Dear Vermont Tech students,

I hope the new modalities and unusual circumstances have been better and smoother than expected for all involved, and that the hybrid semester has somehow helped provide the hands-on instruction Vermont Tech is known for.

However, the continued unusual circumstances we are still experiencing require unique approaches to grading and course completion. As I stated last semester, a course’s grade means many things: the rigor of the discipline, the work put into it by the student, the performance achieved by the student in the class, etc. But, while all of these are valid parameters, during this second COVID semester, some of them may be skewed due to the uniqueness of the circumstances.

So, after extensive conversations within Vermont Tech in particular and the VSC in general, and after weighing the potential consequences of different options, we have decided that this semester the grading processes will continue offering one more layer of opportunity. Given that the effects of the “new normal” are still fluid, we want to give students more time to analyze their needs and make an informed decision regarding grades, and the impact they will have on their future.

So, again, in the spirit of academic flexibility, and to ensure our students feel supported by the institution, the following accommodations have been established for the Fall 2020 semester:

• At the end of the semester each faculty member will record letter grades for the courses in the usual manner. At that point, students will have the choice to take a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) option instead, as was the case in the Spring 2020 semester. The deadline for this decision will be communicated to you in a follow up email closer to the end of the semester.
• Courses in which students earned a Pass (P) will count towards their degree requirements, with the exception of courses in which a specific grade is required for progression or licensure requirements. Students will exercise the P/NP option on a course by course basis, potentially carrying letter grades in some courses while recording P/NP in others.
• Before exercising the P/NP option, students should discuss with their advisors the consequences this decision will have on their program’s expectations, progression standards, and accreditation and licensing requirements.
• The decision to take a P/NP grade will be irreversible.
• If, as part of a direct agreement between the student and the faculty member in charge of the course, a student is granted an incomplete, the student will have a full academic year to submit the work necessary to convert that incomplete into a final grade, at which point, the student will have the option of requesting the P/NP option.
• Students are strongly encouraged to consult with their academic advisors and the Financial Aid office to fully understand the consequences of their decisions for their particular academic major, graduate school candidacy, financial aid standing, and career path. Students should begin to explore the implications of these choice immediately so that they are prepared to make informed decisions by the end of the semester.

I hope this added flexibility will release some of the pressure brought upon you by these most unusual circumstances.

All of us at Vermont Tech want to reassure you that we will continue to be here for you, and we encourage you to continue working hard and giving this semester your best effort in order to bring it to a successful conclusion.

Be well and stay healthy. Take good care of yourselves,

Dr. Ana Gaillat
Dean of Academic Affairs

October 13, 2020

Today, President Moulton sent an official statement about the college’s plans for the spring semester academic calendar:

Many of you are asking about plans for the Spring semester. To communicate as early as possible to enable planning for our students, faculty and staff, I am sharing the colleges plan for the Spring 2021 semester.

As we all well know, we are in the midst of a global pandemic. The first in over 100 years.  This calls for different behavior, special planning and making very difficult choices and decisions about what is best for ourselves and our communities.

Governor Scott has issued guidance affirming colleges and universities in Vermont “shall not” have a traditional spring break and instead seek solutions which discourage travel by students and employees beyond Vermont. ALL other colleges and universities in Vermont will not be having a traditional spring break. It appears no colleges or universities in New England are planning a traditional spring break.

I have heard from students, faculty and staff on this, loud and clear.  I appreciate that input very much. I know the modality of delivery, the lack of traditional face to face learning and a lack of a break are very stressful for many.

All students and employees will be asked to remain in Vermont during any breaks in areas with fewer than 400 cases per million or equivalent as reported on the VT Agency of Commerce and Community Development restricted travel map.

Due to COVID, we will deliver classes in the same “hybrid” model we are using this fall semester. Classes will start on February 1 with remote delivery of lectures the first two weeks enabling time for residential students to quarantine on our campuses.  We will schedule lab weeks staggered throughout the semester. Faculty will communicate to students which weeks are lab weeks for their programs.

The calendar laid out below will be different for our allied health occupations, veterinary technology and professional pilots given the need for clinical and flight time. The spring schedule is now posted for most students and PN students. I very much appreciate the work this will require for faculty and staff to enable this schedule. Due to COVID, all mask, social distancing and testing protocols will be the same as the fall semester. Details on COVID protocols, move in dates, and more will be communicated to you as soon as possible.

Spring 2021 Calendar

• Classes will start February 1, 2021 remotely. The Governor has finalized guidance indicating no colleges may commence classes prior to February 1.
• There will be a one week vacation starting Monday, April 19, 2021. Students will be able to return home and stay home after classes end on Friday, April 16, 2021.
• Classes resume remotely on Monday, April 26, 2021. The balance of the semester will be delivered remotely.
• Classes will end on Friday, May 14, 2021.
• Final exams and presentations will begin remotely Monday, May 17, 2021 and end Friday, May 21.
• Commencement is scheduled for the weekend of May 22 and 23. There is no final decision about how Commencement will be conducted.  Much of that will be governed by the COVID virus and state regulations in place at that time.

This schedule enables a one week break for faculty and students as we heard loud and clear while also eliminating the need for a second week of quarantine.

This is a public health decision and in the best interest of our communities, geographic and otherwise.  This is NOT ideal nor the easiest nor preferred for any of us. It is however, the right thing to do under the circumstances.  Pandemics require tough decisions, altered schedules and choices we would prefer not to make. It is my sincere hope this is temporary for all of us and we will return to normal delivery soon.

Vermont and all of us at Vermont Tech have done very well thus far this semester.  We hope that too will continue in to the spring.  We truly ARE all in this together. Working together, we will get through this successfully.

I thank you for your commitment to Vermont Tech and to staying safe and healthy.

September 3, 2020

Vermont Tech is now including its testing information on the college website for transparency and ease of access to these data. The institution is mandated to report out on dates defined by the State, and will also update this information as additional students return to campus for lab weeks. Due to that plan, there will be weeks throughout the semester when this information is static. However, the reporting period dates will always be updated when new information is available.

The college is including student data in its reporting and bifurcating the results by residential and non-residential students. Among non-residential student populations are commuters, residential students only staying on campus for lab weeks and those that are learning completely remotely.

As of September 3, the college has four positive cases. The first incident was a residential student that moved into campus on August 12 and was given a test that day. That “day zero” test came back positive and the student was moved to isolation on campus. The isolation period has ended and the student continues to be asymptomatic.

The remaining positive cases are among non-residential students, of which two are learning remotely exclusively. Their isolation periods are both complete. The one commuting student that tested positive is currently isolating and contact tracing is complete.  They will not return to in person class until cleared by the Vermont Department of Health.

In total, the college has received 308 test results, of which 104 are from residential students. Of the 42 tests that were performed on August 12, 41 were negative. The 41 tests that were administered for residential students on August 19 were all negative. The 54 tests that were administered Welcome Weekend were negative, as were the follow tests administered to this same group on day seven of their residence on campus. Students have provided negative tests in order to be allowed to move into campus or begin in-person lab work.

As more students return to one of our campuses for in-person labs and more tests are received, this chart will be updated. Please feel free to check back weekly for new data.

Reporting Period: August 12-September 3, 2020

August 14, 2020

Today, President Moulton sent the following message to the college community. Media may contact Amanda Chaulk, Director of Marketing & Communications at (802) 698-3036, or contact the President’s Office at president@vtc.edu.

To our students, staff and faculty,

As the college re-opens for the fall semester, I will be providing updates on our efforts to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus on campus and in our community.

First and foremost, I am grateful to our students and staff for their adherence to our protocols in these early days of re-opening Vermont Technical College.  The start of school is an exciting time, and your help cooperation and support for the restrictions necessary to protect your health is essential and very much appreciated.

In order to facilitate quarantine, residential assistants and out-of-state students returned to the Randolph Center campus early and were administered tests to detect COVID-19. We have received back one positive result among the first 42 tests performed.

The student had been in quarantine since arriving on campus, and is asymptomatic. Following our protocols put in place for the restart of the fall semester, they have been moved to a separate residence hall for isolation, and we are providing meal and other supports for their physical and emotional health and comfort.

Also according to those same protocols, the college administration and student health team are working in coordination with the state Health Department and local officials to ensure any possible exposures are identified through contact tracing, so that anyone affected will receive immediate health guidance, recommendations and supports.

Our first priority is the health and well being of our students and that of our faculty and staff as well as their families, and our community at large. The protocols we have developed in consultation with the state’s public health experts include testing populations as they arrive on campus, support and isolation of students as needed and continual deep cleaning of our facilities. The actions taken today and going forward represent the system developed by the Vermont Tech Incident Response Team (IRT) and re-opening taskforce.

I also know how important it is that you be informed and have the information you need to stay healthy. I want to reinforce that we are committed to maintaining open communication with all of you here at Vermont Tech and with our community.

The Department of Health’s contact tracing team is working now to reach anyone who is a close contact of this case. In addition, the 42 residential students will receive another test on August 19, 2020.

There is no current threat to the community. As we have seen in its successful response to the now-closed outbreak that started in Winooski, the Health Department has in place response procedures to quickly move to identify and contain potential spread of the virus.

Nonetheless, it is essential that we all continue to follow the recommendations and requirements – all of which are in place to protect each of us and the state at large, from this highly contagious and potentially dangerous virus.

Please follow the Vermont Tech guidelines and protocols, including mask wearing and physical distancing. Wash your hands regularly, and please all do what you can to keep Vermont Tech healthy and open.

August 13, 2020

Dean of Students, Jason Enser, sent the following information to all students regarding in-person lab weeks.

Dear Students:

By this time, some of you have already started to hear from some of your instructors about what weeks you will be on campus for in-person labs, if at all. I write to you to share the implications of those in-person weeks on housing. This Q&A also lives on our COVID-19 Student Resources page.

When will the lab schedule be final?

The draft schedule is being reviewed with comments due from faculty by August 14, 2020. Updates will be made and the schedule published as quickly as possible after the 14th. Please check the Portal starting on the 17th and up to the first day of classes, to be sure you see any changes.

We apologize for the lateness of this information. It is an outcome of the late date at which we pivoted to remote delivery with in-person labs, based on State recommendations and our capacity to de-densify campus and site populations.

What weeks am I likely to be on campus for labs?

Through input from the faculty, the academic administration has tentatively scheduled labs for two sets of weeks throughout the semester; one set is weeks 3, 7, and 11, the second set is weeks 4, 8, and 12. Not all programs will have in-person labs, so always check your academic schedule through the Portal.

Will on-campus housing be available for these weeks?

Yes. Students may live in a residence hall for the weeks they are on campus for labs. Students are not required to live on campus, however, and may commute to campus for in-person labs. It is important to consider the impact of the drive time when opting out of living on campus. The cost of housing per week is $451 (room only). Meal plans are required for Randolph Center residential students while living on campus. Meal plans are $276 a week.

How do I apply for housing for the one-week labs?

Students must email studentaffairs@vtc.edu with their request to live on campus during any of their lab weeks.  More information will be sent to students after lab weeks are finalized with a deadline to apply for housing for these weeks.

What do I need to do in preparation for being on campus for labs?

Please follow the Student Checklist on the Entry Checklist web page.

Why isn’t the cost of one-week housing the standard housing rate divided by 15 weeks?

This expense is lower than the cost for a full semester, but not a direct proportion of the 15-week rate. There is additional administrative oversight and cleaning and room preparation required factoring into the one-week rate.

Will there be meal plans available for the lab weeks?

Yes. Meal plans are required for any Randolph Center residential student, including during one-week residency, for $276 per week. Commuting students may also purchase the meal plan for the weeks they are on campus for labs.

Thank you

Thank you for hanging in there with us as we navigate the many complexities of this delivery format. It was important to all of us to provide you with a uniquely Vermont Tech education, one based on applied learning in a small and caring community.

We hope with these measures, and adherence to the health protocols of hand washing, social distancing and mask wearing, we can more quickly return to a more normal academic plan. Only by working together do we have the chance to make that difference.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact Student Affairs at studentaffairs@vtc.edu. We can either answer your question or direct you to the right contact person to follow up. No question or concern is too small; we would rather hear from you than never have the chance to provide support.

Sincerely,
The Staff of Student Affairs
Jason Enser
Mary Kathryn Juskiewicz
Kathleen Mason
Dana Mitchell
Nancy Guild
Bob Sivret

July 31, 2020

As Vermont Tech welcomes back its students and employees for the fall semester, the college is making important investments in the safety of our community. One of the largest contributors to that investment is our community members themselves, as we all take responsibility for our role in caring for ourselves and those around us.

As with response to the COVID-19 coronavirus at large, Vermont Tech is focused on the pillars of mask wearing, social distancing, hand hygiene, symptom monitoring, and contact tracing to promote adherence to the State’s health and safety guidelines, as well as reduction strategies for illness spread.

The college has taken the following steps:

1. Created of a central website landing page for all COVID-related announcements to make information easy to find
2. Instituted of a Knights’ Pledge (accessible only with college ID), wherein all faculty, staff, and students sign their promise to take responsibility for their health and the health of others
3. Developed a Student Health Contract (accessible only with college ID) with an embedded Knights’ Pledge
4. Display of signage around all its campuses and sites that promote mask wearing, social distancing, and staying home if you’re experiencing symptoms
5. Implemented the VOSHA-mandated screening process, including training of staff to perform screening to monitor the health of visitors and employees working on a campus or distance site and securing of buildings to manage access
6. Updated the Code of Conduct to include adherence to safety protocols, substantiating the importance of these efforts with college policy
7. Expanded its use of Castle Branch beyond nursing students where all students and employees can report daily self-attestation of symptoms and temperature check, providing mindfulness for self-care
8. Recommended that students and employees maintain a contact tracing journal, to indicate close contacts with others each day
9. Procured PPE for appropriate faculty and staff to enable their work, as well as masks for all students and employees to be distributed as needed to anyone moving into or visits campus
10. Developed an Exposure Control Plan, per VOSHA guidelines
11. Installed Plexiglas shielding and developed new room capacity standards based on social distancing

As protocols from the State and public health official change or expand, Vermont Tech will continue to respond with active strategies to invest in the safety of our community. There is no way to mitigate all risk, and community members must consider the potential impact on themselves and their families when deciding to participate in our educational community.

August 10, 2020

• Vermont Tech’s Restart Plan

• Program Delivery Plans

COVID Reopening Plans for Vermont Tech

Ensuring a safe work and learning environment is the # 1 priority for Vermont Technical College. With an abundance of caution and to mitigate risk for our community this fall, Vermont Tech will deliver our education through a “hybrid” delivery model providing a combination of remote lecture and face-to-face labs and clinical experiences for our students.

We know obtaining practical, applied, hands-on learning opportunities are so important for our students, program learning outcomes and employer expectations. Therefore, all programs will offer lecture/didactic portions through remote delivery. Students will come to campus for periodic weeks throughout the semester, staying in the residence halls on our Williston and Randolph Center campuses if needed, for “low residency” access to face-to-face labs.  Nursing programs will also offer remote delivery of lecture with face-to-face access to simulation labs and clinical rotations.

Non-essential employees will be able to remain working from home throughout the semester. Critical student-facing offices and departments will be staffed on a rotating basis to assure staffing in those offices daily.

Face coverings will be mandatory for ALL on campus. Daily health screenings of employees and any commuting students will also be mandatory. Access to campus restricted to one entrance with access to buildings disabled until all have had the necessary daily screening.

A brief synopsis of what this means is:

1. Only out-of-state students, those with special housing needs, those will challenged home learning environments due to lack of internet access, or other conditions will be given the opportunity to live in the residence halls all semester long; These students will apply for residency through the Student Affairs office (be on the lookout for a separate email about this).
2. Dental Hygiene and Professional Pilot students will also be allowed to be in the residence hall in Williston during the semester to provide access to critical clinic and flight time.
3. Most students will return for up to three on-campus weeks during the semester for labs and experiential learning.  You will be given the opportunity to stay in the residence halls in a hotel-like model or to commute. Students are expected to pack for one week then return home not leaving any belongings in the residence halls enabling us to sanitize the room for the next group of students.

This plan provides numerous benefits to our students:

1. All lectures will be online, so if students have health concerns for themselves or family member with health concerns will have reduced risk.
2. Most labs will be in person to provide the hands-on experience our programs are known for. Labs will require masks, social distancing, and active hand sanitizing as well as equipment sanitizing. All to minimize the risk.
3. We preserve an on-campus experience for those of you who need it all semester long with required testing prior to arrival and 7 days after if you are remaining on campus for the duration of the semester.
4. We will be providing hotel-like model housing for the week of labs but students may also choose to commute to these labs.   Students coming for one week residency will be required to obtain a COVID-19 test prior to arrival.
5. This will create a safer campus by reducing the residential student population, de-densifying the campus, and reducing commuting.

Next steps for:

Students

We hosted a virtual Town Hall for students on Friday, July 17. If you were unable to attend the meeting, please watch the video below. Additional questions can be sent directly to studentaffairs@vtc.edu.

Over the next few days many of you will be hearing from various folks on campus with important information about Residence Life, athletics, our social distancing protocols, etc.

We are currently working to revise the fall course schedule and will post it on our website in the near future. Once this schedule has been released,  you will be able to add/drop courses to better suit your situation.

MOVE-IN DATES:

1. August 12 – Move-in day for out-of-state students coming from high risk counties (new and returning).  If your county is listed as red or yellow on this map it is considered a high risk county.
2. August 22 – Move-in day for new Vermont and out-of-state students coming from low risk counties students.
3. August 23 – Move-in day for returning Vermont out-of-state students coming from low risk counties students.
4. August 24 – First day of classes.

Employees 

Anyone coming to campus must undergo daily screenings when arriving on campus. More details of this process will be coming in the next week or more.

Masks will be required when in areas where others could be present, active hand and surface sanitizing will be required.

Important

Thank you very much for your immense patience and understanding as we all endeavor to cope with the health situation and provide students with the first-rate, hands-on, education you deserve.  We are committed to making the campuses at Vermont Tech as safe as possible while following the Governor’s Mandatory Guidance as well as the evolving guidelines issued by the CDC. However, there are NO guarantees for complete safety. It is only through taking care of each other, and respecting the NEED to take care of each other will we be successful in ensuring a healthy semester for our community.  We ALL need to take very seriously the required precautions.  We are Vermont Tech Stronger and we can do this!

June 29, 2020

The college has announced that the SHAPE fitness facility is open again to its members, faculty, staff, and students currently working and living on campus. The new hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Social distancing is required at all times. When arriving at SHAPE, check in has moved to the weight room to enable monitoring of the facility, per the State’s guidelines. Everyone must check in and pass the screening test. Members will agree to a COVID-19 waiver to enter. Everyone must wear a face covering to enter the facility and when walking around the building, but they can be removed when exercising while keeping the face covering on your person. The capacity of the gym is reduced to 18 people with a limit of three people per basket. No pickup games are allowed in the gym. The capacity of the weight room is reduced by 50% to enable safe physical distancing. All equipment must be wiped down after use. Failure to do so will result in loss of access. The capacity of the pool is reduced to 10 swimmers with one person per lane. The lifeguard on duty will monitor this. The locker rooms are currently closed. Fitness classes are expected to resume July 6, 2020 with social distancing practices and observing maximum capacity of 25 people or less, depending on the class and space used.

June 12, 2020

Ana Gaillat, Dean of Academic Affairs, and Jason Enser, Dean of Students, shared updates with the college community about the fall academic calendar.

We are trying to minimize disruption, while keeping in mind the mandates that are still in place regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of this moment, we intend to start classes in-person as normally scheduled on August 24, 2020, with the caveat that out-of-state students may need to arrive on campus earlier in order to quarantine (i.e. either 7 days of quarantine and testing or 14 days quarantine, as called for by the State). Mandates for quarantine could change from now until the end of the summer and we will follow them as required.

Once the semester is underway, we will proceed without breaks until Thanksgiving in order to avoid sending students home and creating the need for further quarantining. From August until November, we will front-load the materials that require in-person delivery as much as possible. After the Thanksgiving break, students will not be returning to campus and will complete the semester remotely.

I want to emphasize that this is the state of our plans as of this moment but, given the uncharted nature of the situation, these plans could be modified in the future, should State directives require us to do so.

Also please note this does not apply to the PN nursing schedule. Anyone with questions about the academic calendar are invited to email communications@vtc.edu.

May 20, 2020

With the closure of the application for the CARES Emergency funding, the Financial Aid Office staff is processing and reviewing applications. Students will be notified of eligibility and approval via email next week.

May 19, 2020

Vermont Tech has received authorization for students to begin returning to pick up belongings left in their residence hall rooms. This was passed on to the college by Dr. Levine, Commissioner of Health for Vermont. The Director of Residential Life, Theo Manzir, sent the following information to residential students today:

Due to the continued severity of the COVID-19 situation, it is imperative that the move out take place in a safe and controlled manner. Proper social distancing must be practiced at all times. Masks and gloves are required, and must be brought by the student.

Move outs will be allowed only under the criteria outlined below.  Per the order of the Governor, they will be staggered throughout several days with no more than twenty percent of students present on any one day to ensure that no one floor or residence hall is overcrowded. Students who arrive outside their scheduled time, or who do not follow proper procedure while on campus, will be asked to leave.

Make an email request to studentaffairs@vtc.edu to sign up for a move-out slot. Move outs will take place 9:00AM – 7:00PM (last slot starts at 5pm), Monday – Friday, and 9:00AM -3:00PM (last slot starts at 1pm) Saturday and Sunday. Time slots will be 2 hours long. Your email should include:

1. Your name.
2. The name of the ONE person who will be assisting you. In order to keep exposure to a minimum, students may not bring more than one person to help.
3. The proposed date and time you would like to come.
4. Where you (and your one assistant) are traveling from. Students and their move-out assistant will only be allowed to move out if they are coming from a state that does not currently have a stay-at-home order in place.
5. The name of your roommate, if you have one. In order to maintain social distancing, roommates will be unable to sign up for the same slot.
6. Student Affairs staff will reply to your email confirming your appointment slot. Please do not attempt to come to campus until you have received a confirmation. Your card will be activated only for the time slot you have signed up for.
7. Upon arriving to campus, please call Public Safety 802-728-1292 to check in. No one will meet you in person.
8. Maintain proper social distance from anyone you encounter while moving your belongings out of your room.
9. Once you have finished, please leave your key in the top desk drawer.

Any items left in the room after move out will be considered abandoned and thrown out, and the student will be charged any applicable fees.

Please note that all restrooms will be closed and are not open to the students or anyone that may be traveling with them.

If you notice anything that may be missing from your room, please contact Public Safety to fill out an incident report. The college will investigate, but is not responsible for, missing items.

May 6, 2020

The college has announced its process for disbursement of CARES Act Emergency Funding and created a landing page for more information. Students are encouraged to apply for additional federal funding to cover expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 4, 2020

Vermont Tech is planning to be open in the fall at all of our campuses and sites.

Our preferred scenario, the one we are focused on and will implement if it adheres to public health guidance, is to resume in-person activities at our campuses and distance sites for the fall.

We are closely monitoring the recommendations of the Governor and state and local health officials to determine when we will resume in-person instruction. We are planning for several contingencies in order to be prepared for a variety of scenarios.

President Moulton has charged a task force to review and make recommendations about re-opening the campus for the fall of 2020. With the coming months before move-in day ahead of us, we have time to complete the careful preparations needed in order to welcome students back.

The health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and guests must lead our decision-making regarding all activities. We are preparing to adapt our instructional and residential life models and on-campus activities, as needed, to protect our campus community while offering the distinct applied learning and social experience Vermont Tech students expect.

Vermont Tech has updated its Student Resources FAQ to include information about the coming fall 2020 semester.

April 10, 2020

Governor Phil Scott extended Vermont’s State of Emergency through May 15, which also extends the expiration date of all corresponding orders and directives issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The original State of Emergency, issued on March 13, was set to expire on April 15, as were the subsequent mitigation measures. As a result of this extension, all measures, including the Governor’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order, are now in effect until midnight on May 15 (note, schools remain dismissed for in-person instruction through the end of the school year).