[Factc] Fw: COVID-19 Update for May 7, 2020
Bill Moore
bmoore at sbctc.edu
Fri May 8 09:53:01 PDT 2020
Bill Moore, Ph.D. (he/his)
Director, K-12 Partnerships & Bridge to College
State Board for Community & Technical Colleges
360-704-4346 (office) 360-528-1809 (cell)
COVID-19 REMOTE LEARNING RESOURCES – AVAILABLE HERE<https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/programs-services/student-success-center/remote-learning-resources.aspx>
________________________________
From: John Boesenberg
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2020 1:58 PM
Subject: COVID-19 Update for May 7, 2020
Starting Friday, these updates will be sent on Wednesdays and Fridays, to better align with the WACTC calls on those days. If you have questions, however, please feel free to call John Boesenberg or any other State Board staff member who could best respond.
The information listed below has come-up since Tuesday’s message was sent. It will be shared with the WACTC Commissions. Additional information/details may be accessed through our Google Drive at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PnHhItWpvNhUhhxrCq5LSzxjenmVS5nw
· General Information
o The availability of PPE was discussed with WACTC on the Wednesday call. Colleges confirmed that they still experience challenges securing needed/required PPE through their regular suppliers. SBCTC staff has forwarded a list of DES suppliers and a process through which colleges work with their local Emergency Operations Center to place orders that will ultimately be combined with orders throughout the state, leveraging the state’s purchasing power. Another potential source emerged on Tuesday, when the Governor’s Office offered to help. State Board staff will work with the business officers to identify unmet PPE needs to forward to the Governor’s staff.
o Several WACTC representatives met with representatives of the public and private universities to share plans for fall quarter. There was agreement on the importance of higher education to the state’s economy. Discussion focused on the ability to open campuses while maintaining student and employee safety. There was also agreement on sharing and coordinating communication on re-opening plans. The group’s second meeting has not yet been scheduled.
§ Higher education institutions in eastern Washington are having similar conversations.
o The State Board met via Zoom on Wednesday, May 6th. Repeatedly during the meeting Board members expressed their deep appreciation their skills and commitment exhibited by staff and faculty as they continued to serve students during the COVID-19 crisis.
§ During the public comment part of the meeting, several faculty members shared their experiences pivoting from in-person to online classes.
· Operating and Capital Budget
o Per an article in Inside Higher Ed, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is coming under fire for spreading millions in stimulus aid to institutions with barely any students, while other colleges struggle. See the full article at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/05/07/small-colleges-get-millions-while-other-colleges-struggle?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=6c3642b31d-DNU_2019_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-6c3642b31d-197830289&mc_cid=6c3642b31d&mc_eid=67b38cef7e
· Employment
o New claims for unemployment benefits decrease from previous week but remain at record levels. During the week of April 26-May 2, there were 100,762 initial and 1,086,031 total claims for unemployment benefits filed by Washingtonians, according to the Employment Security Department (ESD). ESD paid out over $639 million (a decrease of $347 million from the previous week) to a total of 504,139 individuals (a decrease of 134 from the previous week). Approximately one-third of the $639 million paid out last week were paid with state unemployment trust funds vs two-third from federal funds.
Unemployment claim type
For week of April 26-May 2
For week of April 19-25
Regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) initial claims
100,762
137,605
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) initial claims
59,234
190,948
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) initial claims
40,267
168,165
Continued/ongoing weekly claims
885,768
959,190
Total claims
1,086,031
1,455,908
Since the week ending March 7 when COVID-19 job losses began:
· A total of 1,428,775 initial claims have been filed during the pandemic (959,196 regular unemployment insurance, 254,197 PUA and 215,382 PEUC)
· A total of 810,538 distinct individuals have filed for unemployment benefits
· ESD has paid out nearly $2.14 billion in benefits to Washingtonians
· 545,178 individuals who have filed an initial claim have been paid
“[Initial regular claims 9 week summary chart week of April 26-May 2] [Statewide total claims chart week of April 26-May 2]
· Instruction/Student Services
o During Wednesday’s WACTC call, colleges shared plans for opening programs based upon the Governor’s approval of courses aligned with his essential business list. (The program list and safety protocols were sent to Presidents on May 1st.)
§ Several colleges reported opening 3 – 4 programs on May 5, having already prepared to implement the safety protocols. They indicated only a small number of students were actually coming to campus to complete their lab training.
§ Some are planning to re-open eligible programs over the coming two weeks. (5/11 or 5/18)
§ Several others reported that they had cancelled these hands-on, equipment intensive classes for spring quarter and were not intending to offer them until summer or fall.
o State Board staff sent a clarification to presidents and IC members on safety protocols for Nursing programs on the Wednesday afternoon, May 6. The Governor’s Office confirmed that nursing students and nursing assistant students are considered essential within Proclamation 20-25. This means that information included in Proclamation 20-12 regarding skills labs, simulation labs, and clinical experiences in facilities remains in effect, including strict implementation and monitoring of social distancing measures by designated school officials and following clinical protocols aligned with public health guidance.
o During that call, colleges shared their screening protocol plans for coming on campus, aligned with the Governor’s Office safety protocols.
§ Bates had purchased an inexpensive software license called SmartSheet for students and employees to complete and submit before coming to campus and upon departure. It includes a number of health-related questions, including temperature readings taken that morning. Folks that come on campus are required to complete an exit form indicating where they’ve been on campus during that visit. A copy of the SmartSheet was sent to Presidents for review.
o Information was shared on how colleges had supported faculty as they transitioned from in-class to remote/online teaching. Colleges reported surveying faculty to better understand needs and offering laptops, webcams and hotspots to facilitate that transition. Given limited budgets and/or access to this in-demand equipment, it was understood that all needs were not met.
· Issues being worked
o State Board staff are asking for updated direction on protocols that should be followed if a college is notified that a student is showing symptoms or received a positive COVID-19 test results.
o Summer Running Start – Essentially, there is agreement on policies however, there continues to be discussion on funding. State Board staff continues to work with OSPI and will provide an update on Friday’s WACTC call.
o K12 plans for fall - Staff will connect with OSPI to gain a clearer understanding of their thinking on fall quarter. Information from school districts appears to be unclear.
o Re-opening of Dental Hygiene programs and clinics. May 18th is the date identified by the Governor as the date dental offices may re-open. It is unclear if that date is still his intended re-opening date and how that affects dental programs and clinics operated by our colleges.
o PPE. Staff at the Governor’s Office may be able to provide an additional source of the required PPE. At this time, colleges are working their suppliers, accessing a list of reliable suppliers provided by DES and placing orders through their local Emergency Operations Center to benefit from the state’s purchasing leverage. State Board staff will work with BAC members to identify PPE needs that may be fulfilled through the Governor’s Office.
· Event Cancellations/Changes (Newly Added/Updated in RED)
* Dual Credit Summit, March 16-17 cancelled and being rescheduled for fall 2020 (Looking at October 5/6, 2020)
* ATL Retreat, March 26-27, cancelled.
* Dean Community of Practice, March session cancelled.
* Bridge to College meetings have been converted to virtual convenings.
* Guided Pathway Work Plan review, March 12-13, is converting to an online modality (details to follow).
* Annual Students of Color conference April 23-25 Yakima cancelled
* All Student Services conference April 29-May 1 Tacoma, Student Services Commission has been re-scheduled to May 3-6, 2021.
* Team Teacher training at Centralia College, March13, 2020, Cancelled
* COABE Conference has been Cancelled/Postponed (Originally scheduled for 4/5-4/8, postponed till summer)
* AACC has been cancelled.
* Council for Basic Skills April Meeting has been cancelled
* Intercollegiate Relations Committee (ICRC) is spring meeting cancelled (4/16-17)
* AEAC has been cancelled Spring qtr.
* Articulation and Transfer Council spring meeting (April 23-24) moved to Zoom.
* Spring ATL (May 6-8) has been cancelled.
* Faculty of Color Mentorship Program spring retreat (May 15) has been cancelled.
* Spring Math Conference (April 30 – May 2) has been cancelled.
* College EBT Retailer Application Webinar scheduled for 4/8/2020 – postponed
* Workforce Education Council, April 30 – May 1 – cancelled.
* Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Council, April 30 – May 1 – cancelled.
* Workforce Connections Forum, scheduled for May 18-19th, has been rescheduled to August 25-26th.
* HRMC meeting scheduled for May has been cancelled.
* Spring CEDD Corrections Education Deans and Directors quarterly meeting is moved to a virtual meeting on Zoom It starts at 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on May 19, 2020 and 9:00 AM – Noon on May 20, 2020.
* PIC has changed its meeting from May 14 and 15 at Lake Washington to May 14 via Zoom.
* Rendezvous 2020, July 27-29 – Cancelled
* Information Technology Commission has shifted from May 14-15 at Clark to May 14 via Zoom
John Boesenberg, Deputy Executive Director
Business Operations
360-704-4303; jboesenberg at sbctc.edu<mailto:jboesenberg at sbctc.edu>
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