A Message from Dr. Barbara Gaba - July 27, 2020

July 27, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff:

I am back on campus starting today and we are planning for your return. As you know, the State of New Jersey has given the go-ahead for colleges and universities to begin reintroducing in-person instruction. Our comprehensive Return to Campus Plan, developed with input from over 50 faculty and staff, has been submitted to the Office of Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) and is available on the College website (www.atlanticcape.edu/return). Returning to campus is critical in keeping with our mission of providing high-quality education and services for our students.

Returning to Campus:

A major reason we need to have staff start to return to work is that our institution is subject to federal, state and local regulations with regard to labor laws, FERPA, OPRA, electronic transmission and storage of documents, etc. and that while people work from home, we are at risk of violating any of these regulations.  When we were forced to work from home due to the Governor's stay at home order, we had no choice but to accept the risk of violations.  However, since the stay at home order has now been lifted, we have an obligation to mitigate these risks by having staff work on campus, using College services, which are secure.  While mitigation of risk related to federal, state, and local regulations is very real, the most important reason to be back on campus is that we are in the “people business”. The best level of service we can provide to our students is in-person assistance.

Ideally, while we would have staff work 100% on campus at one time, we must reduce our population density on the campus during this pandemic.  This is why we are implementing a staggered schedule for staff with a hybrid service model consisting of both on-campus and remote working.

Return Schedule:

The staff starts arriving on campus on August 3, based on the staggered schedule established for their area. We look forward to assisting students in-person at the Mays Landing and Atlantic City campus locations beginning on August 10; and the Cape May County Campus will open its doors to students on August 24. Fall classes begin on August 31, with Cape May County campus classes starting September 21.

If you have any questions about our Return to Campus plan, please see your supervisor or contact Mickey Trageser, Executive Director of Human Resources at mtragese@atlanticcape.edu. Please also check out the www.atlanticcape.edu/return for our FAQ for students. There is a lot of great information there if you need assistance in helping students.

Fall Class Schedule:

For the Fall 2020 semester, we will offer limited face-to-face classes. Most instruction will continue to be offered remotely. The course schedule has been revised to reflect the modes of instruction being adopted for various courses. Students should be advised to check the course schedule for the dates and times of class meetings. Please familiarize yourself with some of the terms we are using about the variety of modes of instruction.

The instruction modalities include:

• Remote learning is a way for students to stay connected with professors while guided through coursework. Classes meet on the same days and times listed on the schedule by either Blackboard Collaborate or Zoom. Group meetings with students can also occur using this modality.

• Online learning or asynchronous learning, utilizes Blackboard Learn so students can receive lessons and assignments from the professor. Students complete assignments online. Faculty advise students when assignments are due.

• On-campus classes are limited for the protection of faculty and students as we reduce population density on campus. Courses including science labs, nursing skills lab and the Academy of Culinary Arts (ACA) learning lab will meet and adhere to safety protocols. Classes have reduced room capacity. Social distancing is required at all times and facemasks must be worn.

• Hybrid courses are a combination of the above formats. A small number of courses will be on a hybrid schedule, with a portion of the class meeting on campus. We are ensuring that these class sessions will meet the health and safety guidelines mentioned above. Specifically, classes will have reduced room occupancy to maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet. EVERYONE must wear a facemask while in class.

If students need a course that is not listed on the class schedule on WebAdvisor, please email needacourse@atlanticcape.edu.

Student Services:

It is critically important that our current and potential new students have access to the services we provide:

Admissions/Recruitment                                 Financial Aid & Veterans Affairs

Advisement/Counseling                                  Registrar

Bursar                                                             Student Affairs/Enrollment Mgmt.

Center for Accessibility                                   Student Engagement & Judicial Officer

Center for Student Success                            Testing

Student support services will continue to be offered remotely with the resumption of in-person services beginning August 10. Please see www.atlanticcape.edu/return for complete operating hours.

CDC Guidelines are being followed and extra steps have been taken to ensure that our campuses are clean and sanitized. I will continue to update you as new information becomes available. Enjoy the rest of the summer. I look forward to seeing you around campus as we anticipate a great Fall 2020 semester.

"Your customer does not care how much you know until they know how much you care."

~ Damon Richards

Sincerely,

Dr. Barbara Gaba

President