DES – Risk Management, Safety Survey

From Safety & Security Director Edwin Lucero:

Please take a few minutes to complete a short safety survey.

With questions about workplace safety that are relevant for each of us. Each year, the DES State Office of Risk Management, together with the State Agency Safety Professionals Alliance (SASPA), administers the safety survey. The 2020 Safety Survey will be open for all state employees through February 21st, 2020.

The survey is intended to enhance our culture of worker safety. State agencies use survey results to develop a safety action plan for addressing the issues identified. Survey information will help Shoreline Community College, Office of Risk Management, and Safety Committee members evaluate our safety program, identify gaps, and plan safety initiatives to enhance employee workplace safety.

The survey is anonymous. Results will be collected by the DES State Office of Risk Management, then tallied and sent in summary form to each state agency.

Please let me know if you have any questions at elucero@shoreline.edu. Thank you!

Save the Date & Requests for Proposals!

Save the date!

3rd Annual Day of Learning
Friday April 24. 2020
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Presented by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Learning Team: Pilar Corder, Elena Esquibel, Marisa Herrera, Crystal Hess, David Isaac, Brigid Nulty, and Zoe Swanson.

Theme: What is Inclusion?
The annual Day of Learning serves to provide time for intentionality, reflection, and a renewed commitment to support and value every member of our community (employees and students) – particularly those who are often marginalized. Our goal for this year’s Day of Learning is to improve knowledge and skills around implementing inclusive practices across campus by revisiting our Community Standard, exploring how interpersonal, group, and systemic interactions promote or deny inclusion, and empowering one another to enact change.

Community Standard Statement
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly…”
—Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Shoreline Community College is a place for students, employees, and the community to pursue excellence in education in an environment dedicated to equity, inclusiveness, and self-reflection. We value respectful, dynamic interactions and lively discussion. We strive to create an environment where everyone is supported and valued. Shoreline Community College does not tolerate hateful, violent, or discriminatory actions that target any person or group based on their beliefs, customs, identity, or affiliations. When one of us is diminished, all of us are diminished.

More Information, and Request for Proposals

The DEI Learning Team invites colleagues across campus to join us in leading sessions. Please refer to our webpage on the intranet, for more information.

How to stay healthy this cold, flu, and coronavirus season

 

hands washing with soap and water

Winter means we’re in the thick of cold and flu season. While it’s important to take care of your health year-round, the chilly weather and this year’s novel coronavirus (2019 n-CoV) outbreak means it’s even more crucial than ever to take steps to ensure health and wellness.

Luckily, the risk of contracting the coronavirus is low and you can work to prevent it with the same measures you use to avoid contracting influenza, the common cold, and other similar viruses common this time of year.

Help prevent the spread of infections and keep yourself and others healthy by:

  • Washing your hands often with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
  • Staying home when you are sick.
  • Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash.
  • Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Combine the common sense germ prevention strategies listed above with steps to promote overall health by:

  • Bundling up. Protect your body when you’re outdoors by wearing a coat, hat, boots, gloves, and scarf. Keeping your body warmer helps boost your immune system.
  • Getting a flu shot. Getting vaccinated can greatly increase your body’s ability to fight off or recover from the flu.
  • Staying active. Promote bone and muscle health, control weight, and improve sleep patterns for an overall healthier body better able to fight off illness.
  • Sleeping enough. Lack of sleep can weaken your immune system so help your body protect itself by giving it a break.
  • Eating healthy. A healthy diet strengthens the immune system by providing antioxidants and vitamins your body needs to resist viruses or infections.

The College is an international community with students living both on and off-campus. With so many people sharing common spaces, it’s up to us all to help prevent the spread of disease.

If you experience any of the following symptoms and have either traveled to/from Hubei Province, mainland China, or had contact with someone who is suspected to have coronavirus, stay home and contact a health–care provider.

Coronavirus Symptoms May Include:

  • Fever
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Runny nose
  • Headache
  • A general feeling of being unwell

Student Resources
If you have questions about campus exposure risks (including in the residence hall), have recently returned from travel in China, have interacted with someone who has traveled to China, and/or are exhibiting signs of illness, please reach out to Derek Levy, Dean of Student Support & Success (206-546-4544), or Yushin Wung, International Student Engagement Manager (206-546-6924).

Some students may also benefit from the following resources:

  • Counseling Center – Health care information, community resources, and confidential mental health support
  • International Education – Support for international students, including health insurance and travel questions

Find additional resources and more information about the College’s emergency preparedness plan for infectious diseases on the Safety and Security webpage.

Foundation Scholarships and Emergency Support update

Alysen Laasko, Foundation Manager of Scholarships and Emergency Support, has accepted a position at Lake Washington Tech Foundation. Her last day is February 5.

Until her position is filled, Foundation Scholarships and Emergency Support will continue to be conducted from the 5000 Building (FOSS), Room 5218 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm Monday – Friday.

We are thankful that Karla Belmonte, Executive Assistant for Advancement and Foundation, will assist students on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and Pilar Corder, Executive Assistant for Employee Engagement, will assist students on Tuesday and Thursday.

Please direct any questions or concerns to Mary Brueggeman, VP of Advancement and Executive Director, Foundation.

Board of Trustees Approves Resolution to Pause Construction Project

Dear Colleague,

At the special meeting of the Board of Trustees on Friday, January 31, the Board approved Resolution 155 to pause construction on the Allied Health, Science & Advanced Manufacturing Classroom Complex (HSAMCC) in order to allow the College to complete additional planning for the programs currently housed in the buildings that would be replaced.

Pausing the construction will also pause the need for the state legislature to approve local financing for a certificate of participation (COP), which the governor did not include in the capital budget.

The College is working proactively with the State Board of Community & Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and legislative leadership to move the resolution forward and coordinate the capital request in the next biennial budget. It is our expectation that once we are ready to proceed with the construction project, the HSAMCC building will be placed at the top of the 2021-23 capital project list.

In the meantime, the College will continue to take necessary steps and actions to continue preparing for the new building (such as building design and raising funds for a capital campaign).

Respectfully,
Cheryl Roberts, Ed.D.
President