by JAMES CASON
Deputy Editor
“Mask up – vax up” window poster, featuring masked students on campus, in front of the WCC Technical and Industrial building, Sept. 13.
Shelby Beaty | The Washtenaw Voice
WCC pandemic safety measures continue, as “Do not enter” signs, posted on campus building doors, warn students, staff, and visitors who are sick or have been ill within the past 24 hours not to enter.
“If I were sick, I’d stay off campus and contact my professors,” said Joe Burr, a liberal arts transfer student at WCC. “But it would all depend on my symptoms. Sick, for me, means anything from the sniffles to a persistent cough or feeling overall tired.”
Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 are asked to complete the COVID Reporting Form. This form is only intended to be filled out by students who take in-person classes and WCC faculty and staff who work on campus. Students who are only enrolled in virtual and online courses should not complete this form.
“We’re watching for the forms all the time, so it’s a pretty rapid response,” said Linda Blakey, the executive vice president of student and academic services at WCC. “We certainly have had some students who’ve reported that they’ve tested positive. Sometimes people fill the form out, students especially, and they’re not on campus. We really want to know this for people who are coming to campus.”
Staff and students are contacted within the same business day of submitting the COVID form – by Human Resources (for faculty and staff) and The Dean of Students office (for students). Submitted information, including the student or staff member’s last day on campus and specific locations visited, is confirmed, and verified. A return-to-campus date is given based on the number of days in quarantine. Students and staff should not return to campus before this date.
Faculty and staff members directly related to each case are alerted about the documented positive test results and the infected student or staff member’s eligible date to return to campus. A notification is also sent to students enrolled in classes where COVID-19 positive students have attended.
“They are notified that someone in their class attended on ‘this particular day,’ and that they tested positive, and what the next steps are,” said Blakey.
The next steps include watching for symptoms and following up with a healthcare provider for testing if symptoms are encountered. Students and staff are encouraged not to come to campus if they are experiencing related symptoms.
“The system is only as good as the people here on campus,” said Paul Gomez, the sergeant of campus public safety at WCC. “Everybody has to take ownership. Everybody has to be open and honest about symptoms. Otherwise, the system will fail.”
Graphic by Lauren Brutger
“Just be kind, cognizant, and respectful of your fellow human beings,” said Gomez. “Just because you may not have that same belief of wearing a mask, you should be respectful of others and be considerate to the humankind and do the right thing. Mask up. It’s going to keep us all safe.”
FAQs
What do I do about missing classes and assignments?
Students who cannot attend classes due to their positive COVID status should work directly with their professors to determine a plan for making up work when applicable. In rare instances where a student cannot make up a substantial amount of schoolwork or complete their class(es), students can submit a refund exception.
What should I do if someone in my in-person class is very sick and I am uncomfortable?
This student might opt to speak with their instructor during a break and ask them to have a sidebar with the ill student. The professor can discuss the college’s guidelines set in place for those who are sick. It’s probably not a good idea to confront the ill student. Another option would be to reach out to the public safety department on campus to avoid in-class discussions. This option would require knowing the name of the sick student.
What if a student lives with people who have tested positive, but the student has tested negative – are they OK to come to campus?
He or she can still come to campus and attend classes, and do everything that everyone else is doing, if he or she is adhering to the guidelines that the college has set for COVID safety protocols: wearing a mask, adhering to proper sanitation, etc.
Visit WCC’s COVID-19 updates webpage for up-to-date information.
Free Vaccinations: WCC’s Welcome Back Day will be held on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, from 10 am to 2 pm. The State of Michigan will be hosting a shot clinic, providing Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines – free of charge. All students who have not previously done so are encouraged to get vaccinated.