Updated May 7, 2020
General Questions
New! Check out the COVID-19 table on the COVID-19 Information and Resources page to learn current case counts over a seven-day period.
On April 2, Governor Jay Inslee extended the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order through May 4, requiring every Washingtonian to stay home unless they need to pursue an essential activity. For additional updates, please read President Zhou’s updates.
Employees are working remotely, unless designated necessary to be on campus. Instruction is delivered using a combination of virtual learning tools.
Hands-on portions of essential (as determined by the ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ directive) programs will begin pending President Zhou’s determination that we can meet or exceed the SBCTC Phase I COVID-19 Safety Requirements. You can locate lab hours for each program here. (Details are subject to change, so please check with your instructor.)
Bates Technical College follows the advice and direction from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Washington State Department of Health, the Washington State Governor and other state officials.
Our primary and biggest focus is the health and safety of our students and employees. We are in close contact with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, and the college will follow the advice and direction from them.
When Spring Quarter begins on Monday, March 30, we will offer instruction using alternative remote delivery formats. Many programs will still need to use labs and equipment on campus. For these students, faculty will set up the learning environment so they stay a safe distance from each other. There will be a limit to how many students are in the room together and we will provide hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies. We will remind students and faculty to wash their hands frequently and continue to thoroughly cleaning classrooms. At this time, these will begin on Tuesday, May 5.
We have a dedicated webpage, BatesTech.edu/Coronavirus, where you can find the most recent information and updates.
If the college needs to close, we will send emergency notifications through Rave Alert, website, social media, school closure hotline 253.680.7060, and FlashAlert (to notify local media outlets). Your college email is added to your Rave Alert account, but you need to log in and add any personal contact information, should you choose to use that option for notification. Log in here.
Call your healthcare provider.
Below is guidance for people who have, or think they may have, COVID-19:
- What to do if you have confirmed or suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (PDF)
- What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (PDF)
- What to do if you have symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and have not been around anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 (PDF)
Please consult the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Frequently Asked Questions.
The Washington State Department of Health has information in 11 languages. Visit this site for fact sheets in several different languages.
Please consult the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Frequently Asked Questions.
Find updates on the 2021 ceremony to celebrate our graduates here:
Please consult the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Frequently Asked Questions.
Public health officials use the term social distancing to stop or curb the spread of a contagious disease.
The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions has developed a list of financial resources for Washington consumers impacted by the Coronavirus.
If you’re a student, please contact the Bates Foundation for emergency assistance: foundation@batestech.edu. Students may also qualify for the CARES Act grant. Please visit this website or email financialaid@batestech.edu.
The Center for Disease Controls (CDC) recommends the use of cloth face coverings. To learn more about face coverings and how to properly wear one, please review this helpful pamphlet.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department also has some information on their blog here and on this face coverings graphic.
As we continue to limit campus access in response to the COVID-19 situation, we have updated employee expectations effective immediately. It is our objective to keep our employees and students as safe as possible, and we appreciate your support of and adherence to these processes and procedures as we work to slow the spread of this virus. Please read this document carefully.
- All employees are to work from home as much as possible
- Campus access must be approved by your supervisor
- Campus buildings will only be open M-F 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Social distancing must be practiced if you are on campus
- You must fill out the following sign in sheet (smartsheet) documenting your time on campus
- If you are required to code into the building upon arrival, continue to do so and REMEMBER to code out of the building
- Notify campus safety to inform them of you arrival and departure 253.680.7111 to ensure they are aware of who is on campus at all times
We certainly understand that these processes can seem cumbersome, and we understand that may be frustrating. However, these are essential practices put in place to help us manage the safety of all during this time of crisis. These precautions are not optional. Thank you for understanding.
Please read the document for full instructions.
Please complete this reporting form.
Additional information:
- COVID-19 Self Reporting Guidelines
- COVID-19 College Policy
- COVID-19 College Procedure (includes response requirements)
Students
If the college needs to close, we will send notifications via:
- Rave Alert, your college email is added to your Rave Alert account, but you need to log in and add any personal contact information, should you choose to use that option for notification. Log in here.
- BatesTech.edu
- Facebook and Twitter
- School closure hotline 253.680.7060
- FlashAlert (notifies local media outlets)
Spring Quarter instruction is offered in alternative formats to limit students on our campuses. Many programs will still need to use labs and equipment on campus. For these students, faculty will set up the learning environment so they stay a safe distance from each other. Start date is pending President Zhou’s determination that we can meet or exceed the SBCTC Phase I COVID-19 Safety Requirements.
There will be a limit to how many students are in the room together and we will provide hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies. We will remind students and faculty to wash their hands frequently and continue to thoroughly cleaning classrooms.
Note: Only essential programs (as determined by Gov. Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order) will hold labs beginning May 5.
Please contact your instructors to discuss potential accommodations so you can make up for missed academic work during the 14-day period. We have encouraged instructors to work with students who are absent because of illness or isolation by offering makeup exams, alternate assignments or alternate weighting of missed work.
When Spring Quarter begins on Monday, March 30, we will offer instruction in alternative formats to limit students on our campuses.
Many programs will still need to use labs and equipment on campus. For these students, faculty will set up the learning environment so they stay a safe distance from each other. There will be a limit to how many students are in the room together and we will provide hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies. We will remind students and faculty to wash their hands frequently and continue to thoroughly clean classrooms.
Note: Only essential programs (as determined by Gov. Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order) will hold labs beginning May 5.
Learn more about each program’s lab hours here:
If you are affected by COVID-19, Employment Security has programs that may be able to help.
Employees
Employees should discuss with their supervisor any arrangement to work remotely.
No, at this time, it is not necessary to restrict visitors from our campuses.
Work with your supervisor and your health care provider as needed. See Department of Health guidance here.
This information applies to all classified, exempt, full-time and adjunct faculty
If you were scheduled to work on a day that the campus was closed, please submit your regular work hours as Release Time under Other, with a remark of Snow Closure/Emergency Closure in the comments section.
- If you were scheduled to be off with approved leave time, you will need to report the appropriate leave
This information applies to hourly and students with hourly sick leave
If you were scheduled to work and have sick leave available, you can choose to use your sick leave time. You will report your scheduled begin and end time, please do not include a lunch break on sick leave days. Please make a remark in the comments section that the leave time was for Snow Closure/Emergency Closure.
- If you do not have leave available, or you choose not to use your leave time, you will not report any hours. If no leave is reported, you will not receive compensation for the day.
Instructors should not ask for medical or legal documentation from a student for any absences. Requiring such documentation places burdens on everyone involved and may place students in the uncomfortable position of sharing personal or sensitive information. Because we are in the middle of the cold and flu season, many students may be absent due to illness. The course syllabus should address absences due to illness. Students should work closely with their instructors toward an appropriate resolution.
You must submit the appropriate teleworking paperwork. You can find the forms on SharePoint intranet (https://batesctc.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/Intranet/EtlRHq5smNxJmDJr9TkjlaMBHZ3NwBUYVvdwkYWOXokUPw?e=oumiMs).
A shared leave request form, which you can find on the intranet in HR’s folder, should be submitted to Human Resources for review and approval.
This page is a collection of department and office hours. It is updated on a regular basis, so please review it frequently.
College counselor Diane Shepard has provided these resources. You can also find mental health resources on BatesTech.edu/Coronavirus.
Director of Safety and Security Dee Nelons recommends the following SafeColleges resources. You can also review the Health and Safety manual on the intranet Occupational Health and Safety folder.
New: Required Courses for those returning to campus
- Coronavirus Awareness
- Coronavirus: Cleaning and Disinfecting your Workplace
General Courses
- Supervisor’s Role in Safety
- Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Prevention
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Science Lab Safety
- Pandemic Flu
Employees can log in here to access the training. If you cannot easily find the required Coronavirus training, just search for “Coronavirus” in the search bar.
If you forgot your login information, you can click on ‘forgot login’ to retrieve your credentials.
The Employment Security Department has a Q and A specifically for this question. You can read it here.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act) requires certain employers to provide their
employees with paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19.
These provisions will apply from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
In general, employees of private sector employers with fewer than 500 employees, and certain public sector
employers, are eligible for up to two weeks of fully or partially paid sick leave for COVID-19 related reasons.
For those who use paper checks and do not have direct deposit, payroll checks are now being printed and mailed directly from the state board. Please note this may cause a delay.
This page will change as more information becomes available. Please check back regularly.
Return to BatesTech.edu/Coronavirus.