Lee College cancels classes

The following announcement was sent out by Lee College President Dr. Lynda Villanueva and kindly forwarded to the newspaper from Liberty ISD:

In order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Lee College will hold no classes, whether in-person or online, March 16-22, 2020. Classes will resume remotely (online, hybrid, or in an alternative format) beginning March 23, 2020. We are working hard to ensure that Lee College continues to be a safe place to learn.

As we monitor circumstances regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in this country, our priority remains the safety and well-being of our students and the campus community. While the risk to Lee College remains low and we have no cases of COVID-19 on campus, there are confirmed cases in Houston and the Gulf Coast region. We will continue to regularly assess risks to our community and take steps to help stop the spread of the virus. We continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and communicate routinely with Harris County Public Health and the Texas Department of State Health Services. As a result, we will be implementing the following steps to protect the health of our community:

• Lee College will hold no classes, whether in-person or online, March 16-22, 2020.
• Transition of Instruction: The college will shift the lecture portion of courses to online and alternative instruction beginning March 23, 2020. All lab portions of courses will continue in their current format with enhanced sanitation and cleaning protocols in place beginning March 23, 2020.These adjustments will remain in place through the end of the Spring 2020 semester. We will assess impacts of this change in instructional methodology, and status of the outbreak locally during this time to determine if any additional adjustments must be made.Faculty can expect a transitional communication regarding training and support shortly.
• Faculty and full-time staff will report to campus as usual to receive training on March 16-23, 2020.
• Part-time staff should work with their supervisors to determine if they must report to work.
• Student workers will not work the week of March 16-23.
• Each instructor will contact their students the week of March 16 with further instructions once details are finalized for virtual classes, labs, and clinical practicums. Students should check their Lee College email regularly.
• The college has implemented travel restrictions, travel reporting and self-quarantine protocols.
• We have established the email address coronavirus@lee.edu to answer questions from the Lee College community.
• Campus events will be approved by the President, or her designee, on a case-by-case basis until further notice.
  • Campus events are cancelled through March 30. Events scheduled for April will be reviewed as the response evolves.

Faculty and staff: Lee College will remain open beginning March 16. All offices and services will continue to operate.

Facilities will be maintained using aggressive sanitization and hygiene protocols as recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). This includes increased custodial cleaning and the availability of hand sanitizer dispensers at all entrances, common areas and elevators. Some facilities maybe closed during this time, and will have posted notices on the external doors. If closed, these buildings should remain vacant until further notice.

At this time, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Lee College. We urge you to please follow personal hygiene precautions and exercise social distancing measures as recommended by CDC and local health authorities.

Thank you for your continued support as we monitor and respond to this fluid situation.