admissions@nwicc.edu
• Student Services — ext. 141, studentservices@nwicc.edu
• Library — ext. 116, rfranklin@nwicc.edu
• Learning Center — ext. 118, lmurphy@nwicc.edu
• TRiO — ext. 630, tgorter@nwicc.edu
• Bookstore — ext. 320, bookstore@nwicc.edu
• Business Office — ext. 142, busoffice@nwicc.edu
• Financial Aid — ext. 138, finaid@nwicc.edu
• IT — ext. 500, ITgroup@nwicc.edu
• Foundation (scholarship information) — ext. 164, nccfoundation@nwicc.edu

At this time, campus will remain closed to the general public. NCC will be open electronically in order to fulfill our core mission of education. The community is welcome to communicate with us through our website, nwicc.edu, or by calling 324-5061 or 800-352-4907.

We are living in an ever-changing world and decisions for the College can (and will) change depending on recommendations from local, state, and federal agencies. Click here for a copy of the College’s Summer on Campus Procedures.

MAY 11, UPDATE

Welcome Students,

Everyone at Northwest Iowa Community College welcomes you to the Summer 2020 term. Please let us know if we can do anything to help you navigate your collegiate pathway. We want you to have a positive, enriching, and scholarly experience this summer.

As with all things right now, NCC is navigating the new normal and we have additional procedures in place that you should be aware of before the semester starts. First, if you are attending classes on campus, you will need to start your day by checking-in in order to have your temperature checked and answer a few simple questions.

Building A & C — Report to the Health Tent in front of Building A (main entrance)

Building D — Report to Chuck Ball, Building D (southeast entrance to the Automotive Lab)

Applied Technology Building — Report to Eric Starn, Applied Technology Building (main entrance)

Rock Valley Building — Report to Nate Engelkes, Rock Valley

Everything is explained in the Summer 2020 Procedures. Please take a few minutes and read through expectations for this summer.

For all students (on campus and online) support services including tutoring, counseling, disability services and more are readily available. If assistance is needed, please call or email the campus. Our employees will be working Monday-Thursday from 7:00am-5:30pm. We will help you via phone, computer, or in-person with an appointment.

• Student Services — ext. 141, studentservices@nwicc.edu
• Library — ext. 116, rfranklin@nwicc.edu
• Learning Center — ext. 118, lmurphy@nwicc.edu
• TRiO — ext. 630, tgorter@nwicc.edu
• Bookstore — ext. 320, bookstore@nwicc.edu
• Business Office — ext. 142, busoffice@nwicc.edu
• Financial Aid — ext. 138, finaid@nwicc.edu
• IT — ext. 500, ITgroup@nwicc.edu
• Foundation (scholarship information) — ext. 164, nccfoundation@nwicc.edu
  

A few additional helpful notes:

• Northwest Iowa Community College is partnering with the U.S. Department of Education to distribute Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to students in financial need due to unexpected expenses related to the Spring 2020 or Summer 2020 disruption of campus operations by the coronavirus. Please go to the CARES Act page on our website for more information and to apply — https://nwicc.edu/cares-act-emergency-funding.
• NCC will be offering meal plans for the summer term. Costs of the meal plans can be found on our website at — https://nwicc.edu/student-services/cafeteria. If you wish to sign up please email busoffice@nwicc.edu or call the Business Office prior to the term starting. If you wish to wait until you are on campus please go to the Business Office window in Building A.
• The Thunder Cupboard is a new success initiative sponsored by NCC and Hy-Vee to help provide food assistance. Food is as essential to learning as pencils or textbooks. Don’t let hunger get in the way of learning. Apply now at —https://myplace.nwicc.edu/portal/student-portal/thunder-cupboard (sign-in with your MyPlace credentials), or email tcupboard@nwicc.edu. 

Please do not hesitate to reach out to NCC employees — we are here for you!

Have a great summer semester!

May 7, UPDATE

Spring 2020 Graduates – Graduation Ceremony viewing instructions have been posted – https://nwicc.edu/graduation.

May 4, UPDATE

New spring graduation information has been posted. Click here – https://nwicc.edu/graduation

April 30, UPDATE

LLRC patrons,

In light of Governor Reynolds’ announcement on Monday regarding gyms and fitness centers re-opening, we realize that you likely have questions regarding the re-opening of the LLRC.

Thank you for your interest and for your desire to commence your exercise routine with us! We also thank you for your patience.

Currently, NCC is evaluating the timing for the re-opening of the LLRC based upon availability of cleaning supplies, best practices for social distancing, staffing levels, etc. The soonest we could re-open would be May 18, and as we determine more, we will continue to keep you informed.

April 24, UPDATE

New spring graduation information has been posted. Click here – https://nwicc.edu/graduation

APRIL 6, UPDATE

March 20, Update

NCC Supports Your Online Success!

As you know, NCC has closed its campus to the general public, and all faculty have transitioned to online teaching for all classes through April 13. In response to this turn of events, NCC continues to do everything it can to provide you with every opportunity for success.

This announcement provides you with NCC RESOURCES so that you can be successful over the next few weeks. REMEMBER: Even though the campus buildings are not accessible, all college departments are available and eager to serve you. Please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

Please click here for the Student Resource Guide.

March 19, Update

A message for NCC’s credit on campus students:

Greetings,

I hope that you, your family, and friends are safe and well during this time of uncertainty — this is our first priority. With this in mind, Northwest Iowa Community College will continue to fully serve our students, but will be taking added precautions to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of our employees, students, and community.

Due to the safeguards that were put in place for everyone’s health and safety over the past week, all on campus classes were transitioned to online classes. Originally, we had hoped to restart some on campus classes in a limited fashion starting Monday, March 30. As promised, we are continually reassessing this evolving situation, and we no longer believe that date is realistic. Therefore, as of Thursday, March 19, ALL spring semester 2020 on campus classes will only be offered online through Monday, April 13.

Then, starting Tuesday, April 14, some classes will resume on campus. This will be a class-by-class decision. When the classes resume they will be limited to 10 students at a time and/or using best practices of social distancing as described by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Information will be sent to you by your instructors via your NCC email or Canvas by April 6 if you are expected to resume on-campus classes.

 If your classes are not identified by April 6 as one of the classes that resume on April 14, then you will finish your classes over the course of the rest of your semester online.

Also beginning today, March 19, 2020, NCC’s classrooms, offices, and labs will be closed to all external visitors, including current students through Monday, April 13, and will be open only for a limited number of essential employees. College employees have been given the option of working remotely from home. NCC will be open, however, electronically in order to fulfill our core mission of education. If you have questions please ask your instructors or communicate with us through our website, nwicc.edu, or by calling 324-5061 or 800-352-4907. Our general Contact Us online form is https://nwicc.edu/contact-ncc/.

For some of our students we understand this might be the first time you are experiencing the online learning format. We are here to help you through this process and have many years of experience delivering online education. If you need assistance, please call the campus and leave a message. Our employees will be answering phones remotely from their homes and will be working regular business hours of 7:00am – 4:30pm. We will help you via phone or computer.

• Student Services — ext. 141, studentservices@nwicc.edu
• Library — ext. 116, rfranklin@nwicc.edu
• Learning Center — ext. 118,  lmurphy@nwicc.edu
• TRiO — ext. 630,  tgorter@nwicc.edu
• Bookstore — ext. 320,  bookstore@nwicc.edu
• Business Office — ext. 142,  busoffice@nwicc.edu
• Financial Aid — ext. 138, finaid@nwicc.edu
• Foundation (scholarship information) — ext. 164, nccfoundation@nwicc.edu

It is imperative that you check your NCC student emails and Canvas frequently for the most up-to-date information. Communication from your instructors will have specific instructions on how to proceed with classes. These instructions will only be sent to your NCC email addresses and posted on Canvas.

We will continue to monitor this ever-changing situation and make decisions based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and following the State of Iowa Public Health Initiatives. Please check NCC’s website, https://nwicc.edu/covid19update/, for the most up-to-date and accurate information at any given time. If there are significant changes we will communicate through your instructors, the NCC website, and RAVE.

If you are not familiar with RAVE it is NCC’s emergency alert communication system. If you haven’t signed up for this text message and email alerts service I encourage you to do so. You can find instructions at https://nwicc.edu/about/safety/emergency-notifications/.

As we deal with this pandemic, our NCC team remains focused on your success. While we are in uncharted territory, we have remained agile so we can continue to meet your needs and provide the great education that you’ve become accustomed to.

Again, I hope that you, your family, and friends are safe and well. The college itself is open for business electronically. We are still holding classes online, and our faculty and staff will be available to serve you remotely during this unprecedented time in our history.

 John Hartog III, Ph.D., Vice President of Student and Academic Services

March 18, 2020 Update

Northwest Iowa Community College is taking added precautions to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of its employees, students, and community. Beginning tomorrow, March 19, 2020, at 7:00 a.m., NCC’s physical campus will be closed to all external visitors. The campus will remain open only for employees of the college. NCC will be open, however, electronically in order to fulfill our core mission of education. The community is welcome to communicate with us through our website, nwicc.edu, or by calling 324-5061 or 800-352-4907.

For some of our current students, we understand this might be the first time you are experiencing the online learning format. We are here to help you through this process and have many years of experience delivering online education. If you need assistance, please call the campus and ask for one of the office areas below. We will help you via phone or computer.

• Student Services
• Library
• Learning Center
• TRiO
• Bookstore
• Business Office

NCC’s priority is the health and well-being of our students, employees, and the communities we serve. We understand the concern and uncertainty people may be experiencing surrounding COVID-19 and are committed to being responsive and transparent in our planning as the situation evolves. We will continue to monitor this ever-changing situation. Please check NCC’s website, nwicc.edu/covid19update, for the most up-to-date and accurate information at any given time.

Again, the college itself is not closing. We are still holding classes online, and our faculty and staff will be available to serve our students remotely during this unprecedented time in our history.

March 18, 2020 Update

It is imperative that students check their student emails frequently for the most up-to-date information. All communication from their instructors will have specific instructions. These instructions will only be sent to their NCC email addresses and Canvas.

March 16, 2020 Update

In an effort to support the nationwide efforts and Iowa’s public health initiatives to minimize the spread of COVID-19 through social distancing, Northwest Iowa Community College will be initiating the following response plan effective Monday, March 16. This is a fluid situation, so updates/changes may be made in the future as needed.

Credit Classes

NCC is cancelling all on-campus classes Wednesday, March 18 – Friday, March 20.

Starting Monday, March 23 most of NCC’s Face-to-Face classes, Arts, Science, Business, Health, and Applied Technology classes, will be transitioning to online delivery formats for this week.

Starting Monday, March 30 a limited number of hands-on classes will resume classes on campus. This will be a class-by-class decision. When the hands-on classes resume on Monday, March 30, the programs will be limiting class sizes to 10 students at a time and/or using best practices of social distancing as described by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

There will be no disruptions in current online classes. Both current high school and college students should proceed as normal.

High School College Programming -High school students are expected to continue their college online courses even if their high school is not in session. Parents and guardians, this is very important for you to understand. Please encourage your student to continue to participate in their online class because non-participation would have significant influence on your child’s grade (see the course syllabus for specific information on non-participation). It could also affects child’s long-term college GPA. If you do not have access to the internet, please call NCC and ask for the Online Team.

All high school CNA classes are suspended for the time being. All high school face-to-face high school students, should await direction from their instructor.

It is imperative that students check their student emails frequently for the most up-to-date information. All communication from their instructors will have specific instructions. These instructions will only be sent to their NCC email addresses and Canvas.

Residence Halls

The Residence Halls will be closed (unless there is an identified exception) Wednesday, March 18 – Sunday, March 29. All access cards will be deactivated March 18 at 12 noon. Tentatively, doors will reopen on Sunday, March 29th at 3pm.  We are asking residents to take all necessary items with them for this time period (including their textbooks). Any special circumstances that would not allow them to leave should be put in writing and forwarded to jjschouten@nwicc.edu for consideration by 10am, Wednesday March 18th.

Recruiting

All recruiting events that were scheduled Wednesday, March 18 – Sunday, March 29 will now be rescheduled. The Thunder Friday events that were scheduled for March 20 and April 3 are cancelled. Our Admissions Representatives will be rescheduling any group campus visits and personal tours that were scheduled during that time. The March 27th Powerline orientation is postponed until further notice.

NCC Alternative High Schools

All classes are cancelled beginning Wednesday, March 18 – Friday, March 27.

High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED), English as a Second Language (ESL) & English Language Learners (ELL)

All HSED students, Spanish HSED, and ESL students will be transitioning to online learning.

NCC Thunder Sports Shooting

The spring season has been suspended.

Continuing Education

All classes, both on and off campus, will be cancelled Wednesday, March 18 – Sunday, March 29. This includes court-mandated trainings. Refunds, in most cases, will be forthcoming. Please allow time for the processing of these refunds.

EMT and Fire Classes: We will be moving to an online format for the following two weeks. This applies to any classes on and off campus. EMT students will meet 1 day a week for the next 14 days for 2 hours on Mondays (to complete the lab component), keeping the class sizes to less than 10. Clinical will continue as normal.

Workforce and Economic Development

All classes, both on and off campus, will be cancelled Wednesday, March 18 – Sunday, March 29. Contracted classes that are held off of NCC’s campus at specific businesses will be addressed on a case-by-case scenario.

Lifelong Learning & Recreation Center

The LLRC will close on Monday, March 16 at 1pm through Tuesday, March 31. The LLRC will reopen Wednesday, April 1 with regular hours of operation. Those with annual memberships will automatically have their memberships extended for the amount of time the LLRC is closed.

Campus

The campus will only be open to employees and NCC students Wednesday, March 18 – Friday, March, 27 from 7am – 4:30pm.

NCC employees will continue to work as scheduled (in most cases).

We understand for some of our students this might be the first time experiencing an online learning format. We are here to help you through this process and have many years of experience delivering online education. If you need assistance, please call the campus and ask for one of the below areas. We will attempt to help via phone or computer to limit students on campus. If we cannot help via phone, we will set up an appointment for you to come for assistance.

Offices Open:

• Student Services
• Library
• Learning Center
• TRiO
• Bookstore
• Business Office

Events Scheduled/Hosted on Campus by Third Parties

All events are cancelled Wednesday, March 18 through Sunday, March 29.

We want to emphasize there are no identified cases of COVID-19 at Northwest Iowa Community College. These measures are being put into place to protect the health and safety of our students, employees, and community.

NCC’s priority is the health and well-being of our students, employees, and communities we serve. We understand the concern and uncertainty people may be experiencing surrounding COVID-19 and are committed to being responsive and transparent in our planning as the situation evolves. We will continue to monitor this quickly evolving situation.

This plan will continue to be updated. Please check NCC’s website, nwicc.edu/covid19update, for the most up-to-date and accurate information at any given time.

March 13, 2020 Update

NCC administration is regularly monitoring public health information about COVID-19 from the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control, Iowa Department of Public Health, and has been in regular contact with our county health entities.

We appreciate that some universities, private colleges, and community colleges are suspending face-to-face instruction and offering on-line instruction. The NCC leadership team is monitoring the situation daily and thinking through contingency plans for various scenarios. NCC is a national leader in the online education field and we are confident, if we need to, we will be able to work together through these challenges.

Our ratio of student learning in the classroom is 13:1. We are monitoring the situation but have not adjusted our schedules at this time. Of course, that can change depending on the recommendations from our local health officials and the state.

Please remember that there is no reason for panic. At this time operations are continuing as normal. The advice consistently given by the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization is that the best defense against the spread is to wash hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, and to remain at home if you are sick.

Because we care, we would encourage you to take precautions and possibly even reconsider personal travel, internationally, or within the United States. Read the information on the websites (www.cdc.gov) related to your travel destinations to ensure that you are fully informed and can lessen the likelihood of infection, a mandatory quarantine, or a request for voluntary isolation.

We are committed to achieving the highest standards of cleanliness, disinfection, and hygiene in all areas of campus. We are adding more hand sanitizer dispensers and our custodial staff have reviewed their processes and are taking extra steps in their cleaning routines which include, but not limited to, sanitizing door knobs and an increased cleaning of flat surfaces in high traffic areas. We will also continue to emphasize the best practices for the mitigation of the spread of COVID-19 as described by the guidelines of the CDC and local health officials.

NCC’s priority is the health and well-being of our students, employees, and communities we serve. We understand the concern and uncertainty people may be experiencing surrounding COVID-19 and are committed to being responsive and transparent in our planning as the situation evolves. We will continue to monitor this quickly evolving situation.

We will communicate to you about COVID-19 updates through email. If there are significant changes we will let you know through your instructors, the NCC website, and RAVE. If you have any questions, feel free to talk to your instructors, members of the Student Services staff, or me.

—Alethea F. Stubbe, Ph.D.
President

March 6, 2020 Update

As many of you know, the Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, has made its way into the US.

In order to stay up-to-date on current information regarding the virus, I am attending weekly webinars that are hosted by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). I will continue to share information from these webinars with the college, as needed.

As a reminder, in order to prevent the spread of germs, continue to take the following precautionary measures:

• Clean your hands frequently with soap and water

• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your arm

• Stay home when you’re sick

For accurate and up-to-date information regarding the virus, visit the IDPH Website (https://idph.iowa.gov/) and the Center for Disease Control website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html).

As always, please reach out to Human Resources if you have any questions or concerns.

—Renee Carlson
Director of Human Resources

February 28, 2020 Update

As you have no doubt seen in news reports, there is an expanding global outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus. The disease the virus causes has been named COVID-19.  While most COVID-19 cases are associated with travel to or from China, person-to-person spread is now being reported in other places, including over 50 countries, and at least one suspected person-to-person transmission in the United States.

There are currently no known cases of COVID-19 in Iowa.  For the general public, who are unlikely to be exposed to the virus at this time, we are being told that the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is low; however, the potential of the public health threat is high.

Recognizing the potential public health threat, NCC is coordinating with our State Department of Education, other community colleges, and public health partners to review emergency plans. It is important to prepare for the potential of COVID-19 in the same way that we would prepare for severe weather or any other events that could disrupt the normal routine of the college and cause harm to our students and employees.

Please be mindful that, while COVID-19 is not currently circulating in the U.S. or in Iowa, influenza is circulating at high levels.

The prevention measures for influenza and COVID-19 are the same:

• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper arm/elbow.

• Clean your hands frequently with soap and water.

• Contain germs by staying home when ill.

We will keep you informed as we move forward.

—Alethea F. Stubbe, Ph.D.
President