Frequently Asked Questions
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Health Academic Operational Employees
Collin College prioritizes the health and safety of students, employees, and campus visitors.
Please remain calm and monitor your email and CougarAlert for any change in status. The article below provides information you may find helpful:
Coronavirus: Ten reasons why you ought not to panic
Health
Q. What is Collin College doing to prepare for a potential Coronavirus (COVID-19) case?
A. The Collin College Office of Emergency Management is in contact with Collin County Health Care Services and is actively monitoring the status of this developing situation. The college follows the guidance of national and local officials to help protect students, employees, and campus visitors from communicable diseases.
Q. Have there been any confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) at Collin College?
A. There are no confirmed cases reported at Collin College.
Q. If Collin College employees or students are diagnosed with Coronavirus (COVID-19), will the college community be notified?
A. Public health agencies closely track reports of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and take steps to notify individuals and organizations who have been in close contact with individual(s) diagnosed with Coronavirus (COVID-19). If the college learns of a confirmed case of Coronavirus (COVID-19), the college will notify the public as needed and comply with all laws.
Q. What can we do to reduce the risk of getting Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
A. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the best things you can do are the same as those for preventing the spread of respiratory diseases, including:
- 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, or 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 and sanitize your hands.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Q. Where can I get more information?
A. For more information, visit the following websites:
- Centers for Disease Control – www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
- Texas Department of State Health Services – https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/
Academic
Q. If there is a disruption of face-to-face instructional delivery, how will I receive academic support?
A. Effective Monday, March 23, the majority of Collin College classes will be available in an online format for the foreseeable future. We could go all the way to the end of the term, but this has not been determined yet. Professors have been working diligently and are available to teach most classes or sizable portions of classes online. The college will be in contact with students who have classes that are not able to go online and may need to be extended or completed via other workarounds.
The following information is provided to assist students with online classes.
- Verify that you can log into CougarWeb and access your class in Canvas (My Courses Tab): https://cougarweb.collin.edu/. Canvas is a mobile-friendly platform.
- For log-in assistance or tech support contact the Student Help Desk at 972.377.1777.
- Log in to your Collin email and Canvas and read all communication from your professor.
- Prepare for future instruction through Canvas by visiting the eLearning Center website https://www.collin.edu/academics/ecollin/studentcanvasresources.html.
- Be mindful that online instruction is not self-paced. Your instructor will provide you with a calendar and clear deadlines for completing your coursework each week. To optimize your success, prepare to meet these deadlines, and log in to your course site regularly.
If students have questions regarding available student services during this time, they can contact
- Veteran Student Services – vrc@collin.edu
- Financial Aid – financialaid@collin.edu
- Admissions – admissions@collin.edu
- Advisement – academicadvising@collin.edu
- Counseling/Access – personalcounseling@collin.edu
- Dual Credit – dualcredit@collin.edu
- All other student services questions – studentsuccess@collin.edu
Q. Collin College’s regularly scheduled spring break is March 9-15. Will spring break be extended at Collin College?
A. Collin College extended spring break for students by one additional week to include March 16-22. All student activities are cancelled during this time. Effective March 19, all Collin College campus facilities — including libraries, computer, math, and writing labs — will close through Sunday, April 5.
Q. Will the college cancel any classes or events?
A. The Collin College Office of Emergency Management is in contact with Collin County Health Care Services, and, the college is:
- Closing all Collin College campus facilities — including libraries, computer, math, and writing labs — through Sunday, April 5.
- Cancelling all nonessential gatherings through April 15.
- Suspending the Seniors Active in Learning (SAIL) classes through April 15 as senior citizens are considered a vulnerable group due to their age.
Q. Will the drop date deadline be extended?
A. The college will extend the drop date (withdrawal deadline) for all of our 16-week semester students, moving it from March 20 to March 30, 2020.
Students are able to withdraw from classes on CougarWeb. A “W” does appear on the transcript for any withdrawals at this point. Prior to withdrawing, students should talk with their professors and/or their advisors. Student athletes, international students, and students receiving financial aid and/or veteran’s benefits are required to notify the appropriate office prior to dropping or withdrawing from classes and to get written approval from that specific office. As a reminder, at this point in the semester, there are no refunds on withdrawn courses.
Q. How will I find out if the college cancels classes or closes?
A. Effective March 19, all Collin College campus facilities — including libraries, computer, math, and writing labs — will close through Sunday, April 5.
College officials will continue to inform employees and students of campus closures via college email, CougarAlert, and/or the college’s website at http://www.collin.edu. To receive emergency notifications by text, please subscribe to CougarAlert at https://www.collin.edu/cougaralert.html.
Q. I am a student worker. Will I get paid in this crisis time?
A. If you are a student worker and you are not required to report to work, you will continue to be paid until notified otherwise. Please check with your supervisor for guidance.
Q. My child is enrolled in dual credit classes. What should I know as a parent?
A. We continue to work closely with our dual credit ISD partners, and we are prepared to be flexible and align with their plans including offering online classes. The drop date extension mentioned above will apply to our dual credit students as well. For any questions about dual credit, contact dualcredit@collin.edu.
As monitoring continues, the college will inform students via email and/or the CougarAlert system of changes and any other important decisions. Check the Collin College website at www.collin.edu for updates or subscribe to CougarAlert at https://www.collin.edu/cougaralert.html to receive emergency notifications.
Q. Will Collin College change the May 2020 graduation date?
A. We have made the decision to postpone the May 15 graduation ceremony with the intent of moving it to late August.
Operational
Q. How is Collin College responding to Gov. Greg Abbott’s March 19th disaster declaration?
A. Collin College is complying with Gov. Greg Abbott’s disaster declaration for the state of Texas which requires all public schools to remain closed through Friday, April 3 and to find ways to offer education online. Effective March 19, all Collin College campus facilities — including libraries, computer, math, and writing labs — will close through Sunday, April 5. Classes will begin online Monday, March 23 as previously scheduled, and the college plans to continue to offer online classes for the foreseeable future. In addition, the college will be in contact with students who have classes that are not able to go online and may need to be extended or completed via other workarounds.
Q. Is Collin College taking precautions to reduce the risk of Coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission?
A. We are beefing up sanitization procedures throughout the college to ensure key touch points are routinely disinfected (e.g., railings, elevator buttons, vending machines, door handles, seats, tables, etc.). We will continue to evaluate and, as we deep clean and disinfect an area or classroom, we may close the space to ensure that it remains a clean zone.
Collin College maintains thorough cleaning throughout its campuses and centers and complies with an environmental cleaning regimen that meets or exceeds the Centers for Disease Control guidelines. As with any seasonal respiratory illness, routine cleaning is an effective protocol. We are continuing enhanced custodial cleaning procedures, including deep cleans during times when campuses are closed and more frequent cleaning of high-traffic public areas during open hours.
The college also has hand-sanitizing stations located throughout the district for use by students, faculty, and staff. The college is enacting sanitizing enhancements in daily operations.
Q. Will Collin College be open during the extended spring break of March 16-22?
A. Effective March 19, all Collin College campus facilities — including libraries, computer, math, and writing labs — will close through Sunday, April 5.
Employees
Q. Will I be financially compensated during this crisis time period?
A. All employees will be guaranteed their normal pay. This includes full and part-time faculty and staff, and student employees during the crisis time period.
Q. As an employee, who should I contact if I have questions or concerns?
A. Please work through your supervisor if you have any questions or concerns. Stay alert and watch for updates. Please continue to check the FAQs. We will continue to update the FAQs with new information as it becomes available.
Q. I have work-related travel plans. What should I be aware of?
A. Collin College is suspending all travel through the end of the semester at this time.
Q. What if I am planning a work-related event?
A. All nonessential gatherings are suspended through April 15. Check with your supervisor if you have questions.
Revised 3.19.20