Coronavirus (COVID-19)
We take the health of our college community seriously. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is continuing to monitor information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state health officials regarding the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
This webpage provides updates relevant to our college community along with links to various resources available to students, faculty and staff. It can be accessed through two web addresses, eicc.edu/coronavirus and eicc.edu/covid19. The content will be updated as new information becomes available.
Updates
March 12 Student Communication
EICC continues to monitor the evolving Coronavirus situation and to share relevant information with employees and students as it becomes available. At this time the Iowa Department of Public Health has confirmed COVID-19 cases in Johnson County, but none in our immediate service area. It is the consensus of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state and local public health officials that the next month will be critical to containing the spread of the virus, which the World Health Organization has declared a worldwide pandemic.
With our primary focus on student and employee health and safety, we have made the following decisions effective immediately through April 5, at which time EICC will assess the situation and adjust operations following the best advice from public health officials: (Classes will be held through Friday, March 13.)
Two-Day Extension of Spring Break and Transition to Remote Delivery
To protect our students and communities and help contain the spread of the coronavirus, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges has extended Spring Break by two days (March 23-24) and will then transition to online delivery (CANVAS) of face-to-face classes until April 5, at which time we will reassess the situation and determine future actions:
- Spring Break for students will now be March 16-24.
- Students in face-to-face classes will begin or resume spring semester classes on March 25 via online delivery through CANVAS. All classes will be delivered online through CANVAS from March 25 to April 5.
- Faculty will report to campus on March 23 and 24 for preparation to transition classes to online delivery.
- PLEASE NOTE: Existing online classes will continue as scheduled and are not affected by this spring break extension. Please review your online course syllabus for appropriate class deadlines.
- All campuses will remain open and all services will operate as follows:
- Advising, Registration, Financial Aid, Admissions and the Business Office will operate on normal hours.
- Computer labs, library resources, testing center and study rooms will be open and available. Hours will be posted to EICConnect and Canvas announcements.
- College large group events and meetings of 50 or more people, both on site and off site, are cancelled through April 5. Some student activities, clubs and meetings may still occur. Student activity plans will be posted to EICConnect or communicated from your student club advisor.
We are committed to assisting you as we transition to online course delivery. You can find details abour CANVAS here. Each campus will be hosting open labs and drop-in assistance sessions to help you navigate Canvas and discover online resources. We will share a schedule of opportunities to learn about online/remote delivery with you on March 23. The college continues to provide free public WiFi, student computer labs and space for you to study. We encourage you to use those services to help you with your course work.
The decision to conduct classes remotely does not mean that the campus is closed. EICC will continue to monitor the situation and follow the best advice of public health officials in making closure decisions.
Update Your Emergency Contact Information
The college is continuing to monitor the situation in partnership with the local health departments. We encourage you to regularly check your student email account and update your contact information with the college. You can find directions on updating your contact information here: www.eicc.edu/contact-info .
Continue to Take the Usual Precautions
The CDC continues to encourage everyday precautions including:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place
- If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol
- Stay home if you are sick
EICC will continue to monitor the situation and share information with employees and students. You may also visit this web page for information and additional related resources: www.eicc.edu/coronavirus .
My best to all of you. Together we can mitigate the negative impacts of this virus as best as possible. Stay healthy and look forward to a return to a normal college schedule.
