Employee Resources

In response to the rapidly changing situation with the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and with the safety and well-being of students and employees in mind, below are information and resources for employees. There are more student and community resources listed on the Student Resources web page.

For questions regarding how to handle instructional situations during COVID-19, communicate with your chair, director, or dean. For other questions related to COVID-19, email covid19@durhamtech.edu.

COVID-19 Exposures and Contact Tracing

What should I do if I have a positive COVID-19 test result, have had a known or potential COVID-19 Exposure, or are experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms?

Submit a contact tracing form
Wait to be contacted. You should receive a follow up communication no later than one day from submission.

Who must follow the COVID-19 Exposure Procedure?

Anyone who visits any of Durham Tech campuses (e.g., work, class, services, etc.) and may have been exposed to COVID-19 and/or experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19.

Note: Exposure to COVID-19 must be reported whether it happened on a Durham Tech campus or not.

What should I do if someone informs me that they tested positive for COVID-19?

If you are contacted by a student or an employee, have them complete and submit a contact tracing form and wait to be contacted by a member of the Safety Compliance Team

If someone was contacted by the Health Department, should they also complete and submit a Contact Tracing Form?

Yes.

Should an instructor or student who teaches or attends classes online also complete and submit a Contact Tracing Form?

Based on our experience with implementation and focus on on-campus environments, instructors who are contracted to teach solely online and do not travel to campus will no longer be subject to the vaccination and testing requirement. While we strongly encourage all individuals to be vaccinated, our monitoring moving forward will prioritize individuals working at our campus locations. This change took effect January 4, 2022.

Are instructors notified about their students testing positive regardless of symptoms, or are we only notified if the student said they had symptoms during our class?

We are asking students in the syllabus addendum to notify instructors if they are experiencing a COVID19 related absence. Review the COVID-19 FAQs to learn more about the contact tracing process and how notifications occur.

Campus Operations

Will Durham Tech reinstate social distancing and the use of mask for the summer?

Durham Tech will consider reinstating other preventative measures as recommended by the CDC and levels community spread.

What prevention strategies is the College promoting to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the classrooms?

The College continues to promote strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for both students and employees by:

Offering and promoting vaccination Providing COVID-19 testing resources
Offering masks for those how would like one
Contact tracing
Installed equipment to improve air quality and ventilation

The College has also increased the number of outdoor seating areas on campus, installed one hundred (100) extra hand sanitizer stations, and developed a process for employees to request cleaning supplies.

How does Durham Tech clean and disinfect surfaces?

Durham Tech uses environmentally safe and effective cleaning solutions to clean and disinfect surfaces. The solution is diluted in water and presents little to no smell when used.

Cleaning Supplies

Facility Services will supply cleaning supplies by request. These supplies include a pre-filled bottle of sanitizing solution and paper towels. If your area is in need of these supplies or a refill of supplies previously requested, the current process is to submit a work order through your Building Coordinator. If your Building Coordinator is not available, please email Anne Harris with a request to submit a work order. Due to high demand, processing may take one business day.

Human Resources

For any Human Resources related concerns, please check our Human Resources web page or contact the office at humanresources@durhamtech.edu.

Durham Tech Contracts

To upload secure documents to Human Resources, please view the Durham Tech Documents Admin User Guide for instructions.

Packages and Mail

Facility Services has moved into the new Building 7, located behind the Newton Building on Cooper Street. It’s important to use the new address whenever you order items that involve shipping and receiving. The new shipping and receiving address for the college will be 1634 Cooper Street, Building 7, Durham, NC 27703.

Shipping and Receiving will be open to Durham Tech employees between the hours of 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. If a shipment was sent to Durham Tech and receipt of the package has been confirmed, please email Norb Golebiewski to schedule pickup at the Facility Services loading dock located at Building 7.

Phone Usage

There are several options available to teleworkers for accessing and using their campus phone account remotely.

Campus phone messages can be sent to your campus email account.
If you don’t receive many calls but want a more convenient method to get your voicemail messages (i.e., rather than calling into get voicemail), then this is a good option for you. If this option is activated for you, you will get your voicemail messages sent to you in an email. They are in a wave file format and can be played back on most devices when reviewing your email messages. Important: You will still need to connect to your voicemail box on occasion to delete your messages.
Campus phone calls can be forwarded to your home phone/cell phone with Find Me/Follow Me.
If you need to be more available to your students or fellow employees (i.e., have them reach you directly and not get sent to voicemail), then this option is a good option for you. With Find Me/Follow Me calls to your office extension are forwarded through to alternate phone number. The caller will not know that this is happening and will not see your home/cell phone number. This option should suffice for most individuals on campus that need to be more available and don’t handle lots of phone traffic.
ITS can set up a remote phone for your campus phone account (MicroSIP).
If your department needs to staff a telephone line remotely, will be making many calls outbound to students, and students need to be able to confirm that call is from Durham Tech via caller ID, then this option may be a good option for your department. With MicroSIP, an application is installed on your computer that allows the device to be used a phone extension on our phone system. When the application is running, calls that ring on your office extension will ring on the application as well. You can answer thorough MicroSIP as if you were at your office extension. When you make calls from MicroSIP the person you are calling will get it as if the call came from Durham Tech. Important note: This option is the most complex to setup and manage. It is recommended mostly for those on the front line who handle many calls per day with our students

To get one of these options activated for your campus phone extension, please enter a work order, send an email to the help desk (helpdesk@durhamtech.edu), or call the help desk at 919-536-7261 and ask that one of these options be added for your extension. In the request, be sure to include your office extension, your forwarding number (for Find Me/Follow Me), and the option desired.

Tracking Expenses Related to COVID-19

The College is responsible for tracking the cost of any supplies, equipment, labor, or other items that have been or will be purchased related to managing the College's response to COVID-19. We are required to share this information with the System Office. Employees who have received supervisor approval to purchase any items on a P-Card related to College response required to attach a copy of the receipt to the P-card transaction and put “HEERF expense” in the comment box on the P-card transaction. An electronic copy of the receipt, for all purchases related to the college’s response, should be emailed to nordstroml@durhamtech.edu at the time of purchase.

Documentation of receipts will help keep the state informed about the total monetary impact and may also result in the potential for Federal reimbursement. As a general reminder, all College purchasing must be approved by the budget manager for that department in accordance with state procurement practices. Do not purchase items without first gaining approval from your budget manager.

Travel

Students and employees who are planning to travel outside of North Carolina should refer to the travel guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Check college guidelines for travel if applicable.
If an employee is traveling, they must follow the current safety protocols that are in place for that location.

Mask Requirements

Requirement

Masks are optional inside buildings at all campus locations, regardless of your vaccination status. Masks may still be required in some program settings, including health and wellness, public safety programs, and clinical and work-based learning sites.

Note: The Facial Covering Requirements (PDF) document has detailed information about how instructors can efficiently check for masks as well as steps to take if a student refuses to wear a mask.

Can I ask students or coworkers to wear their mask in my office or classroom?

You may ask, however, the expectation for compliance is up to the individual.

Durham Tech and COVID-19 Vaccinations

Can Durham Tech require employees and students to get the vaccine?: No, however, Durham Tech strongly encourages all students and employees receive vaccinations and boosters to guard themselves, their families, and the community from COVID-19.
Does Durham Tech offer on-site vaccination clinics?: Yes, the College offers vaccination clinics on the Main Campus.

Attendance

Questions about absences (positive test, symptoms or restricted access/quarantine) related to COVID-19

Faculty should work closely with chairs, directors, and deans to discuss questions about absences as they arise.

At this time, courses are meeting as scheduled and a separate “online version” is not warranted. As further decisions are made based on guidance from CDC and local authorities, additional communication will be provided. The Response Team and College leadership are planning for the possibility that things can change.

At this time, we do not have specific attendance guidelines for COVID-19 absences. We want to ensure equity, provide reasonable accommodation for absences, encourage students not to show up when they are sick, and ensure students are able to meet the learning objectives for the course. Instructors should have a discussion with the student about absences allowed in accordance with the syllabus and the efforts to be extended to make up missed work. We also ask that instructors discuss student absences and class cancellation as soon as possible with their chair, director or dean to comply with the syllabus and additional attendance requirements.

Revision of Class Absences Policy

The Class Absences policy is undergoing revision to allow employees to apply expanded attendance procedures during a state of emergency. The following procedures are now possible:

During a state of emergency, the student can receive one excused absence in accordance with the Class Absence policy. In instances of a COVID-19 absence, the 14 day advanced notice is waived. The Excused Absence Notification form should be completed by the student in accordance with the procedure and instructor should document any make up work.

Note: all other excused absence requests require a 14 day notice. If you have an Excused Absence statement in your syllabus, it is recommended to state this. Excused absences for any other reason does require 14 days advanced notice.
An instructor can make up the class during Inclement Weather days, add time to remaining classes to make up time, or offer an alternative assignment. The mechanism for course make up should be documented on the Course Make Up Form and kept with attendance records to be provided to Terra Bikah.

Additionally, if a student has a COVID-19 related absence (e.g. has been exposed, has a positive test, or is on restricted access, or has continued unexplained symptoms after receiving a negative COVID-19 test result) on the entry date during the census period, per Terra Bikah, an alternate online assignment can be given to count as the entry assignment. She recommends, “as long as a student is engaged and we can document it, we can ‘enter’ the student. ‘I can't attend’ is not engaged. ‘I can't attend but I submitted the Alternative Entry Assignment in Sakai’ is engaged”.

Faculty are encouraged to allow flexibility for students impacted by a COVID-19 related absence but also ensure compliance with course and College procedures. In making these decisions, discipline faculty are encouraged to work together to determine competencies, skills, and content that must be completed to successfully pass the course and ensure successful transition to future courses. Finally, faculty are also encouraged to communicate with the program chair, director, or dean to ensure consistent and equitable strategies to address absences due to COVID-19. Faculty are encouraged to communicate with program chairs, directors, and deans regarding COVID-19 related absences and will be able to assist the instructor with specific guidance.

Programs across the College have implemented several innovative strategies since the pandemic began. These are not intended to be an all inclusive list but could give faculty ideas of make up strategies. We will plan opportunities for faculty to gather and discuss strategies that have been successful.

Student Absences due to COVID-19

Faculty can consider the following in addition to the strategies above:

Encourage student to obtain notes from a classmate (help student to identify a classmate willing to provide this).
Faculty can use Warpwire to record classroom lectures for later viewing by students who missed class. Instructional Technologies has developed a method for doing this, and ITS can provide portable webcams/mics for use in classrooms. For details, see the Instructional Technology Solutions section below.
Faculty are not expected to create class lecture videos for students who miss a class meeting (i.e. recorded separately after the class). Faculty should see the Instructional Technology Solutions section below and communication with the Instructional Technologies department for assistance.

Missed Laboratory Meetings

Faculty can consider the following in addition to the strategies above:

If feasible, provide a make up opportunity for the student either with a make up lab or with an alternate make up assignment (handle as you would other class absences). It is not expected that faculty hold individual labs for every student and every absence.
If several students are impacted across several sections, consider a single make up day or “open lab” where students can make up labs that they missed or complete competency check-offs. Work together as a discipline to share the coverage of that session.
If the entire lab is cancelled due to building closure, follow the Class Absence procedure options outlined above. Make up classes or work assigned in accordance with the Class Absence procedure can be counted for attendance.
Work together as a discipline to form a transition plan in the event classes are transitioned online.

Missed Clinical, Fieldwork, Practicum, or Work-based Learning

For clinical, fieldwork, and work based learning, faculty must follow the rules of the site for absences. If clinical, fieldwork, practicum or work based learning hours can be made up, every effort should be made to provide that opportunity to the student (including assignment of an “I” grade if needed). Alternatively, students could be provided an alternate make up assignment if allowed. In some cases, practical rotations cannot be made up and the instructor should discuss this absence with the student. Work together as a program/discipline to form a transition plan in the event that practicum experiences are interrupted.

There may be students that are unable to return to the course or miss an excessive amount of class time that cannot be made up. Instructors should communicate with the student, in accordance with current syllabus policies, how many class meetings can be missed.

In this situation, the instructor can consider the following options as appropriate and feasible:

Give the student a grade of Incomplete and identify work that will need to be completed to finish the course. Note: the department dean has the authority to approve an incomplete given for a student prior to the 60 percent completion point of the course. Faculty should communicate with the chair, director, and dean regarding this option.
If appropriate, refer the student to the Medical withdrawal procedure.

Instructional Technology Solutions

Online Meeting Platforms

For instructional purposes in credit and non-credit classes, Durham Tech faculty should be using Sakai Meetings. Having our faculty use the same platform provides a consistent environment for the students and allows us to have comprehensive training and support available to the students and faculty.

For purposes other than instruction, Durham Tech employees should be using Microsoft Teams. Departmental meetings, committee meetings, club meetings, one-to-one meetings, student advising, student information sessions, and meetings with prospective employees are all instances where Microsoft Teams should be utilized. If your interview team is comfortable with Skype for Business, ITS will continue to support your efforts, but we encourage you to migrate your process to Teams as soon as possible. Microsoft is moving all of its communication of this type to the Teams platform.

View training materials for Sakai and Microsoft Teams.

I'm concerned that wearing a mask while teaching may result in students not being able to hear me. Can microphones/speaker systems be added to classrooms?

Information Technologies Services (ITS) is ordering a limited number of portable microphone/speaker systems that can be provided to instructors who have this concern and are willing to give feedback on use. If you are interested, please submit an ITS work order or email helpdesk@durhamtech.edu.

Can my class sessions be recorded for students who cannot attend?

Instructional Technologies and ITS have developed a method that instructors can use to record classroom lectures using Warpwire. Here are step-by-step instructions: Classroom Lecture Recording with Warpwire (in 5 Easy Steps) (PDF)

Please note:

Using this method, you can record lectures in the classroom, including PowerPoints or other visuals displayed through the instructor/podium computer.
This method will not allow you to capture writing on the whiteboard, class discussion, interactive class activities, hands-on activities, etc.
Classroom podiums currently do not have video cameras or microphones, which you will need. You can submit a work order to ITS a week prior to your class to check out a webcam/microphone.

Can I use Sakai Meetings (or Teams or Zoom) in my classroom to allow students to join the class remotely if they cannot come to campus?

Simultaneously teaching students in a classroom and remotely is a more complex scenario – both technically and pedagogically – than recording a classroom lecture. It can be workable in certain situations but in others could be difficult to pull off, depending on many variables, such as number of students, classroom acoustics, types of class activities, etc.

Some faculty are experimenting with using Sakai Meetings or similar tools to allow students who cannot come to campus to virtually "sit in" on a live class. The success of this “ad hoc” approach depends on many variables specific to each class, making it difficult to support on a wide scale. The remote student's experience is likely to be more limited and less interactive than that of students in the classroom, although in some cases it may be sufficient.

To provide an equivalent experience for remote students, specialized equipment (motion-activated cameras, multi-point microphones, acoustic panels, etc.) is needed to create a "hyflex" teaching space, along with technical support and training on adapting instruction for this environment. ITS is working towards equipping several classrooms for "hyflex" in the future. This is a long-term project and will not be in place this semester.

What resources are available if I need to shift online?

The Intermediate Sakai online workshop is strongly recommended for all instructors.
Preparing to Teach Online provides links to info on using Sakai Meetings, creating videos, delivering tests online, converting classroom activities to online, etc.
Collaborating with peers in your program or subject area is a great way to get ideas and learn what has worked for others.
Instructional Technologies is available to offer advice and assistance. Contact sakaihelp@durhamtech.edu with questions or to set up a time to meet.

Policies and Procedures

Emergency Policies and Procedures Related to COVID-19

To address operational and instructional modifications due to COVID-19, the College is developing emergency policies and procedures in in accordance with the Presidential Authority During Emergencies and Adverse Conditions policy and through a modified review and vetting process.

Emergency policies and procedures related to COVID-19 will be housed in the COVID-19 Emergency Response section of the policy and procedure manual and are effective only during the COVID-19 emergency, unless otherwise indicated. Please direct questions and information/document requests to Keitcha Royal.

Appropriate Use of Data

In accordance with the Appropriate Use of Data policy, employees are prohibited from using email to share employee or student confidential information and/or personally identifiable information unless it is encrypted (see below). This includes direct identifiers (e.g., Social Security numbers), a combination of indirect identifiers (e.g., birth date and address), or a combination of direct identifiers and indirect identifiers (e.g., student ID and birthdate). This also extends to attaching documents containing confidential information, encrypted or password protected documents, including Microsoft Word and Excel files.

View directions on how to send encrypted emails and sharing documents through OneDrive.

If employees send an encrypted email, Outlook will encrypt the content and any attachments. If an encrypted email is sent from one employee to another, it will look like a typical email but there will be an indicator that it is encrypted. If there is an attachment, it will prompt you to click a link to get that password protected attachment.

If an encrypted email is sent from a Durham Tech employee to someone outside the College (e.g. s Gmail account), it will look a little different. You will need to click on the password protected link to read the message’s content and/or attachments.

Wellness

Employees Experiencing Symptoms

Employees are encouraged to contact the Public Health Officer at 919-536-7200 ext. 5510. Also review information on the College’s COVID-19 Resources web page to learn more about national, state, and local requirements and to access NCDHHS Check my Symptom checker.

Counseling and Wellness Resources

Employees are able to utilize the Employee Assistance Program on a self-referral basis by contacting the College’s provider. To contact an EAP Counselor for free confidential assistance call 1-800-327-2255 or visit ENI (NexGen). Employees may also speak with their supervisor to connect them with a counselor.

Be Well at Durham Tech is a new service that provides students with a 24/7 free mental health support line with licensed counselors as well as free telehealth or off campus face-to-face counseling sessions.

There is a lot of information about how best to cope during times of great stress:

CDC recommendations for coping with anxiety during COVID-19.
Coping with Coronavirus: How faculty members can support students in traumatic times.
ENI Blog: Lists many resource guides from self care, managing finances, to virtual meeting etiquette.
ENI has also posted resource guides such as Return to Work, Financial Recovery Checklist, Parents Summer Playbook, Caring for the Caregiver, etc.

Balance

It is important for you to balance the types of information that you receive in each day. Consider placing positive messages around your workspace. Check out the Action for Happiness Calendars or their other resources designed to keep you calm, wise, and kind.

Activities

Don’t forget to take some time to breathe, think, and disconnect if only for a few minutes. Establish a routine of your own and plan times for meals, breaks, and conversation with loved ones. Remember, this too shall pass.

Students

Consider sending out a check-in survey using Microsoft Forms with your students or email students for one-on-one meetings to see how they are doing. Another way is to tell students that you are available, is to be hold virtual office hours during your regularly scheduled class time.

Where can I get a vaccination?

Everyone 5 and over is now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination. Find a vaccine provider near you.

Getting a Flu Shot

There are numerous ways for students and employees to receive a flu shot this year. If an employee has the NC State Health Plan there will be no cost to them to receive the flu shot from their personal physician or local CVS, Walgreen’s, Harris Teeter, or Target, etc. Students and employees who do not have an NC State Health Plan can visit the following locations to receive a flu shot:

Local County Health department (please call or check their website to confirm location and potential cost)
Use the CDC’s Vaccine Finder website to locate the nearest place to receive a free flu shot
Walgreens (offering a $5 coupon)
Target (offering $5 coupon)
CVS (offering $5 coupon)

Search

Employee Resources