Covid-19 Planning and Updates

Good afternoon,

Balancing the continued need to keep our students and employees safe while providing face-to-face services to help students reach their educational goals, FRC is strategically moving toward a full return to campus for employees and reopening all on-campus services.  The following items have been discussed with President’s Staff and Management Council; I’m providing this communication now to help provide clarity on next steps in reopening campus.  Please work with your supervisor for individual questions or exceptions.

Return of Permanent Staff to Campus

a) July 1 is our target date for all 12-month permanent employees currently working from home to return to work on campus

b) Extraordinary circumstances will be dealt with by your immediate supervisor; the goal is to have permanent staff return to campus to serve students in a face-to-face manner, and then exceptions can be discussed on a case-by-case basis with your supervisor

c) Partial year (11-month and 10-month) employees will develop a work calendar with supervisor per usual procedure

Summer Flex hours

a) An announcement was forwarded from HR listing summer Flex dates.  Note that campus will be open two Fridays this summer per the Flex calendar.  Please submit your department’s Summer Flex hours as requested for 12-month employees

Travel approval

a) In-county travel approval will be the responsibility of your immediate supervisor

b) Out-of-county travel will require approval from your President’s Staff administrator, with the goal of consistency and looking out for safety in travel, knowledge of regional tiers, purpose of travel, etc.

c) Athletic travel will be approved by the Athletic Director per GVC and CCCAA guidelines

Visitors on campus

a) External groups using indoor spaces on campus:  requires President approval and limited to essential infrastructure training at this time (e.g., health care, USFS, fire, search/rescue)

b) We are welcoming students to visit campus for outside tours.  We are also working on a virtual tour that was filmed last week and soon to be developed.

c) External groups officially using outdoor spaces: due to staffing shortages and the need to clean, sterilize, and trash pickup, we are not allowing non-FRC external groups to officially use outdoor facilities at this time.  We are targeting the timeframe in August when students return to campus for opening up this service to outside groups.  An exception has been made for high school graduation in Brennan Stadium (it just sounds good to say that phrase J)

Summer camps

a) We are working with athletics and housing departments to allow smaller, limited number of summer camps only related to our programs/services.  They will be required to follow CDC and state camp guidance and regulations

Note that limited capacities, CDC guidance, state guidance, PCPH directives, facial coverings, and social distancing are still required and expected to be followed. 

We are working with Plumas County Public Health to offer and incentivize vaccinations as we move closer toward a full reopening in the future.  With the existing experimental status, as well as current case law, community colleges really cannot require vaccines for employees or students in classes.  We are under a different set of laws from UC and CSU systems that are mentioned in the news right now regarding vaccines.  Higher Education guidance from the CDPH should be forthcoming in the next few weeks, along with vaccine updated guidance.

As always, if there is anything that you need to help you perform your work safely, please let us know.

-Dr. Kevin Trutna

Feather River College Superintendent/President

Good afternoon,

I am pleased to share that Plumas County is moving to the Orange Tier effective today. While this is exciting and a step in the right direction, I want to highlight this important part of the memo sent out by Plumas County Health officials: 

"Even though Plumas County has moved from Red to Orange Tier and our overall cases of COVID-19 have decreased; it is still critical everyone continue to practice the following mitigating actions: wear face coverings while in public places or while interacting with others not in your household, frequent hand washing, physical distancing, avoiding social gatherings with those not from your household and get vaccinated once it is your turn. Thank you, Plumas County, for your continued patience and commitment to slowing the spread and saving lives."

I also want to share that we acknowledge and truly appreciate the sacrifices that our students are making to help maintain a healthy campus and community. Our athletic department and student athletes deserve acknowledgement on their efforts and cooperation with regular testing (nearly 300 tests are run per week) screening processes, and continuing to wear face coverings, when required while practicing. FRC has helped our county get to this position. Please keep up the good work!

As the weather gets better this spring, we look forward to providing more student activities and opportunities to connect with your peers in a safe manner.

Lastly, please see the attached notice below regarding the new vaccination platform My Turn. We are in early conversations with Public Health about offering vaccination clinics on campus later this spring.

Stay safe and thank you for your continuous efforts!

Carlie McCarthy
Vice President of Student Services/Dean of Students

MyTurn Vaccination Form

Hello employees,

FRC student-athletes and coaches are doing a remarkable job in their dedication to safety of the campus and the community.  All students were required to test negative before returning to campus prior to any on-campus classes or to move into the dormitories.  SaferPlay monitoring and testing did occur, with only one student out of over 180 returning a positive test since returning students to campus.  Kudos to our students for their work and many thanks to our coaches and faculty for setting the expectations.

In the second step, athletics is undergoing routine COVID surveillance testing in order to clear student-athletes for practice and leading up to potential competition later this semester.  Therefore, approximately 25% of each active teams are required to undergo COVID surveillance testing every week where there are no games (increasing to 100% of athletes testing within 48 hours of any competition).  This also includes all coaches and others associated with athletics.  Recently, three individuals tested positive during routine surveillance testing: one student, one adjunct faculty member, and one FT staff.  None of the persons showed any symptoms and they are now quarantining per Public Health directions.  Note the student and staff member did test negative in the last two weeks, and now showed a positive test.

The below attached chart is our next evolution of campus communication.  It involves some required language per new state laws.  The charts describe each of the cases where a positive COVID test was returned, while protecting personal identification information.  The rest of the letter is required legal notices and should not be construed to imply that these situations are any more serious or less serious than prevision notifications.  The charts simply represent an improvement in incorporating legal requirements into the FRC notification.

-Dr. Kevin Trutna

Feather River College Superintendent/President

Attachment: Campus COVID Notification Information

Hello students,

We hope your semester is off to a good start! We are looking forward to welcoming a limited number of students back to campus for labs and hard-to-convert classes beginning the week of February 16th (2/15 is a holiday). If you are enrolled in one or more classes that will begin meeting in-person, please see attached information regarding COVID testing and daily symptom monitoring below this message under "Downloads". There is a lot of information, including the link to sign up for testing embedded in the memo, so please read carefully. Maintaining the health and safety of our students, staff and community is our top priority and critical to resuming some face-to-face instruction. We appreciate your cooperation in these efforts.

• Students with a face-to-face component need to be tested for COVID prior to the first class meeting. Please choose a date accordingly.
• Students must sign the attached release and waiver once per year. If you have not already signed the forms, please do so and return to kdrybread@frc.edu prior to your test. You will not be able to test if we do not receive your forms.
• Students with a face-to-face component will be required to complete symptom monitoring through Healthy Roster each day they meet face-to-face. You will receive a separate email invite from Healthy Roster. If you have any questions or if you do not receive the invite, contact dmitchell@frc.edu. In addition, we strongly encourage you to complete the daily screening for 2 weeks prior to testing. Students with a positive test will not be able to participate in face-to-face learning until their isolation order is up.

As a reminder, students will still be required to wear a face covering when on campus including outdoors when 6 ft. of social distance cannot be maintained and abide by other efforts to help reduce the spread. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. We look forward to seeing you on campus in the coming weeks!

Carlie McCarthy
Vice President of Student Services/Dean of Students

Downloads

Information for Students Returning to Campus

Liability Waiver - fillable

COVID-19 Release Authorization PDH-fillable

FRC Phases-in a Limited Student Return to Campus

Feather River College welcomes back a limited number of students for the spring 2021 semester.  With the stay-at-home lifted by Governor Newsom, FRC is making plans to resume limited on-campus classes that cannot be taught online.  The spring semester began on January 19th in a virtual format for all courses.  Laboratory classes that train essential infrastructure graduates and other hard-to-convert programs will begin slowly returning to campus over the next month.

“It is important for our students who cannot complete an online curriculum to be on campus.  We have found that access to technology, housing security, Wi-Fi, on-campus resources, mental health counseling, and tutoring yield higher success rates,” commented Superintendent/President Dr. Kevin Trutna.

Returning to campus will be a slow, planned effort in conjunction with Plumas County Public Health and Plumas District Hospital to help promote safety of students and the community.  Only students who are enrolled in on-campus classes for essential infrastructure or hard-to-convert laboratories are allowed to move into the dormitories.  Capacity for the dorms will be severely reduced and students will be housed in cohorts according to similar classes.  “We learned from the fall semester, that the better we can group people within a closed cohort, the better we can monitor and help prevent the spread of COVID-19,” added Dr. Trutna.  FRC did not have any COVID cases in dormitory housing during the fall semester.

A negative COVID-19 test result is required before attending any on-campus class, laboratory, or moving into the dormitories.   Students will also be required to use the daily SaferPlay monitoring app before attending any class session.  Students returning in the next few weeks have been instructed to use the monitoring app before returning to campus.  All on-campus classes will operate at less than 50% capacity, or they will be held outdoors later in the semester.  Facial coverings are required as are social distancing.

Once athletic contests are scheduled, student-athletes will undergo the strictest monitoring, with weekly random testing and all participants must test negative for COVID 19 within 48 hours before any competition.  Travel will be limited to the region and conference games; no spectators are allowed. 

January 19th welcomed back students training in health care in EMT and licensed vocational nursing programs, including required clinical laboratories.  LVN students are now performing COVID testing on fellow FRC students as part of their clinical rotation at Plumas District Hospital.  On February 1st, students taking animal production and agricultural mechanics classes and early spring sports will return (football, volleyball, cross-country, and basketball pending Golden Valley Conference competition). 

During the week of February 16th, other hard-to-convert laboratories or prerequisite laboratories for essential infrastructure academic programs will start on campus to supplement the existing online portion.  These include: biology, chemistry, culinary, early childhood education, outdoor recreation leadership (including rescue classes), environmental studies (including forestry), art, and late spring sports (softball, track, baseball).

Even with Plumas County’s return to the Purple Tier, the Feather River Fitness Center will remain closed to the public until the region moves to a lower tier.

“This decision is about student success and keeping our community safe,” commented Dr. Trutna.  “We have students who need on-campus services to succeed in their educational goals.”  FRC staff are diligently working to plan and coordinate a safe, limited return of students to FRC over the next several weeks, in coordination with local health officials and Plumas District Hospital.

-Dr. Kevin Trutna

Feather River College Superintendent/President

Students-

Remember, all classes except EMT and Nursing begin online Tuesday, January 19th.

Face-to-Face Instruction Begins

Week of February 1 for:

• Essential Infrastructure Labs: Agriculture  
• HES Activity classes for spring 1 athletics (football, volleyball, M & W basketball, M & W soccer, cross-country) 

Week of February 16 for:

• Essential Infrastructure Labs: Biology, Chemistry, Nutrition and Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, Environmental Studies, Health & Exercise Studies, Outdoor Recreation Leadership 
• HES Activity classes for spring 2 athletics (baseball, softball, beach volleyball, track) 
• Other hard to convert labs: AG, ENVR, ORL, ART – potentially others. 

PLEASE NOTE - it is critical that you check your email and Canvas and communicate with your instructors and coaches to stay abreast of the schedule, plans and updates. 

Covid Testing

We are close to finalizing a schedule for Covid testing at Plumas District Hospital. Times will be scheduled for students who live in Student Housing. You should receive an email from Student Housing before the end of the week. Other students with an on-campus component will be able to schedule an appointment that corresponds with when they will begin face-to-face instruction. The link to schedule will be available next week.

Healthy Roster – Safer Play Symptom Monitoring

All students are STRONGLY encouraged to complete daily screening for two weeks prior to returning to Plumas County/ testing. A student who is positive may not move into housing, attend classes in person, or be on campus until they have completed their isolation order per Public Health. If you are enrolled in a class that meets in-person and have not yet used this system, watch for an email invite from Healthy Roster. You can also download the Heathy Roster app to complete screening.

Greetings,

Yesterday, Governor Newsom lifted the Stay-at-Home order for the Greater Sacramento region, which includes Plumas County (see attached). 

In a brief meeting today, we outlined the following changes at FRC relative to this new information. It is important to note that Plumas County remains in the Purple Tier. Our approach at FRC will be a “soft opening” given the remaining seriousness of COVID in our region. Priorities for opening will be in areas where students may need face-to-face assistance.

• Classes – no change to previous dates. Instruction begins Tuesday January 19th in a virtual format. Essential infrastructure classes and hard-to-convert classes remain on the planned schedule
• Dorms – no change as we are planning for phased testing and move-in beginning February 1st, but there may be some slight modifications depending upon PDH testing availability. More info to come if any changes are made.
• Offices – use next week to plan for staggered staffing and we will re-open for the “Core Hours” of 9 am-3 pm, beginning Monday, January 25th.
• Bookstore – will open to students on January 14th, although we are encouraging students to contact the Bookstore virtually for pickup. We are planning some pick up dates, possibly coordinated with food delivery for students. More information to follow as plans develop.
• Eagles Perch – TBD but probably will not open for take-out to the public until February 1st.
• Library/LRC – opening with limited capacity beginning on the first day of school, January 19th.
• DSPS/TRiO – partial opening next week after consultation with VPSS, encouraging virtual meeting where possible
• Fitness Center – not allowed to open for indoor activities, per Purple Tier designation.

Take-aways:

• All plans are subject to change
• Student and employee safety are still the priority; please let your supervisor know if you need anything to help improve your safety and well being
• We are still encouraging virtual work where possible and when it does not impact services to students

Please ask if there are any questions and be safe.

Sincerely,

Kevin Trutna

President

Good afternoon students,

We hope you are having a relaxing break and are recharging for the New Year! We know how challenging the fall semester was given the COVID pandemic, we celebrate your success and your continued commitment to your education as you plan to return to FRC for the spring semester.  As you are probably aware, Governor Newsom’s stay-at-home order is still in effect for the Greater Sacramento Region (which includes Plumas County). With the exception of classes that are considered “Essential Infrastructure”, we will not be able to return students to campus for limited instruction or to the dorms while the order is in place. However, the semester will still begin on January 19th with all classes online and we are continuing to plan and prepare for students to return do the dorms and more face-to-face instruction in February. As a reminder, your schedule (accessible in MyFRC) indicates if your classes are fully online or hybrid. Below are the dates that we are planning for Essential Infrastructure courses with a face-to-face component to begin.  

STAY-AT-HOME ORDER

Week of January 19 

• Essential Infrastructure Labs: EMT and Nursing 

Week of February 1 

• Essential Infrastructure Labs: Agriculture (Animal Production & Ag Mechanics) 

Week of February 16 

• Essential Infrastructure Labs: Biology, Chemistry, Nutrition & Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, Environmental Studies (Forestry only) Health & Exercise Studies (Athletic Trainer only), Outdoor Recreation Leadership (Rescue only) 

*There may be some variations to the above classes and start dates, so it is important to check your email and canvas site. Reach out to your instructors if you are unsure. 

If the order is lifted by late January, we will resume additional face-face instruction (bold text below depicts the additional courses):

Beginning Week of February 1 

• Essential Infrastructure Labs: Agriculture  
• HES Activity classes for spring 1 athletics (football, volleyball, M & W basketball, M & W soccer, cross-country) 

Week of February 16 

• Essential Infrastructure Labs: Biology, Chemistry, Nutrition and Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, Environmental Studies, Health & Exercise Studies, Outdoor Recreation Leadership 
• HES Activity classes for spring 2 athletics (baseball, softball, beach volleyball, track) 
• Other hard to convert labs: AG, ENVR, ORL, ART – potentially others. 

PLEASE NOTE - it is critical that you check your email and Canvas and communicate with your instructors and coaches to stay abreast of the schedule, plans and updates. 

In addition, we are working with Plumas District Hospital and Plumas County Public Health Agency to develop a COVID testing protocol and schedule based on the students projected return date. All students who have a class that meets in person will need to be tested. Students who live in the dorms will not be able to move into their room until we receive a negative result. More information will be forthcoming regarding the testing schedule and protocol.  

Finally, we will be requiring the Safer Play daily symptom screening for all students in housing and enrolled in class with an on-campus component. Additional information regarding how to access and use the screening toll will be send in the coming weeks. 

We are all eager to get back to normalcy and will as soon as it is safe for our students, staff, and community. Please continue to check email for additional updates. 

Carlie McCarthy
Vice President of Student Services/Dean of Students
Phone: 530-283-0202 x273
Email: cmccarthy@frc.edu

Dear FRC students,

I am writing to provide current guidance on our plans for the start of the Spring 2021 semester that is quickly approaching.  Due to the COVID-19 surge, Plumas County is currently under a stay-at-home order that will affect our ability to resume in-person instruction as planned on January 19.  Despite some uncertainty about the timing of in-person instruction, all full-term classes are going to begin on January 19 as originally scheduled so you should make sure that you’re actively monitoring your Canvas courses and communicating with your teachers by this date.  The attached document below will be posted to our website and provides detail on when certain programs and activities will resume for in-person instruction.  If there are any exceptions to this timeline for specific courses, your instructors will communicate directly with you to inform you of those exceptions.

I know that COVID-19 has created many challenges for all of you, I want you to know that FRC appreciates your efforts to continue to reach your educational goals despite these challenges.  I wish you good luck in your finals this week, I hope that you can finish strong and enjoy your holiday break.  All of us at FRC look forward to serving you in the spring semester.

Download Spring 2021 Planning Grid for Start of Semester

Thanks, Derek

Vice President of Instruction
Feather River College

Due to the stay-at-home order issued by Governor Newsom, college operations will be conducted remotely. Please visit department websites for contact information.

In addition, FRC will be closed to observe the holidays from December 23rd - January 1st.