UPDATE FROM PRESIDENT, JASON S. WOOD, Ph.D. – March 26, 2020

Dear College Family,

The Board Meeting went very well this evening with approval for an additional $500,000, if needed, to overcome the COVID-19 emergency.  The Board also approved the additional two weeks of paid leave and associated policies that HR has already circulated.  Finally, Chuck Bolstad, Board Chair, will participate at the all-college zoom meeting tomorrow in order to deliver a message of appreciation for your specular efforts.

Here is the agenda for our zoom conference:

1. Question and Answer Responses
2. Classroom Experience: Jenna Taylor, Nursing Instructor 
3. Classroom Experience: Paul Cutting, Ag. Department Instructor 
4. Providing services to students online: Heather Swatek and Chris Bowers, serving students with disabilities online
5. Working from home and making it work: Dennis Cooley
6. Message from the District Board President: Chuck Bolstad
7. Closing Message:  Jason Wood

Please find the program delivery status here.  The COVID-19 health crisis has created questions about all Southwest Tech academic programs that have spring semester courses requiring students to return for face-to-face instruction. Please know Southwest Tech intends to make it possible for students to complete those courses. We will provide those students with the required hands-on learning opportunities at the earliest point possible. As we learn more, we may also discover ways to provide additional safety for some students to return sooner than others, either by program or by circumstance. We will do our very best to help every single student find a way to finish the semester.  We are not planning to cancel any spring semester courses. Students should continue to work with their respective instructors to get as much of the course completed as possible in an online platform as we wait for the time when we can safely return to our regular learning environments.

Finally, I appreciate the message in this clip because it reminds me of the many, many efforts our faculty, staff, and students are making to care for each other in meaningful ways.  Please continue.

Thanks,
Jason