COCC’s staff, faculty moving to teleworking setup

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Responding to an executive order from Gov. Kate Brown, starting next Monday and extending through April 28, Central Oregon Community College's staff and faculty will largely shift to a teleworking structure, the school announced Thursday.

Here's the full announcement:

Despite the virtual work space, the college is committed to ensuring that its resources - from tutoring center advice and student records access to admissions questions and research consultations with librarians - will continue to remain responsive to the needs of students and community members alike.

"The safety of our students, staff and community is without a doubt our number one priority," said COCC President Laurie Chesley. "In making this decision, we are following the directives of Governor Brown, the Oregon Health Authority, local public health officials, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission and the Centers for Disease Control. Despite this virtual arrangement, our faculty and staff are dedicated to being a steadfast resource for our students and our community."

Access to COCC's facilities will be restricted to faculty and staff only. The college is currently in its winter term final exam week, with most of the testing occurring online. The start of COCC's spring term is set for April 6, a one-week delay from the originally scheduled date. There will be remote instruction only (with some exemptions related to health care-related programs, as outlined in the Governor's Executive Order), through at least April 28.

For more information, contact Ron Paradis, executive director of College Relations, at 541-383-7599.