Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Resources

Good Morning:

This week, I would like to sincerely express my gratitude for the incredible amount of thoughtful and diligent work that has taken place in the past month to ensure that our LWTech community is healthy and safe during this pandemic. While these are not normal times, starting next week I will resume emailing weekly updates through, Amy’s Update. Please be assured that I will continue to update you immediately, via email, and on the website, if there are COVID-19 updates that you should know about pertaining to our campus.

Spring Quarter Update

Our teams in Instruction and Student Services, led by vice presidents Dr. Suzanne Ames and Dr. Ruby Hayden have redesigned how best to deliver classes and support students, in countless ways. I am so appreciative and amazed by how much work, collaboration, and innovation has taken place over the past month.

Spring quarter classes will begin next Tuesday, April 7, and will be delivered entirely online. For some classes that normally require significant face-to-face instruction, the lecture component will take place online during spring quarter, and the lab time will be offered summer quarter.

Faculty continue to be creative and innovative in the ways they will be delivering online lectures, including providing video demonstrations. Faculty will be in contact with their students through each Canvas course, no later than April 7. Just to be clear, due to health and safety concerns, no face-to-face, in-person instruction will be delivered spring quarter.

Our teams in Student Services will continue to provide the same incredible support to students online, as they’ve done in-person.

Continued Support for EvergreenHealth

I’d like to thank Anthony Bowers and our team in Campus Public Safety, in partnership with Facilities, and our Allied Health division led by Dean Dr. Aparna Sen, for pulling together a second donation of PPE to our local hospital and industry partner, EvergreenHealth.

Final Thoughts during this “Spring Break”

As our students and faculty are on spring break, we all know that this “break” looks very different in so many ways this year. Instead of spending time physically with family and friends, traveling near and far, or working, they are home planning for what the next few months will look like, in ways they may have never thought imaginable. I continue to be incredibly grateful to our students and faculty for remaining so flexible and dedicated during this unprecedented time.

We are on the right path forward through this crisis. We, together, have created an equitable learning and working environment for our students, and each other. We will get through this crisis together and we will be stronger than ever. Not only are our students relying upon us to keep them on a successful educational path, our many neighbors who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic will need us to be ready this fall to help them navigate their pathway forward as well.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me, any time. My next college-wide communication will be next week, inAmy’s Update, unless there are new developments, in which case I will update you immediately. 

Stay well, take care of yourselves, and each other, and please stay in touch.

Amy

Dr. Amy Morrison 
President, Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Good Morning:

First, I want to share with you the great news that all of our students and colleagues who were exposed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak at Life Care Center of Kirkland are out of self-quarantine, and doing well. I’m incredibly thankful that they are all doing well.

As you know, on Monday evening, Governor Inslee issued a statewide order to “Stay Home, Stay Healthy,” March 25 through April 6. In his order, he outlined who and what was considered essential during this time. I thought it would be helpful if I outlined the specifics, as they relate to higher education, and more specifically, LWTech.

LWTech will continue to serve students online during this this two week period. As you know, students and faculty are currently on a much deserved spring break.

Faculty return on April 6. Spring quarter classes will start April 7, with all classes online for the first week. Starting the second week, some classes will stay online for the remainder of the quarter, some will be hybrid with the on-campus portion occurring later in the quarter, and some classes some will be held on campus starting on April 13 with social distancing, per the Governor’s executive order. We will communicate this plan to all students in the coming days, and of course, please remain flexible as the situation could change. 

Also, with the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy order,” there will not be in-person testing until after April 6. We know this will impact some of our programs. We will have more information about this in the coming days. If you need to submit any documents to admissions, registration, financial aid, or workforce development, we have secure online document upload options. Just let us know, and we can talk you through the process over the phone. You can reach our Student Services team at (425) 739-8104.

I know this is continues to be an incredibly stressful time for our college community. Not only are you having to make adjustments at work, you’re also making adjustments at home. Even with all of this change, the robust work of the college continues. So many of you have been working diligently to prepare for Spring quarter as we are starting to shift to how we work and deliver online instruction beginning April 7.

Our teams in Instruction and Student Services have been incredibly creative and innovative with designing equitable ways for our students to move to online instruction, and advising, for Spring quarter. We are also looking at how to move the normal business of the college to an online/remote format, including scheduling a Zoom All-Staff meeting once Spring quarter gets underway, and the team in Institutional Research is working on getting out this year’s employee survey. We will have more on both of those activities and others soon.

Our community of belonging is strong, and we are resilient. I, along with Executive Cabinet are here for you, and as I’ve said before, we have your backs, and the Board of Trustees stands firmly in support of our college. Thank you for your patience as we, together, create an equitable learning and working environment for our students, and each other.

Finally, I’d like to thank Dr. Aparna Sen and Dr. Lauren Cline for gathering and delivering a substantial PPE donation from our Nursing program to EvergreenHealth yesterday. As you know there is a tremendous shortage. I’m so grateful that we were able to do this for our hospital and industry partner.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me, any time. My next college-wide communication will be next week, unless there are new developments, in which case I will update you immediately.

Stay well, take care of yourselves, and each other,

Amy

Dr. Amy Morrison 
President, Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Good Afternoon: 

Today marks the end of Winter quarter. The last three weeks have been unprecedented for our college and our community. None of us could have predicted that we would be at the epicenter, and ground zero, of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the country.

You all have hung in there with us as we’ve navigated these unchartered waters, together. Thank you.

To our extraordinarily strong students

I am so incredibly proud of you. All of us at LWTech have always known how hard you work, the effort you put into your studies, and the time and dedication you devote to your programs. Your persistence and perseverance to finish out Winter quarter strong, under the veil of unknowns and changing circumstances, reiterates that you are the future. You have remained steadfast in your path to reach your educational goals. You hung in there with us as we determined what would be the best and safest way for you to finish Winter quarter. You asked good questions, and you were patient, as we, college administrators and faculty, found the best, and right, solution for you, so you could wrap up the quarter successfully. And, in the middle of all of this, you also found time to help each other, and encourage us. You are stronger than maybe you even knew.

To my colleagues

I am so honored and humbled to walk beside you each day as your president. Every single department within the college has come together to make sure our students were able to finish the quarter. You exude our innovative, collaborative, inclusive, and respectful core values. You have been creative in ways that maybe you didn’t even know were possible. There truly aren’t enough words for me to say how incredibly proud I am to be a part of this LWTech family with you.

LWTech has always been a family, and now, it’s even more apparent that our community of belonging is rock solid.

The spirit of generosity at LWTech is strong

I want to again thank our dedicated ASG leaders who so thoughtfully reallocated $26,000, to help support our COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund, that was spearheaded by generous donors James Kinsella and Robert McNeal, through the LWTech Foundation. The leadership of our ASG Board and their support of their peers is truly inspiring. 

I also want to acknowledge and thank all of my colleagues who have so generously donated the equivalent of thousands of dollars in shared leave time to our Emergency Shared Leave Pool. 

Stay safe and well

For those of you going into Spring break, I hope you will be able to take a moment to breathe, and reflect on all you have accomplished, not just over the past three weeks, but all along your educational journey.

While you’re on break, college administrators, Executive Cabinet, and I, will continue our work preparing for Spring quarter. As of today, Spring quarter will begin on Monday, April 6^th for faculty, and Tuesday April 7^th will be the first day of online instruction for students.

I know these are uncertain times for all of us. I want you to know that I am 100-percent certain of our resolve and strength as a college community.

As I mentioned in my message earlier this week, I’m going to begin posting messages weekly rather than daily, unless, of course, there’s new information. I will of course share that with you as I learn it.

Thank you all for hanging in there with us. It means so much. We will get through this, together.

Stay well, take care of yourselves, and each other,

Amy

Dr. Amy Morrison 
President, Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Good Morning:

I sometimes have to remind myself that it’s been just three weeks since we found ourselves at the epicenter of the US coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. I’m amazed at what we’ve learned, and how quickly we’ve all adjusted to what is our, “for now,” new normal (for example, I am writing this update from my kitchen table). I know this is a very stressful time and so many people are rising to the challenge, helping family members, neighbors, and in many cases strangers.

Now is also the time to remember our college value of inclusion which is why I am sharing with you information that King County Public Health produced to help dispel misinformation that can be damaging and hurtful to members of our college community, and the community at-large.

• COVID-19 doesn't recognize race, nationality or ethnicity. While it may have originated in China, it is not a Chinese disease. Viruses don’t discriminate. Having Chinese ancestry-or any other ancestry does not make a person more vulnerable to the illness.
• Wearing a mask does not mean a person is ill. People wear masks for a variety of reasons, including to avoid pollen and air pollution and for cultural and social reasons.
• People of all ages can be infected by the COVID-19. Older people and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.
• You can interrupt the stigmas surrounding coronavirus. Avoid spreading misinformation. Share accurate information through reputable resources like King County Public Health, the CDC, and the Washington State Department of Health.
• Speak up if you hear, see, or read misinformation or harassment. Gently correct the false information, remind the speaker; prejudiced language and actions make us all feel less safe. If a serious harassment occurs, consider reporting it. You can report it.
• Show compassion and support for those most closely impacted.

Since the outbreak began, there has been an increase in in bias and harassment against Asian Americans and immigrants in the community. As I mentioned above, COVID-19 recognizes no nationality, ethnicity, or race.

In our actions and spoken word, it’s clear that our Community of Belonging is as strong as ever. I’m so proud of our innovative, inclusive, collaborative, and respectful community, and how we’ve come together, during this very trying time, in full support of our students and each other.

I want to speak directly to the undocumented members of our community, and the undocumented students who are a particularly vulnerable population that might be worried about consequences of seeking medical care. We want to reassure you, and college employees who serve these students, if you need to access medical assistance, please contact the Public Health Department. This is not considered a public benefit or a form of public assistance as described under the new changes to the public charge rule. There is no foreseen negative impact to future immigration applications.

I know that our community is united and supportive of one another, and the community at-large, and that is what LWTech is built on.

Finally, I want to end my message today once talking again about the importance of self-care. These are extremely stressful times for all of us. Now is the time to connect and check-in with each other. Have your meetings on Zoom if you can, so you can see each other. Check in on family and friends. Take time to do something for yourself during the day. Teleworking, while necessary, can be stressful. Be sure you take breaks. It’s easy to forget to do that when you work from home.

I want to again share with you the mental health resources we have available to our college community. 

For our students, if you are feeling anxiety about the coronavirus, we are offering counseling appointments in-person, via phone, and through Zoom meeting. If you are interested in making an appointment, please contact Katie Peacock, Director of Student Development at (425) 739-8362.

For our faculty and staff, the Employee Assistance Program has additional Coronavirus information. You can login to the EAP Work/Life Resources website, using Org Code: LWIT. EAP counselors are also available for confidential support and can reached at 877-313-4455.

Stay well, take care of yourselves, and each other,

Amy

Dr. Amy Morrison 
President, Lake Washington Institute of Technology

The safety of our students, faculty and staff is our priority. If we need to close the college we will do so. Everyone’s health and safety is our highest priority.

Unlike our local decision making with weather-related closures, our President will follow the advice and direction from King County Public Health, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and state officials. 

If we have suspended operations, you will be notified through our FlashAlert and Omnilert systems that send out calls, emails and text messages. Now is a great time to make sure that your notification settings are correct.

Sign up for LWTech's Flash Alert and Omnilert Notifications

Human coronavirus is most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:

• The air by coughing and sneezing, or close person-to-person contact
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands 

Symptoms may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus.

Symptoms of coronavirus may include:

• Fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Cough

If you have traveled to/from any of the countries with travel alerts or outbreaks, and have symptoms, contact a healthcare provider. 

If you have been notified by public health authorities that you might have been exposed, please follow instructions provided by the Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus. The CDC recommends everyday prevention measures, including: 

• Everyone get a seasonal flu vaccination if possible. While it will not prevent the novel coronavirus, influenza is currently in widespread circulation, and initial symptoms can be similar to novel coronavirus.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home from school or work if sick.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, and for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Don’t share food and drinks.
• Clean and disinfect shared surfaces and objects that are touched frequently. 

Stay home when you are sick. Do not report to work or attend classes if you are ill. Instructors, consider providing students with ways to complete work from home. This is good advice no matter what illness is going around. If you are concerned about your flu-like illness, call your health care provider for advice and share any travel history. Stay home, rest, and stay hydrated.

To prevent the spread of any respiratory diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throw the tissue away
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water

The proper way to wash your hands is for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating, after going to the bathroom and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.

Keep some basic supplies at home. The US Department of Homeland Security recommends that people should keep some basic supplies at home in case they get sick or in case it is difficult to get supplies at a store. Here is what they are recommending:

• Store a two-week supply of food. Select foods that do not require refrigeration, preparation or cooking. Ensure that formula for infants and any child’s or older person’s special nutritional needs are a part of your planning. Plan for your pets as well.
• Store a supply of nonprescription drugs, such as pain relievers, cough and cold medicines, stomach remedies and anti-diarrheal medication, as well as vitamins and fluids with electrolytes (such as sports drinks).
• Store health and cleaning supplies, such as bleach, tissues, a thermometer, disposable gloves, soap and alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
• Periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.
• Get copies and maintain electronic versions of health records from doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and other sources and store them, for personal reference.
• Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them in your home.

Make a plan now for how you, your household and your neighbors might need to adapt, rely on each other if there is a significant outbreak. Here are some things that could occur:

• Major events, church and community services and many businesses may be temporarily closed.
• Public transportation might be reduced or suspended.
• Childcare centers and schools may be closed.
• It could be difficult to buy basic supplies.