JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — As classes at Jamestown Community College are all being taught remotely, as of Thursday, the college reported that it has taken extensive steps to protect students, their families and the public in response to the COVID-19 health crisis.
All three campuses — Olean, Jamestown and Dunkirk — are closed to the public.
“Our top priority is the health and safety of our students and employees, and helping our students complete the semester,” said JCC president Daniel T. DeMarte. “Before moving all of our instruction and support services to remote delivery on March 19, we began working with students to ensure their ability to connect to faculty and services successfully.”
DeMarte emphasized that students who encounter issues with doing their coursework remotely have numerous support resources to assist them. JCC’s website, sunyjcc.edu, provides detailed information on its COVID-19 updates page for distance learning instruction and platforms as well as links to specific student services.
“Eighty-six percent of JCC’s workforce is working from home,” added DeMarte. “JCC’s preparations to continue business remotely during this unprecedented crisis were made within the framework of the college’s health emergency plan, which was adapted specifically to address potential issues prompted by state and national COVID-19 directives.”
The plan, which encompasses nearly 20 departments, includes several key components:
• Maintaining and updating a COVID-19 webpage as the primary mode of communication to students, faculty, staff and the public.
• Providing technology support for students who need it to complete the semester.
• Keeping the college’s health centers open for students and employees.
• Implementing administrative guidelines for remote work.
• Prohibiting public access to all campus facilities.
• Helping residence hall students return safely to their homes. For those students who cannot leave, a plan for dining services following social distance protocols was implemented.
• Ensuring that teachers in area school districts engaged in College Connections, JCC’s high school concurrent enrollment program, have a plan for continuity of instruction that achieves student learning outcomes. Instructional support for both College Connections teachers and students is available as appropriate.
“We are operating during a time of uncertainty in our nation and world,” said DeMarte. “However, the collective strengths of JCC’s faculty and staff enable us to focus on fulfilling our mission for current — as well as future — students with a well-defined sense of purpose.”
