Posted: August 28, 2021
Welcome back Trappers!
We’ve had a busy summer on the NWC campus, getting ready for fall semester 2021. I hope you have had a great summer and are as excited as we are to welcome you to campus.
With Fall NWC classes about to start, now is an excellent time to review our current health and safety protocols. At this time, NWC is planning to return to face-to-face instruction beginning September 1st and will follow the mode of instructional delivery you indicated in your Fall 2021 course schedule.
It is critically important for us to work together to keep our campus healthy and open for the Fall semester. To do this, we must remain committed each day to the following items:
Here are some frequently asked questions we received this summer.
Are you required to wear a face-covering/mask on campus?
The return to face-to-face classroom and lab instruction this fall will require diligence in best practices as we interact with one another. Face coverings/masks are not mandated at this point but are highly recommended. Both N95 and cloth masks are available at multiple locations across our campus. Faculty may require the use of face coverings or masks if very close contact cannot be avoided, such as in the case of labs.
Are you required to be vaccinated to attend face-to-face classes?
There is no mandate for a vaccination, but it is highly encouraged. If you were unable to receive your first of two COVID-19 vaccinations during NWC Kick-off weekend, know that we will provide more clinics this fall as needed, or the College will try to work with you to schedule another option. Watch for future communications in your email, on the nwc.edu/covid website, and appropriate social platforms.
What if you get sick during the semester?
As always, if you are sick, stay home. In conjunction with these routine and practical health and safety measures, we’ve also established processes in collaboration with the Wyoming Department of Health to ensure students will be supported through periods of illness.
As in the past, we require all students and work-study employees to report COVID-19 positive test results and exposure to COVID-19 positive individuals. Students are required to report their positive COVID-19 test results and exposure to COVID-19 individuals through the COVID Connection form located on the MyNWC College portal.
Resources and reporting
By completing the COVID Connection form on the portal, your instructors, supervisors, coaches, housing, and others will be notified of your situation and stand by, ready to help you. The NWC COVID Connection process will ensure that connections can be made to important resources to assist you during quarantine or recovery while in isolation.
What are COVID symptoms again? Are there options for testing?
Symptoms include:
Testing:
The Human Resources Office and the Student Success Center team will be working closely with COVID-positive or exposed individuals to calculate the appropriate timelines for isolation and/or quarantine following the Wyoming Department of Health guidelines. Through the COVID Connection process for students and the Human Resource responses for work-study employees, individuals on the campus will also be alerted to possible exposure and guided through next steps for their wellbeing.
Watch for future communications
Finally, please stay tuned to potential changes in our plans for operation as the cases of COVID-19 fluctuate across our community. Know that there may be a return to more restrictive practices if mandated by the State of Wyoming, Park County Public Health, or Northwest College administration due to serious health concerns.
Remember, it takes all of us working together. If you have questions or concerns, contact the NWC Student Success Center or your supervisor if you are a work-study student.
I look forward to a terrific (and safe) academic year!
Sincerely,
Lisa