FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR

UA Cossatot is working closely with the University of Arkansas System Office, UAMS, and other entities to ensure our pandemic plan regarding COVID-19 protects our students, employees, and other stakeholders. Our team has met non-stop for the past several weeks to enact measures to address the COVID-19 outbreak. These measures include sharing more information campus-wide regarding prevention, altered course scheduling, restricted campus usage, and campus closures, should that need arise.

We have communicated this link on our UA Cossatot webpage to all students and employees:

https://www.cccua.edu/novel-coronavirus

This link includes useful information regarding what UA Cossatot is doing locally and it offers students and employees health and safety information about COVID-19.

UA Cossatot campuses continue to prepare for our college community’s safety as well as possible closure as we have:

  1. Created online versions of all non-technical courses offered at UA Cossatot. We are currently working on all technical courses to ensure students can maintain learning, even while being away from campus.
  2. Initiated a policy where, until further notice, we will not be allowing the use of our facilities by outside groups.
  3. Directed our Medical Division to cancel clinical rotations at local health care facilities and teach Medical Department lecture courses via Zoom software.
  4. Developed an IT plan that allows personnel VPN access to their workstations. This will allow UA Cossatot to operate from a business standpoint while not being on campus.
  5. Cancelled the second annual UA Cossatot Scholarship Pageant that was to be held on March 28th. We do not have a reschedule date.
  6. Encouraged UA Cossatot employees to limit non-essential business travel.

While no members of the UA Cossatot community have been diagnosed with COVID-19, UA Cossatot is preparing for the potential of local transmission and we are aligning our efforts with local leaders, The UA System, UAMS, and the Arkansas Department of Health.

These are just a few of the preparations we have made to keep our students and campus community updated and better protected from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Campus leaders are meeting daily to assess this very fluid situation. We will continue to monitor and adjust our efforts, keeping student, public and, employee safety in mind.

Regards,

Dr. Steve Cole

Chancellor, UA Cossatot