Covid-19: Important Message for Students Regarding Hawai'i CC Classes and Services

/ 9 April 2020

The following message was sent by Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Joni Onishi to Hawai'i CC students on March 18, 2020.

Dear Hawai'i Community College Students,

Thank you for taking time to read this important email. As you are aware, the University of Hawai'i system, including Hawai'i Community College, will be delivering the great majority of courses via various types of distance education starting Monday, March 23. We understand that this may be your first time taking an online or distance class, and we are working to make this process as easy for you as possible.

UH President David Lassner recognized that some classes need to continue to be taught face-to-face to meet learning objectives. Therefore, a very small number of courses have been approved to continue meeting face-to-face with special conditions, such as social distancing, careful hygiene, and disinfecting of workspaces.

Your first step is to check for emails from your instructors about how to access your coursework. Some instructors will be teaching 100% online using Laulima. Others will include live or videotaped classes using Zoom, RealPresence, or Google Meet.

I would also like to reemphasize that at this time our campuses are still open and most services continue to be offered as you will see in more detail below.

This public health situation continues to evolve, and information could change, so please check your email and also find updates at https://hawaii.hawaii.edu/covid-19.

STAYING SAFE

The College, your classmates, and your instructors are counting on you to be accountable for monitoring your personal health. It is critical that you not come to campus if you do not feel well or if you exhibit symptoms, including but not limited to coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, and elevated temperature. Should you need to miss class due to illness, the opportunity for make-up classes will be provided. If you become ill or are quarantined, please let your instructor know ASAP. We will do our best to help you make up your coursework.

In light of the fact we are all part of a very serious public health challenge, for your safety, along with the well-being of your classmates and the larger community, the College will implement the following procedural changes to your classes:

Working student groups within the laboratory session will be kept as small as possible. Your instructor will plan the delivery of the content to avoid large groups of students in close proximity to each other. Contact your instructor to find out if your lab class is still being held on campus or if instruction has gone online.
Your instructor may be asking that you attend on specific days and times to minimize the number of students.
Sign-up for UH Alert at: https://myuh.hawaii.edu/task/all/uhalert

Administrators and your instructors understand there are elements to education that require in-person demonstration, hands-on practice, and in-person assessment of skills and competencies. These steps obviously disrupt the usual patterns of the semester. You will understandably have many questions. This letter offers our initial answers. I hope we can all be patient and respectful with one another as we cope with this extraordinary challenge.

We are taking this dramatic action to protect the health and safety of everyone at Hawai'i Community College. Our plan follows directly from Centers for Disease Control health guidance that colleges take steps to reduce the density of the population on campus and increase social distancing. By doing so, we are doing our part to reduce the spread of the disease overall, while directly reducing risk for our own community and equally for those of us who continue to work on campus.

Please Remember:

There are no classes for the week of Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20 (spring break). This will allow faculty and instructors one week to organize a transition.
Online instruction for most courses will begin on Monday, March 23, and will continue for the remainder of the semester.
You should check with each of your instructors to find out how to continue each class.

CENTERS REMAIN OPEN

The Learning Center, Hale Kea Testing Center, Paepae Ohua Native Hawaiian Student Success Center, the Pālamanui Library and Learning Center, and the Kō Education Center will maintain their respective hours: Paepae Ohua, 8 am to 5 pm, all others 8 am to 4:15 pm. All of the Centers have computers for student use but may require prior appointments to assure the social distancing requirement is practiced. Centers will continue to provide services to support academic success including academic tutoring, peer mentors, and technology assistance (Laulima, STAR GPS).

For additional information and to inquire about scheduling an appointment, please contact the appropriate location below:

Paepae Ohua Native Hawaiian Student Success Center: Tel: (808) 934-2600, Email: ioh@hawaii.edu
Hale Kea Testing Center: (808) 934-2540, Email: Distance Education Testing: hawccdet@hawaii.edu; All Other Inquiries: halekea@hawaii.edu
The Learning Center: (808) 934-2530, Email: hawcctlc@hawaii.edu
Pālamanui's Library and Learning Center: (808) 969-8830
UHH Mookini Library: (808) 932-7286
Ko Education Center: (808) 775-8890, Email: nherc@hawaii.edu

Some program labs will also be opened. Please check with your instructor.

STUDENT SERVICES REMAIN OPEN

Division of Student Affairs offices are still open for normal business hours of Monday through Friday 8 am – 4 pm, except for state holidays.

In the interest of health and safety, we are asking students and community members to contact our offices to schedule appointments through means of social distancing. In the event that face-to-face communication is necessary, please know that additional time may be required to maintain CDC recommended six foot social distancing throughout service delivery.

Our Division of Student Affairs offices can be reached at the following:

Admissions & Records: (808) 934-2710, hawccar@hawaii.edu
Counseling, Advising, & Support Services Center: (808) 934-2720, hawccssc@hawaii.edu
Financial Aid: (808) 934-2712, hawccfao@hawaii.edu
Hā'awi Kokua (Disability Services): (808) 934-2825, hawccds@hawaii.edu
Information Center: (808) 934-2800, hawccinfo@hawaii.edu
Mental Wellness & Personal Development Services: (808) 934-2706, mwpd@hawaii.edu

ONLINE TUTORING

Tutoring support will remain available through Tutor.com and is available online for FREE, 24/7. Tutor.com connects you with expert online tutors who can help you with course concepts and preparing for exams. They can also assist with any writing assignments or projects you are working on. Students can access Tutor.com through their MyUH portal or by logging in at https://www.hawaii.edu/tutor/. Here are the tutor.com flyers (https://bit.ly/3a5gijS) which guide students through accessing and using Tutor.com resources. Students needing assistance can contact Lisa Fukumitsu at fukumits@hawaii.edu.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

For technical support, it is recommended students contact the ITS Help Desk which is available 24/7.