This phase not an “all clear;” certain safety measures remain in place and must be followed

On April 12, 2021 Yavapai Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine announced that on June 1 the College would be moving to the Covid-19 green phase of its reentry plan.  However, while many restrictions will be lifted, several remain.  (Please see below for exact details.) 

A short video clip showing a portion of the April 12 video announcement by Dr. Rhine follows below.  If you wish  to view the entire video clip, please go to https://www.yc.edu/v6/college-police/covid-19/reentry/ .

College has been operating in red and orange phases since the Pandemic began

Dr. Lisa Rhine announced on February 17 that the Community College will move into the yellow phase of its COVID-19 re-entry plan following the spring break on March 22.   The College will continue operating in the orange phase until that date.

The yellow phase continues with a list of restrictions including wearing a face mask in Yavapai Community College buildings or in vehicles.  The complete list is shown below.

Only a portion of the video where Dr. Rhine made the announcement on February 17 also appears below.  The entire video announcement can be viewed at   https://www.yc.edu/v6/college-police/covid-19/reentry/

Funds came from  $2.4 million received in April from Government as  Yavapai Community College’s portion of the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES)

In May 2020, Yavapai Community College received almost  $2.4 million from  the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.  The   Relief Fund was authorized as part of the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, called the CARES Act.

In the Student Development, Monthly Board Highlights, January 2021 Edition, news posting, the Financial  Aid Office announced it had distributed 2,059 CARES emergency grants for a total of $969,369 to Yavapai Community College  students since April, 2020.  This apparently exhausts this part of the funds that came via the CARES Act.

In its post, the Office provided a sampling of the type of response it had received  from grantees for providing the financial help.  The note from a student read as follows:

“Thank you so much. I swear I saw this and almost started crying. I’ve been living pay check to pay check. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to afford school next semester but this is such a huge help. I can’t even explain how much this means to me. I’m just so relieved. I was short on rent and my baby was born premature so I had to take time off as well and that was going to make things even harder. I can’t even begin to explain. I’m so happy!”

Recall  President Lisa Rhine announced on April 21 that the $2.4 million  received from the CARES Act would be used for three purposes: First, students who may have taken face-to-face classes in the spring and were affected by COVID-19 could  apply for the summer term and receive six tuition free credits. A second  portion of the funds  was put into the student emergency fund.  Finally, in her April 21 and 23 updates, Dr. Rhine  said  that Yavapai Community College leadership decided that the “other half” of funds, which is earmarked for “operational losses during the pandemic,” was to  be used primarily as an innovation grant for faculty and staff to support online remote delivery to students.

The decision to apply the money as outlined by Dr. Rhine  is in accord with the Federal Guidelines for distribution of CARES funds. The  Community College, of course,  must follow the guidelines.

Source:  Student Development, Monthly Board Highlights, January 2021 Edition.   https://www.yc.edu/v6/office-of-the-president/docs/highlights/2021–01-highlights.pdf

Covid  not on agenda, rules  Board lawyer, who abruptly shuttered the issue after two questions were asked at the end of president’s report; ruling left Board impotent to ask additional questions  about Covid decisions and the  possible implications of those decisions  for the community when classes resume January 19

The question of how Yavapai Community College would handle the current pandemic when it opens on January 19 for regular classes was raised at the January 12 Governing Board meeting by Third District Representative Paul Chevalier.  He was allowed two short  questions with  the issue then being abruptly  shuttered  by the Board attorney  for any further questioning by Board members.

The request for information by Mr. Chevalier came at the end of Community College president Dr. Lisa Rhine’s monthly report to the Board.  In response to his query, Dr. Rhine said that the plan to reopen was a “modified one.”  Dr. Rhine indicated that there would not be face-to-face classes in the performing arts and music programs.

Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Diane Ryan, estimated that about ten percent of the entering spring class would be hybrid with some face-to-face interaction.  The ten percent included students in Allied Health and Career and Technical Education . However, she estimated the number of students in face-to-face classes at the Career and Technical Education Center would be “lower” than in the fall semester. 

After the two questions from Mr. Chevalier, any additional queries  from the Board were  abruptly cut off  by the Governing Board attorney . She  said that because the issue of Covid-19  wasn’t on the Board Agenda, nothing more about the pandemic and its impact on students,  staff and the community  could be publicly discussed. 

 ➡ Because the ruling limiting questions to President Rhine about Covid-19 came up at the end of  the Community College’s president’s report and she had not addressed the important issue until asked,  there remains  a general question about what a Board member may ask the President when she makes her monthly  report, if anything, if it has also not been placed on the Board  agenda.  

You may see a clip of the brief discussion regarding this issue on the video below.

Outdoor athletic programs delayed until February 1

The latest word from Maricopa Community Colleges is that all indoor athletic programs are cancelled for the spring 2021.  According to the College’s posting, all outdoor athletic programs are delayed until February 1, 2021.

The announcement made by the Community College as of December 19 follows in full below.

Dr. Rhine says  that “with the COVID-19 vaccine distribution on the horizon, I hope that we will be able to move to our yellow and green phases later this spring”

Yavapai Community College has announced its intention to move from the current red phase of response to the Covid-19 pandemic to the lesser orange phase on January 19.  In the bulletin issued by the College December 16, president Dr. Lisa Rhine said that she hoped that the College would be above to move “to the orange phase when classes begin on January 19 to allow students in essential workforce and healthcare programs to continue to have access to the valuable hands-on learning they need.”

The explanation given by  Dr. Rhine for the decision to move from red to orange appears below:

Why are we moving to the orange phase on January 19?

We are planning to move to the orange phase when classes begin on January 19 to allow students in essential workforce and healthcare programs to continue to have access to the valuable hands-on learning they need.

The College has worked incredibly hard since March to implement safe and smart measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The protocols that we have enacted have worked. While we have had students and employees test positive for COVID-19, the number of infected people at YC campuses and centers has been minimal, and transmission, according to our contact tracing, has always come from outside the organization to the best of our knowledge.

The Executive Leadership Team and I believe that if we continue to commit to following the protocols, we will continue to see very low transmission on our campuses.

With the COVID-19 vaccine distribution on the horizon, I hope that we will be able to move to our yellow and green phases later this spring.

Percent of COVID-19 increasing and spreading through the communities; tests in Yavapai County grow to 25.3%

Yavapai Community College president Lisa Rhine announced via a Special bulletin on December 2, 2020 that the Community College will remain in the red pandemic phase during the remainder of the fall semester.  The president wrote that “Over the past two weeks, the percent of positive COVID-19 tests in Yavapai County has grown to 25.3%. By every metric provided by the Yavapai County Community Health Services (YCCHS), COVID-19 is spreading through our communities at a significantly high rate.”

“For that reason, the Executive Leadership Team and I have decided to stay in the red phase of our re-entry plan for the remainder of the fall semester.”

You may read the entire bulletin issued December 2 below.

Code Red in effect from Monday, November 30 through Sunday, December 6

Yavapai Community College announced in a special bulletin issued  Tuesday, November 24, 2020  that it will move to the red phase of its plan to protect students, staff and others from the spread of Covid-19 effective Monday, November 30.  The Code Red phase will continue until December 6.  The fall semester ends December 11. A decision will be made on or before December 6 regarding the phase the Community College will use after that date.

The details regarding how the College will implement Code Red were included in a letter sent by president Dr. Lisa Rhine to faculty, staff and students. The letter  in the form of a special bulletin follows below.

As a result, the Executive Leadership Team has made the following decisions:

1. Yavapai College will move to the red phase of the re-entry plan effective Monday, November 30 through Sunday, December 6.

2. Full details of the red phase can be found on our website at www.yc.edu/reentry

3. During the red phase:

   • All classes will move to virtual environments. No classes of any kind will meet in-person on any of our campuses or centers.
   • If students have questions about their classes, they should contact their instructors. Students, your instructors will work with you to make sure that you can complete all of your classes this semester and are ready to move on to your spring semester classes.
   • All student and public services will be offered remotely.
   • Only essential employees are permitted to be on any of our campuses or centers. If you have a question about whether you are an essential employee, please contact your supervisor. Non-essential employees should continue to work remotely during the red phase.
   • Employee keycard access to buildings will be shut off during the red phase.
   • Family Enrichment Center: The Family Enrichment Center (FEC) will follow the College’s move to the red phase and will be offering remote services. The FEC will be eligible to return in-person when the College advances back to the orange phase.

4. The Executive Leadership Team and I will meet every Friday through the remainder of the fall semester to determine if it is safe to return to the orange phase. We will provide an update after each meeting. The next meeting will be on Friday, December 4.

5. This decision to move to the red phase does not currently impact the College’s plans for the spring semester, and we are planning to open the spring semester in the orange phase.

I want to reiterate that College re-entry decisions are not taken lightly. I understand the impact that these decisions have on your ability to participate in classes and effectively perform your jobs. I hope you understand that it is my duty to make the best possible decisions for your health and safety, and as a College, we will continue to assess the COVID-19 pandemic with great caution.

Please continue to practice our safety protocols of wearing face covers, social distancing, and using hand and mouth hygiene. They are just as important now as ever.

As always, I urge you to be safe and make wise decisions. The virus affects every person differently, so it is imperative that we look out for one another and that each of us do our part to help slow the second wave of transmission.

I will provide another update on Friday, December 4. Please have a safe and healthy Thanksgiving holiday.

Please be safe and stay well,

Lisa B. Rhine, Ph.D.
President
Yavapai College