Cascadia College > Campus Services > Emergency Preparedness > Coronavirus

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Updates

Cascadia College is still operating - we're just doing things differently. Our college has moved services and instruction online to the greatest extent possible. This is both a directive of Governor Inslee and the right thing to do to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus and keep you and our community healthy. You can now access support services and appointments online, and those can be found on our Temporary Resources page. While we’ve never gone through something like this before, and things are changing quickly, one thing that won’t change is our dedication to educating and serving you – our students.

Current Status

april 2, 2020

Cascadia College has made the following decisions:

  1. Spring Quarter entirely online
  2. 2020 Virtual Commencement

 

Why will classes be online the whole quarter?

Short answer: So you can plan accordingly, and not be kept wondering. The longer answer: The timeline of when the Governor and/or King County will lift their “Stay Home Stay Healthy” orders seems to change daily. Prior to these two orders, we were in the mode of “stay home if you can”. Because there is no concrete answer as to whether or not we will be able to return to campus, and because students and employees are wanting to plan more definitively, the Executive Team has made the decision that all of spring quarter will be conducted remotely.

Learn more by contacting your faculty or checking CANVAS often.

 

virtual commencement, what does that mean?

Cascadia College has decided to embrace a virtual commencement this year. This means we will not have an in-person ceremony. Over the next few weeks, the Student Recognition Committee will create options for a virtual ceremony where we will be able to celebrate each individual, honor our faculty and students, and deliver content. Please stay tuned for more information...

For now, continue to visit the Temporary Resources page for additional information and support. 

As the situation is constantly evolving, please continue to check back for updates. We will continue to track COVID-19 and adjust our protocols to align with state and county public health guidelines. 

If you have questions, we invite you to email healthycampus@cascadia.edu.

 

CLICK HERE FOR PAST UPDATES

 

 

What do I do if I feel sick?

If you develop symptoms — such as a fever, cough or shortness of breath OR if you have had exposure to someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19:

  • Don't come to campus. Call your health provider to let them know you are coming. Isolate yourself and wear a mask before leaving the house. Do not go to the emergency room. Emergency rooms need to be able to serve people with the most critical needs. Please do not show up at a clinic, urgent care or other health facility without calling first. 
  • Your health provider may test you or refer you for testing. Please follow your doctor's advice carefully.
  • Contact your instructors. If you are "self-isolating" due to a known exposure or have been instructed by doctors to quarantine yourself, reach out to your instructors to make a plan for the remainder of the quarter.

For immediate questions or concerns, please contact the Washington Department of Health Call Center:
1-800-525-0127 and press #

 

 Combatting Stigma

In some areas, the fear of the spread of coronavirus has resulted in incidents of bias and harassment against Chinese nationals, Chinese Americans, and peoples of Asian heritage. This is a good time to emphasize Cascadia's commitment to equity and inclusion. Name-calling, racist tropes, or any type of harassment against individuals or groups is never welcome on our campus. Please keep in mind that many of our community members, including our international students, may be dealing with difficulties stemming directly from the impact of COVID-19. Coronavirus Stigma Fact Sheet

Coronavirus and stigma fact sheet with orange and green graphics. Available on the kingcounty.gov website.

If you experience or witness any bias or harassment please report it to our Campus Safety Office at 425-352-5359. Cascadia students who are needing more personal support during this time are encouraged to seek counseling services at the Counseling Center. King County Public Health has an excellent site dedicated to anti-stigma resources. 

 

Resources

 

General prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the best source of information about how the virus spreads and how to protect yourself, in addition to the most current national and global assessments.

King County Public Health publishes a page with regular updates relevant specifically to our region. You can sign up to receive free email alerts that will inform you when new information is posted to the site. This site also contains fact sheets in 10 different languages. www.kingcounty.gov/covid 

The University of Washington is also maintaining a website with resources as well as updates specific to their campuses.

 

For colleges, administrators, and employees

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and Higher Education Facilities Information for Administrators and Employees

 

Overview

The novel coronavirus, now called COVID-19, is still making headlines in the U.S. and around the world, and the situation is evolving. Cascadia College has been monitoring the situation via the University of Washington's Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases, which has been meeting on a daily basis. This page will be updated as the situation changes to keep our community informed.

 COVID-19 Prevention Tips

 COVID-19 Communication Archives

Week March 14-March 20
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MARCH 17, 2020

Beginning Thursday, March 19 campus buildings will be closed to the public and will remain closed through March 30. Cascadia staff will provide all student services online or via telephone. The Library closes tonight, Tuesday, March 17, and will remain closed until March 30.

  • The ARC will remain open through Friday, March 20 and then will close until March 30. The Fitness Center, however, is closed.

To emphasize: the college is doing all of its business online. We are still enrolling students for spring quarter, advising and financial aid appointments are available, you'll be able to access online tutoring, and all the other services you count on. We will update this page with information about how and who to contact for the services you need.

Please see Temporary Resources page for additional information. 

As the situation is constantly evolving, please continue to check back for updates. We will continue to track COVID-19 and adjust our protocols to align with state and county public health guidelines. 

If you have questions, we invite you to email healthycampus@cascadia.edu.

 

MARCH 16, 2020

Cascadia campus open. Spring break is March 23-April 3. Spring Quarter begins Monday, April 6 with online curriculum, where applicable. Financial aid will still be distributed as scheduled on March 30. Graduation will be June 19, 2020. Continue to check email and CANVAS for more information as it becomes available.

NEW! Temporary Cascadia resources page through April 27th

Cascadia campus services open:

 

 

 
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Week March 9-March 13
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MARCH 12, 2020

Cascadia has made the decision to extend its spring break to two weeks which will push the start of spring quarter back by one week to April 6. Financial aid will, however, still be distributed as scheduled on March 30. Our current plan is to begin the quarter in our traditional face-to-face mode but we are making contingency plans to move spring quarter curriculum online as necessary. Graduation will also shift one week later to June 19, 2020.

Continue to check email and CANVAS for more information as it becomes available.

Cascadia campus services open:

  • Kodiak Corner, Monday-Thursday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
  • Bock Learning Center tutoring services and study space. Staff will be limiting the number of people who can enter.
  • The Activities and Recreation Center, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm daily
  • The Library, Monday-Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm, closed on weekends
  • Kodiak Cave will remain open for students with food resource challenges. 3/11 & 3/12 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, Fridays by appointment, kodiakcave@cascadia.edu 
  • Stopwatch Espresso, Monday-Friday 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • Campus dining options will be closed, including food trucks.
  • All campus events have been canceled at this time.

 

MARCH 9, 2020

Beginning Monday, March 9, Cascadia will -- with some exceptions -- move courses to online modalities for the remainder of winter quarter. Your instructors will be in touch with you this weekend with information about your specific courses. Please monitor your CANVAS and WAMAP accounts for this information.

Cascadia made this decision based on new guidelines issued by the King County Public Health Department recommending “social distancing.” To date, there have been no diagnosed cases of COVID-19 on our campus.

  • All student services including Kodiak Corner (Monday-Thursday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm) and the Bock Learning Center will be open for business. Staff will be limiting the number of people who can enter.
  • The Activities and Recreation Center will be open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm daily.
  • The Library hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm, closed on weekends.
  • Kodiak Cave will remain open for students with food resource challenges.
  • Campus dining options will be closed, including food trucks.
  • All campus events have been canceled.

By limiting the number of people physically on campus, we will be able to maintain the social distancing prescribed by public health officials and maintain a clean campus. As a precautionary measure, we are currently in the process of deep cleaning our campus buildings. This work will continue until all spaces have been completed. In addition, our facilities staff are also performing “touch-point” cleaning on a frequent basis (handles, restrooms, railings, elevator buttons, etc.) and refilling our wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispensers located throughout our buildings.

We want to remind everyone not to come to campus if you are sick with flu symptoms such as fever, cough, or respiratory illness or if you fall into one of the groups identified by public health officials as high risk.

Please continue to check www.cascadia.edu for daily updates. We will continue to track COVID-19 and adjust our protocols to align with state and county public health guidelines. 

If you have questions, we invite you to email healthycampus@cascadia.edu.

 

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Week February 28-March 7
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MARCH 5, 2020

Cascadia is open and operating as normal. If you have a fever, cough, or respiratory illness, please contact your health provider.

 

HE KING COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT REVISED ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TODAY:

  • People at higher risk of severe illness should stay home and away from places where there are large groups of people in close contact with one another. (People 60 and older; people with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes; people with weakened immune system; and people who are pregnant.)
  • Avoid visiting hospitals, long-term care facilities, or nursing homes to the extent possible. If you need to go, limit your time and maintain a distance of six-feet from patients.
  • Public Health is explicitly not recommending school closures at this time.

 

MARCH 3, 2020

Out of an abundance of caution, several area schools are closed today to perform a deep clean. Cascadia and UW Bothell have redirected custodial services to focus on disinfecting high-touch areas on campus such as door handles, desk and table tops, and public counters. 

King County has confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more cases have been identified in the U.S. The vast majority of the illnesses around the world are mild, with fever and cough. People who are medically fragile may experience more severe symptoms. There are no diagnosed cases at Cascadia or UW Bothell.

  FEBRUARY 29, 2020

Bothell High School will open Monday after taking precaution to fully disinfect the school. Jackson High School will be closed on Monday so that it can spend a third day disinfecting the school after news that a student tested "presemptive positive" for the virus. (Presemptive positive means that the initial test has shown positive by the public health department and it is now pending results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Leadership at Cascadia College and UW Bothell are working closely with the University of Washington Seattle, which is working with in consultation with local and state public health agencies. While there has been an increase in worldwide COVID-19 cases, vast majority of the illnesses around the world are mild, with fever and cough. A much smaller percentage of cases are severe and involve pneumonia, particularly in elderly people and people with underlying medical conditions. Health experts say the best precautions are to take the same steps you would take to prevent flu and common cold:

  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap is not available.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home if you become sick.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
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Week February 21-February 27
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FEBRUARY 27

We are aware that Bothell High School has closed today due to a potential case of coronavirus in its community. A relative of a staff member became ill after international travel. This individual is reportedly being quarantined. Out of caution, BHS is spending this day cleaning the school in the event this turns out to be a confirmed case of Coronavirus.

Our campus safety team is seeking more information. We will inform you as soon as we know anything more. In the meantime, we have published a website with information about Coronavirus COVID-19.

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