ACC - Important Spring Updates

Hello all –

I hope your semester and studies are going well! I blinked and here we are in February...I hope you are managing to stay healthy and making progress on your studies as we continue to experience this time of change, pandemic and the approach of some COLD weather. I want to check in with you and provide you with IMPORTANT REMINDERS & UPDATES and share some resources (ACC and other) as we continue this semester.

**If you are a high school student taking classes at your high school location with ACC, these may not all apply to you. If you are taking your courses at any ACC location, these resources are for you!

We have the supports you may need to achieve your goals! Tutoring (virtual and 24/7 online), counseling (call 303.797.5730 to schedule), technology help if you need a laptop loaner, help finding a job, amazing research librarians, and more! If you need support due to a learning disability or a physical disability, the ACC Disability Access Services team may be able to assist. ACC has supports & resources in place to help you be successful. Please check out Navigate or online in our COVID-19 resources (scroll to the bottom of the webpage). If you don’t see what you need, please ask!  Campuses are open for students who are enrolled in courses that meet in person or need to access in-person services. All services except those mentioned next are currently virtual and either have virtual appointments or can be reached by phone during normal business hours or email at any time. Again – you can quickly review resources or online in our COVID-19 resources (scroll to the bottom of the webpage).

• The Library & Learning Commons are open for in-person visits Monday – Thursday. No appointment needed. See the website for hours. The Library & Learning Commons are physically closed on Fridays, and all services are available remotely. Buildings are open on Friday for access to classes and if you need for wifi. Parking lots also have good wifi access.
• Computer Labs and Fitness Center are open by appointment for in person visits. Visit the websites for how to schedule. The Fitness Center is also offering a complimentary virtual gym – Studio SWEAT OnDemand.
• The ACC Bookstore & Espresso Yourself Café on the Littleton Campus are open all week, Monday - Friday. Visit the website for hours of operation and online ordering.

I have NINE MORE items to share with you today since it has been a few weeks since I checked in with you!

1. Thank you all for wearing a CDC approved face covering when on an ACC campus. Please remember, they are required to be on campus. If you feel you cannot wear a mask / face covering, please contact ACC Disability Access Services to explore accommodation options.
2. Please utilize Navigate and also check your ACC student email regularly (did you know you can use the Outlook app to have it on your fingertips? See instructions in ACC’s Tech Tips). We appreciate your flexibility as we work to keep us all safe, and if you can set your text preference in Navigate (in Navigate, select Settings, then Notification Settings). By allowing text or push notifications, ACC can quickly contact you if something needs to change the day of a class (which we try to avoid, but to keep you safe, it may happen!) Again – thank you for your patience and flexibility.
3. Snow, safety, emergencies...despite the pandemic, other things may happen that require us to alert you at ACC. Please take a minute to review how ACC notifies you of an emergency, what to do in case of a lockdown, lockout or weather incident. Download the ACC ALERT app. It’s the official safety app of Arapahoe Community College. The app will send you campus emergency, weather and safety alerts. It also features emergency contacts, location services, tip reporting and much more. Share the app with your family and friends. All students, faculty and staff are automatically registered to receive ACC Alert emergency alerts by phone, text, and email.
4. Summer – while it is frigid this week and the future is unknown, we do know you need to be able to schedule your courses so you can complete your certificates and degrees. Similar to the Spring 2021, ACC will offer summer classes in-person and remote/virtual and as always, online. Course schedules and HOW the course will be offered will be available on February 16, and Summer registration opens March 2. Watch your email for an invitation to meet with your academic advisor to make your plan so you can get the courses you need, how you need them, when you need them. Don’t wait and get caught in the rush – plan now!
5. FALL 2021 or Graduation? It may seem too early, but it is time to either apply for graduation or to start planning Fall 2021 courses. ACC is working to create a safe plan for Commencement – but in the meantime – if you are planning to graduate, fill out the graduation form. If you are not graduating, plan out fall courses.  Registration for Fall is now scheduled to open March 9. We will announce to campus as soon as the Fall 2021 schedule is available – we are just putting the finishing touches on it – with the pandemic, we are evaluating how to safely offer additional in person courses, but still provide you with online remote and virtual options to meet everyone’s needs and keep us all safe. Our crystal ball for what the next five months brings is cloudy, but we are doing our best to plan so you can have access to the learning environment that is best for you. Stay tuned! I promise to notify you when the schedule is ready and when registration opens. 
   PRO TIP – don’t wait for the schedule! You can use Navigate now to plan out your courses for summer and/or fall, and then when the schedule is out, just pick the time and HOW you want to take your course. Need to speak with an advisor? Avoid long waits by scheduling NOW via Navigate.
6. To those who are on campus – thank you for wearing masks, your IDs and following the safety protocols. To review – please visit our reporting forms and safety protocols. ACC is committed to doing our part to stop the spread. Thank you for doing your part by staying home if you are sick, wearing a mask, washing your hands and reporting travel and doing your part to maintain physical distance while socially connecting.
7. Paying for college...it is not too late to do a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for this academic year (Spring 2021). ACC’s partners at the Equal Opportunity Council (EOC) will help! Schedule a virtual appointment during business hours, Monday - Friday from 8am-5pm. Call EOC's main number at 303.352.8746, text them at 720.646.9986, or email them at eoc [at] ccd [dot] edu to schedule your virtual (WebEx) appointment. If you have done the FAFSA and your financial situation has significantly changed, we may have resources to assist you in staying in school. Review and if appropriate to your situation, complete the professional judgement request online.
8. Vaccines. ACC is monitoring the information Colorado State Department of Public Health is providing. Currently, Colorado is vaccinating those who are Phase 1B.2. This may or may not include you depending on your age or employment. ACC encourages you to educate yourself about the COVID-19 vaccine and learn how, when and where you can get your COVID-19 vaccine when it is your turn. Until the vaccine is widely available and used by Coloradans ACC will continue to require masks, physical distancing and encourage frequent hand washing. This includes those who have received the vaccine until further notice. Remember – if you are ill (even if you have received the vaccine) please stay home and work with your instructor. The CDC is expected to offer additional guidance soon - stay tuned. We will update ACC protocol if necessary based on CDC guidance.
9. Do you need access to free testing for COVID-19? Tri-County Health has local, easy access, free testing locations. Remember – if you have any symptoms, please stay home and do not come to campus.

Thank you. Text or call me if you need help or have questions that we haven’t answered – I will do my best to assist you. Thank you for being a part of ACC!

Lisa
Dr. Lisa Matye Edwards
Vice President for Student Affairs