Dear Colleague,

In light of rapid developments with the novel coronavirus (2019 n-CoV) outbreak, I wanted to provide some updated information since my January 28 message. (Students will be receiving a similar message.)

While the infection risk to our campus remains low, we understand employees and students alike may be feeling anxious, stressed, worried about loved ones in China, and/or have questions about how to best navigate this public health concern on our campus. 

Communicable Disease Task Force
Out of an abundance of caution, a task force has been assembled on campus to stay abreast of developments and be ready to quickly address any campus concerns, following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health – Seattle & King County, and the College’s communicable disease policy and procedures. 

Employee Resources
If you have questions about your exposure risk, health care coverage, or other personnel-related questions or concerns, please reach out to Veronica Zura, Executive Director of Human Resources (206-546-7858). 

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

Student Resources
If you have questions about students who are asking 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).

Consistent with other colleges and universities, the College will contact any persons who may have an increased risk and monitor their well-being. If potentially at-risk students are not exhibiting symptoms of illness, they may continue attending classes.

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 

Coronavirus Symptoms May Include: 

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

 Preventive Measures

• Stay home when you are sick. 
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. 
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. 
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 
• Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze; and immediately throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. 

 Further updates will be shared with the campus community as needed. 

In health,
Cheryl Roberts, Ed.D.
President 

Are you interested in being able to assist someone experiencing a mental health-related crisis or non-crisis situation and where to turn for help?

Before you can know how to help, you need to know when to help.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognized program designed to build mental health literacy within our communities — or a basic understanding of what different mental health illnesses and addictions are, how they can affect a person’s daily life, and what helps individuals experiencing these challenges get well.

You will learn about:
· Depression and mood disorders
· Anxiety disorders
· Trauma
· Psychosis
· Substance Use disorders
· How to help someone who may be experiencing thoughts of suicide or harm

Mental Health First Aid teaches about recovery and resiliency — the belief that individuals experiencing these challenges can and do get better, and use their strengths to stay well.

Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack — even with no clinical training — becoming a Mental Health First Aider will train you to provide initial help to people experiencing mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis and substance use disorders as well as how to help someone who may be experiencing thoughts of harm or suicide.

This 9-hour training is FREE to Shoreline Community College employees and students and will be offered in two (2) – 4.5 hour sessions:

Friday, February 28 AND Friday, March 6 from 11:00 am – 3:30 pm (Bring your lunch – and an afternoon snack will be provided). 

You MUST attend BOTH training sessions to receive a MHFA handbook and become a certified Mental Health First Aider.

Please email Sheryl Copeland at scopeland@shoreline.edu to register and/or find out more information. Once registered, details as far as room location, etc. will be shared.

MHFA website: www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/cs/

Greetings,

In the interest of keeping the campus community informed, the following press release was shared with media outlets on Tuesday regarding the status of Shoreline’s proposed 2020-21 budget recommendations:

Budget Reductions Proposed to Shoreline Community College Board of Trustees 

SHORELINE, WA (January 28, 2020) – After several years of continual enrollment growth, Shoreline Community College has experienced a decline in enrollment and faces a $2.3 million shortfall. The College is focused on realigning its expenses and revenue to bring its budget into balance for the 2020-21 fiscal year.

At the January 22 Board of Trustees meeting, the Board approved the President’s recommendation that an employee reduction in force may be necessary, authorizing the College to begin the proposed budget reduction process. In March, the Board will formally approve any reductions, with the full 2020-21 budget adopted in late June.

The proposed adjustments for the 2020-21 budget include reductions in employee positions, goods and services, and other support, such as part-time faculty hiring, non-mandatory travel, and stipends.

While proposed employee reductions have been identified as necessary in several areas, the College has also determined unmet position needs in others. With this mind, several new positions are being created to address specific unmet need across all impacted employee groups. The net result of the proposed changes to employee positions would be:

• Administrative/Exempt – Reduction of 6 positions, creation of 1.5 positions (net change of -4.5 positions)
• Classified Staff – Reduction of 12 positions, creation of 7.25 positions (net change of -4.75 positions)
• Faculty – Reduction of 1 position, creation of 3 positions (net change of +2 positions)

These proposed position adjustments will allow the College to better streamline operations and improve how the College helps students to enroll, persist, and graduate.

“The College is thoughtfully pursuing ways to bring our budget into balance. Because colleges are people-focused organizations, it is unfortunate that we are unable to significantly realign the budget without affecting some employee positions – and we are very sensitive to the impact this has on our students, employees, and the communities we serve. However, we have prioritized the proposed reductions in a way that minimize impact on students and employees as much as possible,” said President Cheryl Roberts, Ed.D.

One recommendation presented to the Board of Trustees is to discontinue the Shoreline’s men’s soccer team in fall 2020, in the face of a reduced Athletics budget related to a decline in student fees. The recommendation is also based on a team history of low academic achievement, persistence, and retention as well as increased costs for insurance and facility maintenance. The College would continue offering six other competitive sports, including women’s soccer.

Some students and employees have expressed fears about Shoreline’s Dental Hygiene program being eliminated, though it is not on the list of budget reductions for 2020-21. The College is actively collaborating with key faculty and community partners to identify short- and long-term solutions to a two-fold challenge: locating appropriate space to house the program and addressing the program’s high cost of instruction. Updates about solutions will be shared in the coming weeks as conversations continue.

“The proposed budget changes that have been provided to the Board of Trustees are grounded in clear principles that align the College with our strategic plan, ensure adequate reserves for financial stability, and allow for further innovation and workflow efficiencies,” Roberts added. “We are now entering a problem-solving mode with College constituents to fine tune our recommendations before the Board of Trustees finalizes the budget this spring.” 

In fall 2019, each campus department completed a self-review assessment. This data heavily informed the College executive team’s systematic budget review and rationale for the proposed changes. The new budget would go into effect July 1, 2020.

Dear Colleague,

You’ve likely been hearing news reports about an outbreak of a respiratory illness called the novel coronavirus (2019–nCoV) that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and has since expanded to several countries, with one confirmed case in Washington state. 

Currently, the risk to the general public is low and there are no known or suspected cases of the coronavirus on Shoreline’s campus. The College is following the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommendations and is proactively monitoring developments to ensure the campus community’s health and safety, in alignment with the College policy on communicable disease.

Out of caution, the CDC is currently recommending that travelers avoid all non-essential travel to China. If you have recently traveled to China (within 14 days) and are having fever and respiratory symptoms (such as coughing or shortness of breath), please contact your primary care provider. Call your health care provider before arriving so they can prepare for your visit.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind all students and employees of standard recommendations to prevent the spread of infections, as influenza and similar viruses are common this time of year: 

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. 
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. 
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 
• Stay home when you are sick. 
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. 
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. 

The safety pouches that Safety & Security distributed to employees at the last Fall Convocation contain disposable N95 respirator masks in case you ever need one.

The College will continue to share any updates about this virus with the campus as further developments arise. For the latest information, please visit the CDC’s 2019 Novel Coronavirus web page.

Wishing you a healthy and productive quarter,

Cheryl Roberts, Ed.D.
President