COVID-19 – Coronavirus

In Phase three of Southwest Tech’s Return to Work Plan, face-to-face instruction will resume on the first day of the fall 2020 semester with new safety protocols in place.

Different courses will be taught in different formats. It’s important that students know what the different formats mean, so we’ve set up the Delivery Format Definitions page to explain what the terms online, remote, blended, and face to face mean.

In compliance with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers ordering the closure of all non-essential business, Southwest Tech campus closed as of Monday, March 23. However, all student support services have transitioned to alternative delivery methods.

We have also set up a Student Resources page where you can find helpful information to support your life and studies as Southwest Tech. Use the Virtual Programming page to connect with other students, stay healthy or just watch a live stream of a panda.

In phase two of the Southwest
Tech Return to Campus Plan, limited staff will be working on campus. If you
need to meet with an employee in person, please schedule a meeting by emailing
or calling that person directly.

Please
contact your supervisor or Human Resources if you have questions about your
time away from work options.

If you
are a Southwest Tech faculty or staff member, the following internal resources
can be found on the Hub Human Resources Page.

(Fall programming and college-wide operations)
Conditions:

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements apply based on the advice of county health officials, Districts Mutual Insurance Company, and legal counsel while adhering to the guidelines set by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, principles of infectious disease control, and the Badger Bounce Back Plan.
• Instructional safety and personal protocols are established and implemented college-wide (see Safety Plan).
• Minimal staff to complete on-site department duties; mostly work from home continues. All departments who provide essential services will have one person on a rotational basis on campus during normal hours.
• No non-classroom gatherings.
• Educational activities will be limited dependent upon the size of the training space.
• All guests must enter through the Main Entrance.
• Child Care Center – Will re-open August 17 with students having first priority for child care; safety protocols have been established in conjunction with the Department of Family Services
• Charley’s is closed as an activity center and repurposed for classroom space.
• Fitness Center remains closed; locker room/shower are open for Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement students only.
• Dining room is closed.
• Limited food service – preordering and carry out or delivery only.
• Students are allowed to eat in their assigned seat in their learning area. They must maintain social distance (6 feet between individuals) at all times and masks must be put back on when they are done eating and drinking.
• There will be no out-of-district travel for work except for direct course-related needs (i.e., clinicals, internships) or as granted by the President (see Travel Guidelines).
• Creative Elements Salon will remain closed.

Covid-19 is spreading through our counties, our towns, our workplaces, and our families. Health officials have encouraged people to avoid public gatherings, to stay home more often, and to keep their distance from others so the virus has fewer opportunities to spread. We limit our social interactions in an act of solidarity to protect the health and wellbeing of others.

How to protect yourself and others, from CDC.gov (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html)

Clean your hands often

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with
  unwashed hands[DC1].

Avoid close contact and practice social distancing

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Put at least six feet of distance between yourself and other people. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.

Wear a face-mask:

The evidence is clear on the effectiveness of mask wearing.

• When you are away from home and in public
• When you are in your home and caring for others who are infectious with coronavirus or respiratory illness
• When you are in your home with others and are ill yourself with coronavirus or have been recently exposed to the virus yourself

Stay home if you’re sick

• Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care. Learn what to do if you are sick.

Cover coughs and sneezes

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.
• Throw used tissues in the trash.
• Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Clean and disinfect

• Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
• If surfaces are dirty, clean them: Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

As the Wisconsin DOT updates Driver Education procedures and Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) location information, we will be updating our Driver Education page. Please check for updates prior to calling your instructor.

If a local case is reported, Southwest Tech will take immediate steps in accordance with CDC guidelines to respond to any health and safety risk to the campus community.

If someone has been in contact with a confirmed case and develops symptoms, they should fill out the Concerns Form on our website and wait for instructions on further evaluation.

If a student has a positive COVID-19 screening, they will be isolated for assessment and Southwest Tech staff will continue to follow CDC guidance to prevent the spread of infection. Local healthcare organizations are following the same protocol with their patients.

Southwest Tech is carefully monitoring the circumstances and will continue to comply with CDC best practices and guidance as they are released.

As Southwest Tech continues to monitor the evolving situation throughout the college’s five-county district, positive cases of COVID-19 are emerging and will likely continue to emerge. Specific cases directly connected to Southwest Tech’s community are being audited internally. Please continue to practice social distancing to keep you and your loved ones safe.

If you receive a report of COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing, etc.) from an employee or student, or if there is someone who is showing signs of symptoms, please follow these steps:

1. Give them the following advice:
   1. Stay home.
   2. Call ahead to your care provider and report symptoms and any pre-existing conditions:
2. Report your encounter using the report a concern online form: Report a Concern
3. Identify in the report any recent campus contacts. (Ex. They were in class on XX-XX-XXXX, held in room X.)

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act, any incident creates a threat to the students, employees, or campus guests, which will result in a timely warning.

These steps are essential to
our efforts in reporting and mitigating the spread of COVID-19. If you have any
questions or concerns, please email covid19response@swtc.edu.

Southwest Tech…
This is where people care.

The College and Foundation have had several supporters reach out and ask what they can do to help the college and our students during this crisis.  We understand that everyone is impacted by this crisis, and for some, giving is a way they can make a difference at a time when so much feels outside of our control.   The Southwest Tech Foundation has created the Support Our Students (S.O.S.) Fund.  This fund will support our students in the most impactful ways possible throughout the crisis.

Donate Today

Select ‘Support Our Students (S.O.S.) Fund’ from the Designation drop-down box.

Find out more about how this donation will be used to support our students on the Support Our Students page.

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College continues to closely monitor the spread of the COVID-19, the disease caused by a virus strain that began spreading in people in December 2019.

Health experts are concerned because little is known about this new respiratory virus, and it can cause severe illness and pneumonia in some people.

• The COVID-19 virus was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
• The COVID-19 virus is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold.
• Formerly, this disease was referred to as “2019 Novel Coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV.”

For specific information about what’s happening in Wisconsin, please visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for accurate information.

FEMA has released a website to help the public distinguish between rumors and Facts regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. This information is available at the FEMA – distinguish Facts from Rumors site.

The college is evaluating events hosted on campus and determining whether to host the events as planned, consider alternative options, or cancel the event. Specific decisions will be communicated in a timely manner.

In-Person events are being canceled, but we are looking into offering some of these events virtually. We will update with details as these are figured out.

The Following Events are Canceled

• Dual Credit Student Day | March 30, April 6, April 27, May 4
• New Student Registration | Opens April 13, Individual Dates as follows: April 15, 16, 17, 20, and 23
• Will be Done Virtually
• Motor Show | May 2
• Spring Picnic | May 6
• Southwest Tech HS Trapshoot Invite | May 9
• Golden Knights Jump Into Southwest Tech | July 2

Southwest Tech continues to actively monitor this global health crisis in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).