COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) Updates & Resources

*Information updated on a daily basis as we address changing state laws.

Should I Come to Campus?

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COVID-19 Vaccination

The Governor Directive 22-13.1 requires COVID-19 vaccinations for employees of all executive cabinet agencies and small cabinet agencies on a permanent basis but does not include a directive for employees of higher education institutions. Each institution is to establish its own direction. Cascadia will not require vaccinations for faculty and exempt employees OR students. The college's WPEA employees, as covered by their 2023-25 Collective Bargaining Agreement, must be vaccinated as of July 1, 2023.

Vaccination Requirement for Students

The Governor's Higher Education Proclamation ended on October 31st, 2022. While vaccinations are encouraged students are not required to be vaccinated.

COVID-19 Reporting on Canvas

A new COVID-19 reporting link can now be found in two places on Canvas to make it easier for both students and faculty to report a case.

1 – Side Bar Menu

• Located at the bottom of the side bar on Canvas under "Covid Reporting"

2 – Under Getting Started

• Located at the "Getting Started" module at the top of each individual Canvas course page.

Important information needed in reporting a case is listed below:

• Name of student
• Date student contacted you
• Course number, classroom attended by student, and date of class
• Any contact information you have for the student

 

Winter Quarter 2023 (Updates)

Welcome, Kodiaks! We are very excited to welcome you to campus (in-person and virtually), and we will keep this page updated with information specific to in-person learning.

Face Covering Policy

As of March 28, 2022, Cascadia has an new face covering policy.

Special Letter from Cascadia College President

Febuary 28, 2022

Governor Jay Inslee announced at 1:00 pm this afternoon that the statewide mask mandate will be lifted at 11:59pm on March 11. Washington coordinated this change in conjunction with California and Oregon.

Details

This includes all K-12 schools (additional guidance for education will be announced next week). Individual employers will be allowed to make their own decisions and are not compelled to follow mask mandate. Masks will still be required in health care, long-term care, and correction facilities. The state will protect the right for anyone who wants to wear masks to continue to do so.

Rationale for Lifting Mandate

• Washington state’s data has posted a drop deaths, and lower hospital rates and disease transmissions.
• State public health officials will continue to watch for other variances.
• Mask mandates could be re-imposed in the future if conditions change.
• The CDC recently updated their masking guidelines based on the threat to hospitals due to COVID 19 and increased cases for hospitalization.

What this Means to Cascadia

The executive team will discuss the topic at Wednesday’s e-team. Before making a decision about how to proceed, we will be gathering feedback and/or information from:

• The faculty union representatives
• Classified union representatives
• Exempt employee representatives
• Student government leaders
• UWB
• SBCTC institutions
• K-12 schools in our district

Daily Check-In with Cascadia College COVID-19 Management Tool

If you are coming to campus, please make sure to check in daily on the COVID-19 Management Tool provided through Qualtrics. All information collected through this tool will be kept in confidence and only be shared with the state or county public health as required. The tool is intuitive and very easy to use. You may simply delete the email if you do not need to use the tool on a particular day. For more information about Qualtrics safety and security, read the Comprehensive Winter Quarter Plan.

You Can Use the Tool to:

• Check-in any time you are coming to campus for any reason - If you are coming to campus for work, to take classes, to study, to pick up technology, for tutoring, etc. please check the box that says you are coming to campus that day. This is how the college will track who is on campus any given day. The green check means you are certified to come to campus.
• Report positive COVID cases or close contacts - Please use this option to report a positive case or close contact. Cascadia will use this in order to perform contact tracing. Once an individual checks a box indicating they are COVID positive or have had close contact to a person who is COVID positive, the contact tracing team will send a reply with instructions along with follow up questions (when diagnosed, date of first symptoms, places visited on campus, people in close contact). If needed, a member of the contact tracing team will also contact you for additional information. The contact tracing team will notify everyone who may have been exposed to the virus, and will never divulge a person’s identity.
• Ask COVID-related questions or report concerns - If you have a question about COVID or if you want to report a COVID-related concern, please use this tool to send the contact tracing team your question. A member will respond as soon as possible.

Academics and Class Modalities

Winter 2023 will continue to offer in-person, hybrid and remote learning options. Registration for new and returning students is open. Check the Schedules and Catalogs page for more information, Enrollment Calendar for important deadlines, or Quarterly Registration for a little extra support and guidance.

Designated Eating Areas

Eating and drinking is permitted in public areas EXCLUDING classrooms and computer workstations.

Other areas for eating:

• Stopwatch Café
• CC3 Plaza (tent coverage)
• North Creek Event Center (next to the ARC)

Student Services

Student Services will be in person and virtual.

Pay for Parking

You can use the new PayByPhone app to buy parking permits or purchase a day permit. More parking information available on our Commuter Services page.

Visitors & Vendors

All people coming to campus must complete the Daily Health Check In survey.

Worried You Have COVID-19?

Do not come to campus if you have COVID-19 or develop symptoms of COVID-19, the flu or a cold. Symptoms to look out for include, but are not limited to:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

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

Have You Been Exposed to COVID-19?

If you have been exposed to someone with COVID (per WA DOH Guidelines):

• Wear a mask for 10 days* after your last exposure regardless of your COVID status (positive or negative)
• Get tested 3-5 days after your last exposure** and again 24-48 hours after your first negative test. (If you test positive follow these these guidelines)

* Day 1 is the first full day after last exposure

** Do not test if you had COVID in the last 30 days. If you had COVID in the last 30-90 days, take an antigen test.

For help calculating how long to wear a mask and when to test, WA DOH has an easy to use calculator.

When to Report:

1. I spent time with someone who tested positive for COVID-19:
   • You were kissed, coughed, or sneezed on
   • You live with or care for a person with COVID-19
   • You shared food, drinks, or utensils
   • You were within 6' for at least 15 minutes
• Report it and monitor symptoms
• Examples:
2. I have symptoms of COVID-19:
   • I had a positive test:
   • Report it
   • I had a negative test:
   • Report it
• Report it & get tested:
3. I tested positive for COVID-19:
• Report it

Report to: healthycampus@cascadia.edu or covidreporting@cascadia.edu