FRCC COVID-19 Updates

  1. Home
  2. Being a Student
  3. Campus Safety & Security
  4. FRCC COVID-19 Updates
Covid-19 How FRCC is responding

Important Message from President Dorsey About Summer Semester 2020 - April 20

With everyone’s safety in mind—and in consultation with faculty and college leadership—I have decided to 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.

Read More

Quick Facts

  • Get answers to your Frequently Asked Questions in our FAQ section 

  • Most campus coursework for the summer has been cancelled and most summer courses have been moved online. This is NOT a continuation of remote access learning instituted during the Spring 2020 Semester. 

  • Starting Wednesday, May 13, you will not be able to enter campus buildings without wearing a mask. This includes classrooms and the bookstore. Masks are a county or city requirement in Fort Collins and Longmont and are strong city recommendation in Westminster. Your mask can be homemade but must effectively cover your nose and mouth.

  • All questions regarding specific classes or courses should be directed to faculty or instructors. All other questions can be directed to FRCC.COVID19@FrontRange.edu

Summer Semester 2020

Most campus coursework for the summer has been cancelled and most summer courses have been moved online. 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.

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. You should be contacting your Pathways Advisors directly. You are now able to schedule appointments with your advisor through Navigate. You can access Navigate through your student portal.

Front Range Community College Stimulus Grant Plan for Summer 2020

Thanks to generous emergency grant funding under the CARES ACT, Front Range Community College is able to open a grant program for the Summer Semester 2020. 
In order to be eligible for this grant, students must:

  • Have been registered for spring term 2020, or summer term 2020 as of March 13, or have an accepted application by March 13.

AND

  • Be able to identify being impacted by COVID-19. This could include students who were forced to switch to online courses and needed to pay higher tuition, students who lost jobs, health care or child care expenses or other related expenses.  

Grant funding will be dependent on registered credits as of May 14, 2020 and is broken down as follows:

  • Students registered for 1-4 credit hours are eligible for $500
  • Students registered for 5-7 credit hours are eligible for $750
  • Students registered for 8+ credit hours are eligible for $1000

The application for this grant funding will be open on May 4, 2020 and will be open until May 21, 2020. All summer students are encouraged to apply. Priority will go to students who have completed the most previous credits at FRCC.

APPLY NOW

The application is currently closed

Concurrent enrollment students who were registered on March 13 are eligible if they will have a high school diploma by the start of the summer term and they are enrolling in one or more FRCC college level course.  Otherwise concurrent enrollment students are not eligible.

Learn more about the CARES ACT >

Spring Semester 2020 - Course Completion Options

There are many new options for students regarding course completion for the Spring 2020 Semester. We have listed all three (3) available options below. Currently (as of May 29, 2020) the only course completion option available is the FRCC COVID-19 Appeal with Tuition Credit, which is open until June 30, 2020. 

Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory grades

For this semester only, students have an option to request a grade of Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) instead of a letter grade.  Here is how it will work:

  • Faculty will grade courses with a letter grade just as they normally would.
  • Students are able to petition the registrar’s office to change the grade to an S or U. They can petition until 14 days after the semester ends.
    • Neither Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory grade counts toward GPA
    • The registrar will assign S grades for any letter grade of “C” or above.
    • Guarantee Transfer 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 advisor about these programs.

If you decide to petition for a S or U Grade, 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.

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.This is an important conversation for you to have with your Pathways Advisor before making a final decision.

The Request  Process for an S/U Grade has closed

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 or the grade selected by the instructor. 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). 

FRCC COVID-19 Appeal with Tuition Credit

If you are a high school student taking courses through Concurrent Enrollment, see the Concurrent Enrollment/College Now section below

Spring 2020 students affected by COVID-19 can submit a COVID-19 Appeal by June 30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. This is a new appeal option and would grant the student an administrative withdraw (AW) grade and tuition credit – not a refund – for the courses identified in the appeal. Both the Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory Grades and Incomplete options are better, both academically and financially, we recommend you explore these first.

There are many reasons you may complete a COVID-19 appeal, some of the eligible reasons include:

  • Changes in employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Lack of childcare/teaching children at home
  • COVID-19 illness (self or caring for others)
  • Inability to complete coursework online (understanding, access, technology, accommodations)

When an appeal is approved:

  • Grade(s) for course(s) identified are updated to “AW”
  • Tuition credit will be posted to your account; you can view this in eWOLF, under the “financial aid award” icon
  • You will choose whether tuition credit will be applied to Summer 2020, Fall 2020 or Spring 2021; failure to enroll in a future semester may result in forfeit of the tuition credit.  
  • The amount approved will be based on standard Fall 2020 tuition and fees rates and may not cover full tuition and fees for the 2020-2021 academic year.

If you are denied, you will have the right to appeal that decision within 10 business days of your decision being sent.

Please make sure that you are speaking with your Pathways Advisor and Financial Aid before applying for an appeal.

Should you have any questions/concerns, please contact covidappeal@frontrange.edu.

Concurrent Enrollment student are not eligible for this appeals process.

APPLY NOW

FRCC COVID-19 Appeal for High School Concurrent Enrollment (College Now) Students

If you are not a high school student taking courses through Concurrent Enrollment, please see the section above for all regularly enrolled FRCC students.

College Now Spring 2020 students affected by COVID-19 can submit a Concurrent Enrollment COVID-19 Appealby June 30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. This is a new appeal option and would grant the student an administrative withdraw (AW) grade for the courses identified in the appeal. Electing a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grade may be a better option academically, and we recommend you explore this option first. This appeal should be the last resort.

There are many reasons you may complete a COVID-19 appeal, some of the eligible reasons include:

  • Changes in parent/guardian/student employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Lack of childcare/teaching children at home
  • COVID-19 illness (self or caring for others)
  • Inability to complete coursework online (understanding, access, technology, accommodations)

When an appeal is approved:

  • Grade(s) for course(s) identified are updated to “AW”

If you are denied, you will have the right to appeal that decision within 10 business days of your decision being sent.

Please make sure that you are speaking with your High School Counselor before applying for an appeal.

Should you have any questions/concerns, please contact covidappeal@frontrange.edu.

APPLY NOW

Events and Services

All campuses will be closed effective Wednesday, March 25, at 4:00 PM. This includes our testing centers. 

Please note that many of our services have already moved online. This includes our Pathways Advisors, Financial Aid Advisors, our Registrar’s Office and many more. Please visit our website for contact information regarding individual offices.

All student affairs and external campus events will be canceled. This includes student life field trips, internal and external events and in-person New Student Orientation. All student club meetings and events will also be canceled.

Spring Graduation has been canceled

FRCC Response FAQs

On campus, our cleaning teams are taking extra steps to disinfect high-touch areas, following the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and employing social distancing measure. We have also lengthened spring break for on campus students and transitioned to online courses as of March 30. All non-course related events are also cancelled until April 17, 2020. 
The College President works closely with college and campus leadership and the Community College of Colorado System to make decisions regarding closures and cancellations.

All campuses will close Wednesday, March 25, at 5:00 p.m. This includes our testing centers. All other services have moved to remote access.

There are new options for students regarding course completion for the Spring 2020 Semester. We have listed all three (3) available options below. If you are having a hard time deciding what option is best for you, we have created a comparison grid to help you better understand your options. 

VIEW THE COMPARISON GRID

Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory grades

For this semester only, students have an option to request a grade of Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) instead of a letter grade.  Here is how it will work:

  • Faculty will grade courses with a letter grade just as they normally would.
  • Students are able to petition the registrar’s office to change the grade to an S or U. They can petition until 14 days after the semester ends.
    • Neither Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory grade counts toward GPA
    • The registrar will assign S grades for any letter grade of “C” or above.
    • Guarantee Transfer 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 advisor about these programs.

If you decide to petition for a S or U Grade, 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.

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.This is an important conversation for you to have with your Pathways Advisor before making a final decision.

Request an S or U Grade

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). 

FRCC COVID-19 Appeal with Tuition Credit

Spring 2020 students affected by COVID-19 can submit a COVID-19 Appeal by June 30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. This is a new appeal option and would grant the student an administrative withdraw (AW) grade and tuition credit – not a refund – for the courses identified in the appeal. Both the Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory Grades and Incomplete options are better, both academically and financially, we recommend you explore these first.

There are many reasons you may complete a COVID-19 appeal, some of the eligible reasons include:

  • Changes in employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Lack of childcare/teaching children at home
  • COVID-19 illness (self or caring for others)
  • Inability to complete coursework online (understanding, access, technology, accommodations)

When an appeal is approved:

  • Grade(s) for course(s) identified are updated to “AW”
  • Tuition credit will be posted to your account; you can view this in eWOLF, under the “financial aid award” icon
  • You will choose whether tuition credit will be applied to Summer 2020, Fall 2020 or Spring 2021; failure to enroll in a future semester may result in forfeit of the tuition credit.  
  • The amount approved will be based on standard Fall 2020 tuition and fees rates and may not cover full tuition and fees for the 2020-2021 academic year.

If you are denied, you will have the right to appeal that decision within 10 business days of your decision being sent.

Please make sure that you are speaking with your Pathways Advisor and Financial Aid before applying for an appeal.

Should you have any questions/concerns, please contact covidappeal@frontrange.edu.

Concurrent Enrollment student are not eligible for this appeals process.

APPLY NOW

Book rental returns will take place on each campus May 11-15 from 10am-2pm. We’ll be following strict social distancing procedures and safety precautions, so please be patient as we work to keep you and our staff safe in these business-as-unusual circumstances. 

Not comfortable coming back to campus? We get it. Email your Campus Store, and we’ll work with you to make special arrangements for your book rental return. 

What about book buybacks? You can sell your books back online. Shipping is free! 

We are still in conversation with school districts as they are each responding differently. Our high school partners are determining their respective responses to COVID-19. We encourage you to contact your high school to find out more about their decisions.

All student affairs and external campus events will be cancelled. This includes student life field trips, internal and external events and in-person New Student Orientation. All student club meetings and events will also be cancelled.

Spring 2020 Commencement has been cancelled. 

Your instructor will contact you with details.  We are handling each class on a case-by-case basis. 

If you have not yet heard from your instructor, please make sure to be checking your official student email account or you can reach out to them directly. If you have concerns about your continuing education path, please reach out to your Pathways Advisor. 

Your certification or your monthly payments is not expected to be affected by the transition to remote access courses. Please be aware that your individual enrollment will be what is reviewed once all decisions and adjustments are made, and we will work with you and provide any information that we can.

If you have questions about your specific circumstance, you can also contact the VA Education Call Center at: 1-888-442-4551 between 8 AM and 7 PM Eastern Time, Monday-Friday.

 COVID-19 FAQs

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.

This is a rapidly evolving situation and the risk assessment may change daily. The latest updates are available on CDC’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) website.

You can find more information about COVID-19 in Colorado at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. 

 

Please continue to follow the CDC recommendations on how to prevent illness:

  • Clean your hands often: Wash your hands often with soap at water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid close contact: Avoid close contact with individuals who may be sick and put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community.
  • Cover Coughs and Sneezes: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Make sure to throw used tissues in the trash and immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with hand sanitizer.
  • Stay home if you're sick

Older adults and people who have severe underlying chronic medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness. Please consult with your health care provider about additional steps you may be able to take to protect yourself.

Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of

  • fever
  • cough
  • shortness of breath

For more information about COVID-19, please reference the Center for Disease Controls and Prevention's Website. 

 

If you are feeling sick or worried that you may be experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Call your doctor or medical provider immediately for advice. Do not come to campus. If you are going to be absent from work or class, please let your Faculty/Instructor or Supervisor know. 

Follow the protocol established by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment: 

  • If you have symptoms of COVID-19, first CALL a health care provider, clinic, or hospital. The provider will give you instructions on whether you need to be tested and on where to go to for care and testing. 
  • If instructed to seek care, follow the precautionary advice of the medical provider BEFORE going into any health facility.  
  • In order to be tested at the state’s community testing center, individuals must have an order from their provider (written or electronic) confirming they meet the testing criteria and need to be tested, and photo identification that matches the name on the provider’s order.

If you do test positive for the virus, please let the college know as soon as possible. You can contact your faculty or email us at FRCC.covid19@frontrange.edu.

 

FRCC COVID-19 Communications 

Messages from President Dorsey

Campus Hours
Effective March 25, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.

All campuses are closed

Resources

Our Offices of Student Life have compiled a list of resources, encompassing National, State and community resources. The document is live and will be updated regularly. 

Access the Resource Document Here

303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911 for answers in many languages, or email COHELP@RMPDC.org for answers in English.

Comcast is making changes to the Internet Essentials program in order to support students that may not have reliable access to the internet. Comcast is offering new customers 60 days of complimentary Internet Essentials service, which is normally available to all qualified low-income households for $9.95/month.

Find more information and see if you are qualified.

Get support from our Career Counselors and view available jobs and internship listings. 

Need Work Right Now?

If you’ve lost your job recently and are looking for work, please view this short video with Larimer Campus Career Counselor, Amanda Chenkin (use the password "jobsnow" to access the video). She provides tips and resources to help you find a job right now.

If you are graduating soon and starting your job search, please view these short videos with Larimer Campus Career Counselor Amanda Chenkin. She provides tips and resources to help you get the job you want. 

Job Search Tips

Resume and Cover Letter Tips

 

Learn more about the COVID-19 Virus. 

We recognize public health emergencies can be stressful, so the CDC provided resources on mental health and coping during COVID-19. Unfortunately, the fear and anxiety can also lead to social stigma. That’s why the CDC also issued information about helping end coronavirus-related stigma and discrimination that is occurring toward groups of people including:

  • Persons of Asian descent
  • People who have traveled abroad or to states with coronavirus outbreaks
  • Emergency responders or healthcare professionals

We can all stop stigma and the spread of misinformation by knowing the facts about COVID-19 and sharing them with others.

Front Range Community College is continuing to offer mental health services for students. Contact our Mental Health Counselors today. 

The State of Colorado offers all state employees the option to participate in the C-SEAP program, with up to 6 confidential counseling sessions for free.

We have compiled a collection of different food banks, pantry, and other opportunities for community members experiencing food insecurity. The resources listed below are from outside of Front Range Community College. We recommend calling or contacting each individual resource for the most up to date information on availability and hours. 

Our staff and faculty have put together a number of resources as we transition our courses to remote access learning. Don't forget to login to Desire2Learn for more resources. 

If you are having issues with D2L or WebEx, you can contact the CCCS IT Helpdesk or via phone at 1-888-800-9198