President's Message: COVID-19 Transition

Two years ago this week, SLCC joined Utah’s other colleges and universities in taking swift and decisive action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. At that time, the college established a COVID-19 Task Force to guide our transition to online learning. The impact of the pandemic lasted far longer than predicted and throughout this time, SLCC has relied on the task force to keep the college safe under constantly changing conditions. We are extremely grateful to our task force members, all of whom readily took on extra work and responsibilities in order to keep everyone at SLCC healthy and well. 

 

As cases decline and as Utah moves into a “steady state” for handling the pandemic, we are adjusting some of our COVID-19 protocols and shifting our focus from an emergency response to an ongoing commitment to public health. Beginning April 1, the following changes will take effect: 

• SLCC’s COVID-19 Task Force will scale back its activities, but the group will continue to monitor the virus’ impact on SLCC. Kathie Campbell, who has led our COVID-19 Task Force for more than a year, will step away from this role and transfer her duties to Christina McWhinnie from our Employee Wellness team. We deeply appreciate Kathie and all she has done during what has been a very challenging and unpredictable time. 
• Responsibility for the COVID-19 email and hotline will transfer from Samantha Faupula to Clay Olilla. Clay can be reached at 801-957-2029 or at COVID-19@slcc.edu. Many thanks to Samantha and her kind devotion to SLCC’s students, faculty and staff.
• COVID-19 emergency pay for employees will be discontinued. Supervisors are encouraged to properly support employees who become ill or if they are caring for a family member who is ill. 
• Except for certain groups, SLCC will no longer provide on-campus testing. We encourage you to take advantage of the free, at-home tests available at COVIDtests.gov. 
• On-campus signage encouraging the use of face coverings will be removed, but SLCC will continue to be a “mask friendly” environment. Masks will be available at all faculty support centers as well as at all Student Services/Information Desks.

For the immediate future, SLCC will maintain our enhanced cleaning protocols, and sanitizing wipes will continue to be available at our faculty support centers. Contact tracing at the college will also continue, and anyone who tests positive for the virus will need to fill out our COVID-19 Self Report Form. Finally, SLCC’s COVID-19 website will be maintained as a reference for students, faculty and staff and will continue to offer details regarding on-campus case counts. 

 

We are also staying with our student COVID-19 vaccination requirement during the Summer and Fall semesters. All students must be up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations or declare an exemption in order to register for classes. For more information, see our Frequently Asked Questions page. 

 

I offer my heartfelt thanks for your patience, understanding and willingness in keeping the college a safe place for learning during these past two years. Please know that if the situation regarding the virus changes, we will be prepared to respond immediately and appropriately. We have grown immensely as an institution and as individuals during the past two years, and I know that together we are ready to seize the many great opportunities that await us in the coming days. 

Salt Lake Community College will return to on-campus instruction for fall semester

While summer is just getting underway, SLCC is already making plans for fall semester. With the COVID-19 pandemic winding down, the college is anticipating being able offer students an experience more in line with what has been typically offered at the college. 
 
This fall, SLCC is planning to raise the attendance caps in the classroom that were put in place due to the pandemic. These caps will be returned to their normal levels, and academic departments have been asked to move away from the hybrid instructional models that were made necessary by the caps. Most classes will be restored to a traditional lecture format where students meet on campus two days a week, but the college will also continue to support a pilot of broadcast/online-lecture format on a limited basis. 
 
These changes mean that our Facilities Department will begin returning classrooms to their normal seating arrangements throughout the summer. Facilities will do their best to work so that in-person classes are not impacted, but be aware there may be occasional interruptions. 
 
While the goal is to return to normal, we understand that some uncertainty remains. We still don’t know, for instance, what role face coverings will come August, but the situation will be closely monitored throughout the summer and specific guidance will be provided in advance.  We will also try to be flexible with faculty who have health and safety concerns. 
 
If you have questions, please provide feedback through your associate dean if you are a faculty member, and if you are part of SLCC’s staff, please reach out to your supervisor. We are excited to be able to again offer a more traditional college experience to our students and we are looking forward to seeing everyone in person this fall! 
 
 

FREE COVID Vaccination Clinic at SLCC on Saturday, May 1

The national nonprofit GK Folks Foundation, The Utah Black Chamber of Commerce, The Refuge Group, The Best of Africa and Project Success Coalition have teamed up with Salt Lake Community College and the Salt Lake County Health Department to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations on May 1, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The clinic is a drive-thru site staffed by employees from the Salt Lake County Health Department. The clinic will take place at SLCC’s Taylorsville Redwood Campus in lot V, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Access lot V is on Redwood Road just north of Bruin Blvd., which is 4445 South. See map for exact location.)

Appointments will be in made in 15-minute intervals, with a total of 250 doses available to the public. The GK Folks Foundation’s goal for this clinic is draw as many people as possible who identify as Refugees, African, African American, Caribbean and Black, but no one will be turned away. 

The May 1 clinic will only offer first-dose COVID-19 vaccinations. Those vaccinated on May 1 will be scheduled for an appointment to receive a second dose on May 29, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the same location on the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. 

ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. To register for an appointment, email contact@gkfolks.org, the following information:

• First and last name
• Time you would like for your appointment
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Date of Birth (you must be 18 or older)
• Preference of text or email for communications regarding your vaccine appointment

For more information about vaccines, click here. For more resources for multicultural communities, click here.

We hope to use up all the doses and see as many of you there as possible. Remember, this is a drive-thru clinic – please, remain in your vehicles.

The clinic will be located in the V lot, near the SLCC Facilities Building at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. Check the map.