Atlantic Cape Coronavirus Task Force Update

March 13, 2020

Dear Atlantic Cape Community:

I write today with the latest update on additional steps we are taking at Atlantic Cape to address the unprecedented challenges of Coronavirus (COVID-19). The College has been preparing for the impact of the COVID-19 for several weeks. Currently we are not aware of any cases of COVID-19 in our college community.

As Spring Break begins this weekend, the College will remain open, and staff will report to work for regular business hours. The College will utilize remote instruction for classes via Blackboard. This allows the College to facilitate social distancing by decreasing the population on campuses. We plan to temporarily move all instruction online beginning March 30.

Please see below for more details on the actions the College is taking to balance the need for continuation of services with the health of the College community in mind.

Classes

• All face-to-face classes are temporarily moving to online instruction.
• Spring Break is from Sunday, March 15 to Sunday, March 22. Classes are canceled from Monday, March 23-Sunday, March 29. Note: Classes will follow the normal schedule on Friday March 13th and Saturday March 14th. 
• Canceling classes allows faculty time to transfer in-person classes to online and to allow additional time to clean the buildings at all three campuses.
• Beginning Monday, March 30, all course instruction will be delivered remotely via Blackboard.
• Late start classes scheduled to begin, March 23 will now begin March 30.
• Faculty will contact their students through Blackboard with assignments and plans for remote instruction by March 30.
• Students in the Nursing, Culinary and Workforce Development programs will be contacted by their Deans with additional information.

Students

• The College will remain open but there will be no face-to-face classes. Students who want to utilize support services such as advising or tutoring in the libraries at all three campuses will be able to do so.
• Students will have access to the library at the Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May County campuses. The libraries are available to students only, with proper student identification.
• NJCAA, Region XIX has canceled Spring sports, thus there are no team sports this Spring season.  
• The game rooms are closed until further notice.
• Events will be reviewed on a case by case basis to determine whether or not they should be canceled.

Employees

• The College will remain open during this time. Staff should report to work as usual. Faculty may work remotely and may report for their scheduled office hours. Details on additional assistance for faculty will be sent by Dr. Katz including online training for faculty facilitated by the instructional technology team.
• Please reach out to Human Resources with employee or workplace related questions.
• If you do not feel well, please stay home and appropriate leave time will be charged. Continue to follow Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations related to prevention.

Travel

• As recommended by CDC, any member of the College community who returns from a Level 3 country must stay home and practice social distancing and remain off campus for 14 days from the time they departed the Level 3 country.
• At this time, all non-essential college funded travel is suspended.

Conferencing

• We will be evaluating our conference and meeting services on a case by case basis.

The College's COVID-19 Task Force is continuing to monitor the situation. Please adhere to our Coronavirus information page at www.atlantic.edu/coronavirus.

We will continue to update you as this is a changing situation. Our College staff are available to assist you online or in-person between 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time and we look forward to returning to face-to-face instruction and full campus services as soon as we are able, in consultation with local and State agencies.

Since this plan may change based on directives from local and State governments, plan to regularly check your email and the College webpage to be informed of updates as this situation continues to evolve.

I thank you for your patience, cooperation, and flexibility as we receive more information and adapt to this ever-changing situation.

Please be safe!

Sincerely,

Dr. Barbara Gaba
President