Employee Message - July 9, 2020

Good afternoon everyone,

As we continue our journey in the days of COVID-19, I am reminded of the words of Henry Ford, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” While we have been separated much since March with our introduction to COVID-19, you have persevered. You have proved that the seemingly impossible is possible. You have shown that we can be successful by working together remotely or in person. Our great hope is to return in August in a way that is similar to what we have known in person.  So . . . the theme of McLennan Together is coming together again. The truth is that we are hopeful we will be together on campus then, but work might look a little differently, and schedules will likely be different. We will be successful either way. You are doing this now, and you will do it then. We will serve students well, and we will pivot when needed as we continue on this voyage. 

Phase 4 of our Return to Campus Plan will begin on July 13. This phase will bring some important changes to campus. We will have several locations on campus open, including the Enrollment Services Center, Academic Support and Tutoring (AST), and the Bookstore (in the Michaelis Academic Center).  We will continue to use many precautions and mitigation measures to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of students, employees, and visitors. One of our measures is the Safe Practices During COVID-19 Pandemic training for employees, which we are asking you to complete by August 3. A new guidance document for campus COVID-19 operations is available and will help you understand many of our efforts. Please continue to check out the College COVID-19 webpage. While we are taking the necessary health and safety precautions as a College, we understand that some employees and students will contract COVID-19. We have guidelines as to what to do, and all of us play a role in protecting the health of others and ourselves by following safe guidelines and policies. Please help.

This week, we are gaining valuable insights from students through a new advisory group. The students are sharing information about the best forms of communication, concerns, expectations, suggestions, and general questions. We heard that most want to be back on campus. They miss their fellow students, face to face interaction with faculty and staff, and some learning just does not occur in the same way on-line. 

The Emergency Operations Group (the Vice Presidents, Frank Patterson, Lisa Elliott, and I) continue to monitor and discuss all new developments concerning the COVID-19 situation. We are open to suggestions and questions, so please feel free to contact us. This is an extraordinary time, and TOGETHER we will continue to fulfill our mission to educate our students – improving their lives and enriching our community. Thanks for your commitment and dedication.   

Johnette McKown
President
McLennan Community College