FRCC President’s Update on COVID–19 

We understand that making the choice to continue your education can be difficult given the flexibility you need in order to adapt to the ongoing effects of COVID-19. With your safety and success in mind, we have developed course delivery types to enable you to pursue your educational goals this fall. 

Now, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, we’re ready to share detailed meeting time and location information for every course section that is available this fall. We have created an easy-to-search database that will tell you exactly what to expect from the courses you may want to take.

If you’re not sure which classes to register for this fall, make an appointment with your Pathways Advisor to plan your fall schedule and learn more about how fall classes will be taught. 

If you already know which courses you want to take,

1. check out our Fall 2020 Course Offerings webpage to see how the courses you are interested in taking are being delivered this fall;
2. use the Class Search to find course sections or schedule your course sections in Navigate;
3. search for the course CRNs or Prefix (the three-letter subject abbreviation) on our Course Section Details webpage to make sure any real-time remote or on-campus meetings work with your schedule; and
4. use the CRNs to register for your courses through eWOLF or Navigate.

Please note that our traditional online courses do not have any real-time remote or in-person meetings, so these courses are not included on the Course Section Details webpage. You can search and register for online classes as usual through eWOLF or Navigate.

I know that the pandemic has had an impact on so many of our students, and I am glad to share that the COVID-19 Educational Impact Grant II for Fall 2020 is open for applications. Applications are open until August 30, 2020 and would provide recipients a $500 support grant. Find more information and eligibility requirements on our Financial Aid webpage.

Campuses are open for limited in-person services. Make sure to check with the area you would like to meet with for specific hours of service or to make an appointment. If you do need to be on campus, you can also see the safety precautions we’re taking and asking you to take in order to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible. 

You are a valuable part of our FRCC family, and we look forward to seeing you this fall, whether online or in person with extra safety precautions for a lab, clinical, or in-person services.

Sincerely,

Andy Dorsey

President, Front Range Community College

Over the last few months, faculty and staff have been reviewing and revising our fall course offerings to ensure that you can be successful and reach your educational goals without sacrificing your safety. Based on our review, we have developed a new set of course delivery options.

Courses that typically have labs or studio time have been converted to blended models that combine remote work with some time on campus. Most other courses listed in our campus schedules have been converted to real-time remote. Online courses have generally not changed.

View/print the Course Delivery Types for Fall 2020

We understand that making the choice to continue your education can be difficult given the many uncertainties about COVID-19. We hope that the course delivery options we have developed will help ease your mind and enable you to continue your education this fall.

We also recognize that this is a big change in our approach, but we believe it is the best way to provide students a safe, quality education. In designing the new schedule, we reviewed feedback from over 2,500 students, looked carefully at data on virus spread and reviewed state regulations limiting the number of people on campus.

The new modalities will provide students a great deal of flexibility. In addition, because many courses have been moved to remote delivery, you may have the option to take a course that is listed on a campus that you do not usually attend.

Registration for Fall Semester 2020 is open, and our staff here to support you. Make an appointment with your Pathways Advisor to plan your fall schedule and learn more about how fall classes will be taught.

If you already know which courses you want to take, you can check out our Fall 2020 Course Offerings page to see how the courses you are interested in are being delivered this fall.

We wanted to get this information to you as soon as it was available to give you as much time as possible to make your plans for fall semester. If you need to add or drop a class, however, please know that registration through the “Add/Drop Classes” icon in eWOLF and through Navigate will not be available June 30, 2020, 12pm through July 1, 2020, 11am. We are expecting that you will still be able to plan and schedule your fall courses in Navigate during this time.

On our Fall 2020 Course Offerings page, you can also see the many safety precautions we’re taking and asking you to take in order to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible this fall.

We will also be announcing over $2.5 million in additional fall scholarships in the next week or so.  Please check your email for eligibility requirements and application information.

You are a valuable part of our FRCC family, and we look forward to seeing you this fall, whether online or in person with extra safety precautions for a lab, clinical, or in-person services.

Sincerely,

Andy Dorsey

President, Front Range Community College

Important Message from President Dorsey on Plans to Partially Reopen Campuses - June 10

Over the past several weeks, as Colorado opens more businesses and services, many staff and faculty at Front Range Community College have been preparing a plan to gradually re-open our campuses in the safest way possible. We do plan to open campuses in the fall—for at least a partial class schedule and many student services. We are still working on the details of the fall class schedule and will have more information soon. We are committed to continually watching the COVID-19 infection rates and state and local health guidelines. If conditions change, we will alter our re-opening plans to provide the safest environment for our FRCC community. 

We want to share with you our plan for safety precautions that have already begun and will continue into our hopeful re-opening for Fall Semester. The College has also convened a task force of staff from Human Resources, Campus Security & Preparedness, and Facilities to provide guidance on how we can open as safely as possible in the fall. The task force is making recommendations to college leaders for safety measures. 

Front Range will be taking the following safety precautions:

• Entering Campus Buildings: Each campus building will have only one exterior door unlocked until further notice.  
• Wearing a Mask: All students and staff who are able are now required to wear face coverings in any public area on campus. The College has a supply of masks for staff and students who have forgotten theirs or who cannot supply their own. They are available at the Campus Security office.
• Cleaning and Sanitizing: We have placed bulk orders of supplies such as disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer. Our goal is to have supplies available to students and staff to sanitize any area they use. We will do our best to increase cleaning frequency for classrooms and high-touch areas. We are looking for ways to hire additional cleaning staff.
• Plexiglas Barriers: The College is putting up Plexiglas barriers where students and staff frequently interact.  
• Social Distancing: We will require six-foot distancing in classrooms and any other public areas. FRCC’s deans of instruction are working hard to develop plans for our Fall Semester classes that can allow for appropriate social distancing. They are using input from department chairs, students, faculty, and Student Affairs staff—and, of course, following the ongoing guidance from health officials.
• Signage and Awareness: FRCC is developing signage to guide staff and students when they come to campus—and to clearly communicate our expectations regarding social distancing, face coverings, and other measures that have been shown to help slow transmission of the COVID-19 virus. 
• Self-Screening: We are developing a process for students and staff to conduct daily self-screening prior to coming to campus and guidance about what to do if you experience symptoms that indicate you could have COVID-19. 

Re-opening Plans for Summer 2020

Campus will remain closed with a limited number of courses and services being provided in person through the month of June. Student-facing services will remain accessible remotely, with the exception of the Cashier’s Office, which will be open with limited hours to assist students with the payment deadline for summer on June 22, 2020. 

Starting July 6, 2020, the following student services will be open to students for in-person services on a limited basis:

• Admissions
• Financial Aid
• Disability Support Services
• Mental Health Counseling
• Pathways Advising
• Student Life

Please make sure to communicate directly with the department you would like to meet with in person for the most up-to-date hours and availability. For students who do not wish to come to campus, all of those departments will continue to offer remote appointments as well.

We are closely monitoring the changes in state and local requirements and the rate of increase or decrease in COVID-19 infections. FRCC will continue to watch conditions closely—and we may need to change our plans accordingly. We’ll update the FRCC community over the summer as the situation evolves. Our goal is to provide clear guidance on our health and safety protocols as we work to minimize risk together.

Thank you to all of our students, staff, faculty and community partners for your flexibility and patience. We will all get through this together. 

Sincerely,

Andy Dorsey

President, Front Range Community College

With everyone’s safety in mind—and in consultation with faculty and college leadership—I have decidedto cancel most campus coursework for the summer and move most of our summer courses online.

While there is positive progress on reducing the spread of COVID-19, most scenarios for reopening the economy envision ongoing social distancing. With so much uncertainty, I wanted to make a decision now about summer classes so that both you and your faculty could plan effectively.

This change will include all general education courses and most lecture-based, business and technical courses. We will have a few technical training programs (like machining and welding) on campus in a short semester starting June 30. We will have information online later this week about the classes that will be offered on campus. You can see updates on our COVID 19 web page.

Courses offered online this summer will not be a continuation of the remote learning we instituted this spring. Instead, they will be fully developed online courses with robust course content, activities and assessments that are largely asynchronous—which means you can do your work when it is convenient for your schedule.

If you already registered for one or more summer online course(s), there will be no change to your enrollments for those courses.

If you have registered for one or more on-campus summer class(es), your classes will be canceled and you will be notified about how you can enroll in online sections. Pathways Advisors will be reaching out to you this week, but I also encourage you to contact your Pathways Advisors directly. You are now able to schedule appointments with your advisor through Navigate. You can access Navigate through your student portal.

We are developing a new grant process to help students cover the higher cost of online classes and get other financial assistance for the summer. I expect to be able to announce that process on approximately Wednesday, April 22.

I realize this is disappointing for many of you who had hoped to be back on campus together this summer. But making this decision now helps to eliminate some of the uncertainty in the planning process, while prioritizing the safety of our communities.

I also know many of you are thinking about fall semester. I am very hopeful that FRCC will be able to hold on-campus classes by then.  We will continue to provide regular updates to all of you via email, town halls, social media—and on our COVID-19 page.

I hope that you and your families are well and continue to stay safe and healthy. If you have any questions about how these changes affect you, please contact your Pathways Advisor. You are always welcome to reach out to me directly at andy.dorsey@frontrange.edu.

Sincerely,

Andy Dorsey

President, Front Range Community College

We have worked hard over the past few weeks to find the best routes for students to achieve success. I am happy to share updated information regarding the Spring 2020 COVID-19 Incomplete Request Process and Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Grade Change Request options. We encourage you to speak with your Pathways Advisor or financial aid before making any decision about Incompletes or grade changes.  

Incomplete Grade Request Process
As part of our COVID-19 response, for Spring 2020 semester only you can request an Incomplete grade from your faculty/instructors if you have completed 60% or more of a course and have a grade of C or higher. Students have until May 13, 2021 to complete their coursework. After May 13, 2021, if the student does not complete this coursework, their COVID-19 Incomplete reverts to a final letter grade of an F. Please note this process is different than our normal Incomplete process.

You must work directly with your faculty or instructor to receive an Incomplete for your course(s). 

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grade Change Request Process
For Spring 2020 semester only, you have the option to request a grade change in any course(s) from a letter grade to an S or U. This form must be submitted by May 28, 2020. This process is different than our normal grade assignment process. Here is how the process will work. 

• Faculty will grade courses with a letter grade just as they normally would.
• Students are able to request the change to an S or U grade until May 28, 2020. 
• You can use the link below to request the change or visit the COVID-19 page on our web site.
  Request a Change to S or U Grades
• Neither Satisfactory nor Unsatisfactory grades count toward GPA.
• The Registrar will assign S grades for any letter grade of "C" or above.
• Guaranteed Transfer (GT) courses with an S grade will be transferable based on guidance from the Colorado Department of Higher Education.
• Courses with an S grade will still count toward graduation in all programs at FRCC, except in some health care programs. Please check with your Pathways Advisor about these programs.

If you decide to petition for an S or U grade change, your transcript will note that the S/U is in response to COVID-19. Once an S/U is assigned, the grade cannot be changed back to a letter grade.  

This is an important conversation for you to have with your Pathways Advisor or financial aid before making a final decision. The "S" grade may be the right choice for many students, but not for all. For some students, this type of change may affect tuition reimbursement from employers, VA benefits or entrance into competitive programs. If you are aiming for competitive admissions program, you may not want to opt for S/U grades.

I hope that these changes will help you have a successful semester. If you have questions about either process, please contact the Registrar's Office at Registrar@frontrange.edu.

Please make sure to be checking your student email account and our COVID-19 Update Website for the most up to date information. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact FRCC.covid19@frontrange.edu.

Sincerely,

Andy Dorsey

President