• March 12, 2020

    Dear BCCC Faculty and Staff,

    This afternoon, Governor Hogan announced the first communal transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Maryland. Maryland Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Salmon, directed all public schools (K-12) to close from Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27. The College will continue to review the Governor’s directives to determine additional actions that BCCC will incorporate.

    The Governor has confirmed 12 cases of the Coronavirus in Maryland and the State is currently operating under a state of emergency. The College continues to follow the guidance of the Baltimore City Health Department, Maryland Department of Health, the Governor’s Office and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Further, we are monitoring what is taking place with area colleges and universities.

    While there are no confirmed cases associated with Baltimore City Community College or the City of Baltimore, the situation in Maryland and around the region is changing rapidly and we are taking proactive measures as summarized.

    • Classes will be cancelled on Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17 to allow faculty to prepare for transitioning to online teaching.
    • Beginning Wednesday, March 18 through Saturday, March 28, all courses will be taught online via the Canvas learning management system.
    • Classes will resume on Campus on Monday, March 30. However, this date will be reassessed and may be extended.
    • All offices will remain open and available to serve students.
    • All BCCC employees should report as normal until further advised.

    Faculty Training for Online Teaching

    • The Deans and Associate Deans have discussed the move to an online format for classes and provided direction for additional training needed for faculty on using Canvas to teach online.
    • Two trainings are available and Deans will notify respective faculty of which training to take:

    1. Canvas Essentials: for faculty that have never taught online/hybrid or have not used Canvas extensively in their face to face courses; or
    2. Canvas Refresh: for faculty who are certified to teach online/hybrid and for those who use Canvas extensively in their face to face classes.

    • The trainings will be held on Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17.

    • Canvas Essentials:
      8:00am – 11:00am
      11:30am – 2:30pm
      3:30pm – 6:30pm
      5:00pm – 8:00pm

    • Canvas Refresh:
      8:00am – 10:00am
      11:30am – 1:30pm
      2:00pm – 4:00pm
      5:00pm – 7:00pm

    • Faculty will have the option to teach remotely or from their offices.
    • Please visit the Faculty Resource Guide for more information.

    Clinicals and Internships

    • The majority of clinicals and internships remain as scheduled. To date, only three offsite clinicals have cancelled and affected students have been notified.

    Campus Activities and Events

    • Effective immediately, on-campus events, both internal and external groups, with more than 50 people, scheduled through April 30 are cancelled. We will do our best to reschedule and will reassess at the appropriate time.
    • No decision on Commencement has been made at this time.
    • While students are able to come on campus during this time, classes will only be available online.

    Travel Guidance

    • Effective immediately, all College related out-of-state and international travel is suspended until further notice.
    • College related in-state travel decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis with the appropriate cabinet member.
    • Disclose any personal out-of-state and international travel plans that you may have through the end of May to your supervisor.
    • Employees who have traveled anywhere with a possible exposure to COVID-19 and want to self-quarantine as a precaution should notify their supervisor.
    • All study abroad programs are cancelled.

    Support Services

    • In anticipation of an increased call volume, Admissions, Registration and Records, Financial Aid, Bursar and Student Accounts offices are expanding phone line capacity.
    • The Help Desk will have extended hours and will be available to assist with questions related to online learning.
      Facilities
    • The Childcare Center will remain open and a communication will be sent to parents.
    • The cafeteria will remain open on a limited basis.
    • Beginning Friday, March 13 through Sunday, March 15 our Housekeeping team will deep clean student services and academic areas, disinfecting classroom desks, computers, chairs, floors, hallways, bathrooms, receptacles and other high-touch surfaces.
    • Hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed around campus.

    Stay Informed

    These actions have not been taken lightly and members of the BCCC community have been and will remain engaged. I know that this has altered our comfort levels and raised tremendous concern about health and safety. While a drastic change for all of you, our students will be challenged to make the shift to an online format where they will not have the close daily connection to you. For many, you are their lifeline and provide the assurance that they will be successful. I applaud you for the manner in which you lift them up each day; now you will be called upon for even greater strength and compassion to get them through.

    Given the rapidly changing nature of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) the health and welfare of all of you and our students remains our highest priority. We will continue to reassess conditions and provide updates to the BCCC community. Stay well and safe!

    Regards,

    Debra McCurdy, PhD
    President