FRCC COVID-19 Updates

Campuses Closed Through End of June:

Most summer classes are being offered online only. A very limited number of courses and services being are being provided in person.

Student-facing services will remain accessible remotely. The only student services available on-campus in June are:

The Cashier’s Office will be open with limited hours to assist students with the payment deadline for summer (June 22, 2020). Email the cashiers at Cashiers@frontrange.edu for information or assistance.

Thecampus stores have had limited hours to allow students to return books and purchase supplies. The stores will re-open fully later in the summer, at a date to be set soon. 

Campuses Will Reopen July 6: 

This date will allow FRCC to meet the needs of fall students, while giving college staff time to plan to reopen as safely as possible.

The following student services will be open on campus 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.

Building Access:

Each campus building will have only one exterior door unlocked. We will continue to limit access points until we reopen more fully. Any college department that returns to campus will have no more than 50% of staff on site in July. Most staff will continue to work remotely this summer.

Masks/Face Coverings:

All students and staff are now required to wear face coverings in any public area on campus (with exceptions for people with medical issues). 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. We expect to continue this requirement throughout the fall semester.

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. 

Physical Barriers/Signage:

The college is putting up Plexiglas barriers where students and staff frequently interact. 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.

Distancing Requirements:

We will require six-foot social distancing in classrooms and any other public areas. We will discourage students and employees from congregating.

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.

Health Screenings:

We are developing a process for 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. The college continues to directly employees to stay home if they are ill.

COVID-19 Safety Task Force:

The college has 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 (if conditions allow us to do so). The task force is making recommendations to college leaders for safety measures. 

This team is coordinating Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) orders, finalizing face covering guidelines, working on cleaning standards and campus signage, and defining the process for employees to conduct daily self-screening prior to coming to campus, among other preparations for reopening.

As FRCC makes plans for next semester, we expect to significantly limit the number of people on each campus. The college expects to have no more than approximately 50% of staff and students on campus at any one time. 

We are closely monitoring the changes in state and local requirements and the rate of increase or decrease in COVID infections. FRCC will continue to watch conditions closely—and we may need to change our plans accordingly.

We’ll update the campuses and 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.

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

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.

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.

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. 

• How to Protect Yourself
• If you think you are sick

• Tri-County Health (Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas counties)
• Broomfield City and County
• Boulder County
• Larimer County

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. 

• Boulder County Campus Area
• Larimer Campus Area
• Westminster and Brighton Center Area

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. 

• Checklist for Moving to Online Learning
• A Practical Guide to Student Success in Online Learning
• WebEx Participant Guide and Video Tutorial

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

• Colorado Department of Health and Public Environment (CDPHE)
• Johns Hopkins University: Mapping of the Coronavirus
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travel Health Notices
• World Health Organization Situation Reports