Fall 2020 Operating Procedures
College Resources
Credit Student Resources
Continuing Education (Non-Credit) Resources
COVID-19 Communication Archive
Dear Carroll Students,
Today, we wrap up our very busy Fall semester and come one day closer to the culmination of an unprecedented year. You have been receptive to on-going change and persistent in pursuing your goals for higher education. You have been an integral part in our collective efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of our College community. I offer you my deep appreciation, and I thank you sincerely!
As we break, I remind you of a few important safety tips from Governor Hogan and the Carroll County Commissioners. Stay Home for the Holidays. Do what is best for you and your loved ones. This holiday season could present our most challenging time – parties and groups are the highest transmission times:
People are at highest risk of catching the virus if they are in close contact of a person with COVID-19. Based on current research, you are a close contact if:
Please enjoy your time with family and take time to rest and recharge. On behalf of our Board of Trustees, Executive leadership, faculty and staff, we look forward to seeing you in the new year!
My best to everyone,
Jim Ball
James D. Ball Ed.D.President
Dear Lynx students,
As we approach Thanksgiving Break I send a very important message. Please read in full:
Please, let’s all do our part. I wish you a safe and healthy Thanksgiving!
Rosalie V. Mince, Ph.D
ProvostPronouns: she/her/hers
COVID-19: Click Here to Review the Winter 2021 Access Plan (PDF)
for more information - Please read the procedures below
The College campus is not currently open to the general public, but we encourage the community to explore the many instructional offerings and remote services still available.
Please visit: https://www.carrollcc.edu/Programs-and-Courses/
THESE PROCEDURES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON STATE AND LOCAL GUIDANCE.
Standard Operating Procedures Beginning July 6, 2020
These standard operating procedures have been developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and are designed to promote safety and reduce risk for students, faculty and staff while supporting the need to continue on-campus education for a small, targeted student population. All activities will be organized to minimize face-to-face contact, while also implementing best practices from federal, state, local and professional agencies to promote safety through physical distancing and the wearing of masks or face coverings that cover the mouth and nose.
Facilities staff will thoroughly clean all instructional spaces and common areas used each evening.
In the event a student has been exposed to COIVD-19, please contact Trish Carroll, Chief Communications Officer, at pcarroll@carrollcc.edu. All follow-up communication will be limited to a need to know basis.
Hello Lynx,
We are nearing the halfway mark in our Spring semester, and that means that Spring Break is on the horizon! I’m sure that you are looking forward to a well-deserved break. While you enjoy your time away from scheduled classes, I hope that you will make time to prioritize your mental health and self-care. Spring Break is a great time to explore new ways to relax, safely connect with friends, and spend time outdoors. Hopefully we’ll have some spring-like weather to enjoy!
I offer a few COVID-19 safety reminders as we approach Spring Break:
Though we can begin to imagine a time when things will get back to “normal” on campus, we aren’t there yet. For your safety and the safety of your family and friends, please remain committed to our protocols, even if you have been vaccinated, until we have further direction from state and local health officials.
I hope that you have a very successful remainder of the Spring semester. Remember to take full advantage of the support and services that are provided free of charge, including:
Thank you,
Rosalie V. Mince, Ph.D.ProvostPronouns: she/her/hers
Please visit: https://www.carrollcc.edu/Apply-and-Register/orBoth credit and non-credit services are open for virtual advising and registration Mon-Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Graduating High School Seniors and Current Credit students should email the Advising Office or call 410-386-8435
Admissions questions, Dual Enrollment, and Visiting Credit Students should email the Admissions Office or call 410-386-8430
Non-Credit Program Inquiries and Appointments should email cet@carrollcc.edu or call 410-386-8100
Dear Carroll Students, As we approach the end of the Spring semester, I hope all of you and your families continue to remain safe and well. I write to update the College community regarding operations for the Summer and possible dates for reopening campus. Please review this important information in its entirety. This announcement rescinds the prior announcement that Carroll Community College will reopen operations on campus as of May 26, 2020. Instead, all College facilities will remain closed and all operations will continue to be delivered remotely until conditions allow otherwise.
Future re-evaluation of resuming campus operations, including instruction, will be made in conjunction with the Carroll County Health Department and in compliance with Governor Hogan’s ‘Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery’. All decisions will be made with student and employee safety as our top priority.
I wish all moms a very happy Mother’s Day! And, I thank you once again for your continued patience and flexibility as we navigate this unprecedented time. I will communicate as additional decisions are made. Dr. James D. BallPresident, Carroll Community College
We miss seeing you all on campus and hope everyone is adjusting well to remote learning for the balance of Spring Term. We are also sure you may have several questions regarding your current and future course materials, so we have compiled the list below to assist you.
Spring 2020 Term:
Summer 2020 / Fall 2020 Terms:
All questions and concerns can be sent to us directly:
Bookstore@CarrollCC.edu
410-386-8447, option 2, to leave a voice mail
We value your business and are here to answer any questions and assist in whatever ways are possible to help you continue to be successful in your courses!
Stay safe, and be well,
Maria M. Jefferson, Bookstore ManagerFollett / Carroll Bookstore410-386-8447, option 2Bookstore@CarrollCC.eduhttps://www.bkstr.com/carrollccstore/homehttps://www.carrollcc.edu/About/On-Campus/College-Bookstore/
FROM: Rosalie Mince, Ph.D., Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs
I hope that after three weeks of fully online instruction, you have become accustomed to the change in course format and are successful with your studies. Several students have inquired recently about whether Carroll is going to allow students to select Pass Grades in lieu of letter grades for Spring 2020. You have no doubt heard that some four-year institutions, including McDaniel College, Towson University, University of Maryland, College Park, and the other University System of Maryland (USM) schools (Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Frostburg State University, Salisbury University, University of Baltimore, University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore) are temporarily allowing students to select pass/fail grades. Carroll Community College has made the decision not to offer the same option.
There are many reasons for this decision; foremost among them is that the option of pass/fail grades is not in students’ best long-term interests. Most other Maryland Community Colleges concur. The institutions that are allowing students to select pass/fail grades do not do so during normal circumstances. They are making this exception because they were forced to very quickly convert to a fully online learning environment. Carroll has the tools to provide high quality online learning and accurately assess students’ learning, so adhering to our current grading practice is the right decision for our students. The consequences of having a pass/fail grade on your permanent transcript can be particularly problematic if you plan to transfer to a four-year institution, which most of our students plan to do.
We know that some Carroll students do not have an ideal learning environment or reliable internet access at home and many are struggling with other significant challenges due to the COVID-19 virus and other life events. However, the overwhelming majority of students have been able to successfully progress, and we are confident that the number of students who can pass their courses with a letter grade of C or better will be very similar to past semesters.
Carroll faculty and staff stand ready to support all of our students. Our top priority is your success. If you are struggling with your course work, I urge you to email your professor and take full advantage of the multitude of services we offer, including online tutoring and virtual advising appointments. To access these service and more please visit: https://www.carrollcc.edu/Student-Life/COVID-19-Resources/Credit-Student-Resources/
As always, students who have exceptional circumstances can seek advice, support, and guidance from the Advising Office, and students who believe they have justification to do so can appeal their grades to the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Kristie Crumley. We are always available to work with students individually, which is a better solution than offering an option that students may select without understanding all of the potential negative ramifications of a pass grade versus a letter grade.
While the ability to elect a pass grade versus a letter grade may sound like a great way to alleviate the stress associated with striving for a grade higher than a C, doing so comes with some risks, which we want to help you avoid. Below is an excerpt from the official letter from the University System of Maryland (USM), March 30, 2020, about pass grades:
“I am especially concerned about the long-term academic consequences of these events for our students as we find ourselves choosing among “the lesser of all evils” when it comes to creating optimally effective learning environments and assessment of learning outcomes…
Item 5. The USM institutions reserve the right to require additional, diagnostic evaluations of students’ preparedness before placing them in certain, upper-level courses.
Item 6. This arrangement will be reconsidered in the Fall of 2020 for extended use if the public health crisis has not ended.”
This language makes it clear that the USM schools do not look favorably on pass grades, that they are only allowing them for a short period of time, and that they reserve the right to make students prove their mastery of course content prior to allowing them to register for certain classes. These are risks that we do not advise you to take. It is especially important to show your mastery with a letter grade if you want to apply for any type of selective admissions program and if the courses you are taking are prerequisites for other courses. One student that I spoke with told me that the graduate schools she applied to would not accept a pass grade and that if an application with a pass grade was compared to another person’s that had a letter grade, the person with the letter grade would definitely be the one selected.
If you have read the instructions from four-year schools that are allowing their students to opt for pass grades, you saw that there were warnings to students about the downsides of pass grades, such as: some pass grades do not count towards graduation, some do not fulfill requirements for specific program majors, and some accredited and accelerated programs of study do not allow pass grades. In addition, pass grades are not calculated into semester or cumulative GPAs (grade point averages), and only courses that have a letter grade can be counted towards Dean’s list and other honors.
These problems are exacerbated for Community College students who plan to transfer to a four-year institution. The bottom line is that a pass grade will likely be assumed to be a low C. If you can earn a higher grade, you are much better served by having that letter grade on your transcript. If you do not believe that you can earn a C or higher, you should make an appointment with the Academic Center to seek support, and speak with your Advisor as soon as possible. Your success at Carroll, and beyond, is our foremost consideration.
Sincerely,Rosalie Mince, Ph.D. Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs
Dear Students,
Welcome back to our virtual campus! Faculty and staff at Carroll Community College stand ready to support you through this challenging time. We have the utmost confidence in your ability to succeed this semester. We’re going to send you an email every Monday, to update you on resources and opportunities for you. Future emails will be through the Carroll Claw from News@carrollcc.edu.
Student Affairs offices will be open virtually from 8:30 am-4:30 pm Monday through Friday via email and phone.
Student Affairs includes the Admissions, Advising, Career & Transfer, Disability Support Services, Financial Aid, Records & Registration, Testing Center, and Student Life Offices. Please note the email addresses and preferred phone numbers below. If you don’t get an immediate answer when you call, leave a voicemail message--you’ll receive a response within 24 hours. Voicemail messages are immediately emailed to us.
Additionally, tutoring services are still available in an online format. You received an email from Marsha Nusbaum on Friday, 3/27/20. Please refer to that email for details, or email her at MNusbaum@carrollcc.edu
Advising and Transfer Office - Advisors will meet with students virtually to create and review academic plans, plan and schedule summer and fall classes, and answer questions regarding advising, transfer and career. Students should contact their advisor to set up an appointment. Check Starfish for your advisor’s direct contact information. ** Phone number: 410-386-8435; Email: Advise@carrollcc.edu
Disability Support Services Office - If your learning is directly impacted by a physical or mental health condition, even in an online learning format, either currently or AT ANY POINT moving forward, you may be eligible for accommodations through our office. Students already working with our office can expect to be contacted directly with updates from disabilitysupport@carrollcc.edu in the near future and throughout the semester. **Phone number: 410-386-8329; Email: disabilitysupport@carrollcc.edu; Web: https://www.carrollcc.edu/disability
Financial Aid Office - The office is open virtually for all Financial Aid services. You may also login to your Lynx portal at https://www.carrollcc.edu/MyCarroll/ to view, track, and identify what documents have been received and are missing to complete the financial aid process. **Phone number: 410-386-8437; Email: financialaid@carrollcc.edu
Admissions Office- Admissions Counselors are available to assist students daily. A ‘Real-Time chat’ and appointments are available. Please call or email to schedule. **Phone: 410-386-8430; Email: admissions@carrollcc.edu
Career Development Center - Career Counselors are available to review resumes and provide career assistance virtually during this time of online instruction. Call or email to schedule. **Phone: 410-386-8523; Email: careerdevelopment@carrollcc.edu; Web https://www.carrollcc.edu/My-Carroll/Career-Development/
Student Life Office - There will be online engagement activities that you can access through the Student Life Blackboard page. Clubs will also post information to their Blackboard pages. Stayed tuned for more information about the Leadership Challenge, Student Government elections, the club budget process Lynx-to-Lynx mentoring program, and our Leadership Banquet!
Stay connected on the Student Life Blackboard page (in Bb, go to My Carroll, then find Student Life in the Organizations list) and follow us @CarrollCCStudentLife on Instagram for information, tips, and contests for students. **Phone: 410-386-8500; Email: studentlife@carrollcc.edu.
Records Office - Evaluation of incoming transcripts and facilitation of outgoing transcripts will continue this spring. Visit www.carrollcc.edu/transcript for directions. Current Carroll students should log in through the Lynx Portal and click on Request an Official Transcript. Any student can go directly to the Parchment website and create a Parchment account to send official documents. **Phone: 410-386-8440; Email: Records@carrollcc.edu
Technology - As the college begins using online instruction and remote work, the IT Team will be providing support using standard office hours:
IT Help Desk: 7:30am - 9:00pm (Monday -Thursday) and 7:30am - 4:30pm (Friday)
Students should email ITHelpdesk@carrollcc.edu for assistance.
All students are automatically enrolled in our Teams software. To access Teams, please go to https://www.carrollcc.edu/mycarroll/ and click to go into Office 365 and log in. You’ll see Teams (purple icon) as one of your Office 365 software choices.
The IT Team will support all college licensed products. Please note: We recognize that some faculty might have chosen to use other software under these extraordinary circumstances, but IT is not prepared to support unlicensed applications.
If you’re in need of internet, check out the resources that we’ve found so far https://www.carrollcc.edu/Student-Life/COVID-19-Resources/Free-Internet-Resources/. We’ll update this page as new resources become available.
Online registration for Continuing Education and Training classes including Summer! Kids + Teens @ Carroll, is available 24/7 at https://www.carrollcc.edu/CETregistration Inquiries about a particular class can be emailed to cet@carrollcc.edu Student support services such as tuition assistance/scholarships, assistance with career choices, and specific career training program questions can be emailed to blee@carrollcc.edu. Phone advising will be available by appointment only between 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. beginning Monday, March 30. To request an appointment, email our Manager of Student Support Service, Beth Lee at blee@carrollcc.edu.
For more information:
On March 19, 2020, Governor Hogan issued several new Emergency Orders that impact higher education. He issued directives to limit public gatherings to 10 people; and, he asked the University System of Maryland (USM) institutions to remain in remote status through the remainder of the semester. With that directive to USM institutions, the responsible action we at Carroll must now take is to comply with his intent.
Faculty and staff are prepared to launch online instruction and remote services effective Monday, March 30 until the end of spring semester, May 22. All College facilities will also be closed as of March 30.
Our Goals:
1. Comply with the Governor’s directives as issued yesterday and with any changes that may occur in weeks to come.
2. Avoid exposing students and employees to COVID-19.
3. Maintain continuity of instruction and provide student support services in remote format through the end of the Spring semester.
4. Assure that students have all necessary resources to accomplish their semester goals and classes remotely.
5. Do everything possible to maintain student attendance and completion this semester.
6. Preserve student momentum toward degree completion and retain all students heading into Summer and Fall semesters.
Our Commitment to You:
Commencement:
More will be communicated to you by your instructors. I ask for your creativity and your positive spirit as we navigate the rest of the semester together. While this is indeed a challenging time for us all, I feel very strongly that we’ve got this!
So, “Stay Calm and Thrive On”
President, Carroll Community College
As you know, the COVID-19 virus continues to evolve and new decisions are being made as we become aware of Maryland and County mandates. Governor Hogan held a press conference earlier today with several new directives. His comments were streamed online.
To that end, College has made the following decisions:
Dr. James D. BallPresident
The fluid nature of the COVID-19 Pandemic has once again become more turbulent. Governor Hogan announced yesterday that an individual in Prince George’s County contracted the virus through “community transmission” or no directly known source of exposure. As a result, Governor Hogan moved alert status to its highest level, and he issued several Executive Orders to delimit public exposure to the virus. Among those orders, all Maryland Public Schools Pre-K-12 will close Monday, March 16 through March 27, 2020.
To stay in concert with the State’s effort to take stronger measures to delimit exposure to the virus, Carroll Community College will:
Credit Students:
Continuing Education Students:
Faculty and Staff:
Events:
All Travelers:
We are all dealing with an unprecedented situation. We appreciate your patience and flexibility. Your safety and well-being remain our top priority. For additional information and updates, visit https://www.carrollcc.edu/covid-19/.
Carroll Community College remains fully committed to keeping our students, employees and visitors safe and healthy. The College takes this responsibility seriously and has already taken several measures to minimize the risk of exposure. To date our efforts and decisions have included close coordination with the Carroll County Health Department who has reported there are no known cases of COVID-19 in Carroll County or at the College.
While this continues to be an evolving situation, the College has decided the following:
The College will continue to closely monitor the evolving COVID-19 health crisis along with the Carroll County Health Department. The conditions are changing rapidly so we will continue to evaluate the situation daily. All future decisions will be communicated as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience and flexibility during this challenging time.
James D.BallPresident
As you know the COVID-19 virus is a very fluid situation that requires our procedures to align with recommendations of public health experts in response to on-going developments. The safety, health and well-being of our students, faculty and staff remain our top priority. Amid a flurry of COVID-19 virus responses by other higher education institutions across the State, I write to provide an update to Carroll students. The College remains fully operational and all classes are proceeding as scheduled. In close coordination with our community partners, we are taking the following actions:
As new information becomes available from our County partners, State government and other educational institutions, I will send out another update. The College is currently discussing our operational and instructional plans for after Spring Break. I will provide an update on those matters as decisions are made but at this time all students should plan for classes to continue as scheduled either in person or online. Please check your College email regularly for updates. If you have additional questions, please contact the College’s Dean of Students at studentaffairs@carrollcc.edu.
James D. BallPresident
As I know you are aware, the nation is gearing up for a possible health crisis. Carroll Community College (Carroll) is monitoring this situation carefully with the help of information provided by the Carroll County Health Department (CCHD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO). In compliance with State requests, Carroll has updated its emergency plan in case the situation becomes more dire in the region. Should there be an extensive number of reported illnesses, health officials may require that we significantly alter access to campus to prevent the spread of the virus or close the College for a period of time. Should either of these requests happen, the College will move credit instruction to a fully online delivery mode. Faculty members are currently preparing their course sites on Blackboard or Canvas, to accommodate fully online delivery as a contingency. If missed instructional time cannot be accommodated via online instruction, we may need to extend the semester through final exams week, as Carroll has done in the past in similar situations. Additionally, we may need to decrease the transition time in between classes by 5 minutes to extend teaching time. Such decisions will be carefully thought out and communicated.
Further, students, faculty, and staff are asked to carefully assess their own health. The College advises everyone to stay at home when they are sick, especially if they have a fever. We require you to be fever free without the use of medication for 24-48 hours before you return to campus. We realize that asking you to stay home if you are unwell could have a large impact on learning course material. We recommend that students “buddy up” with someone in class with whom they can share notes and communicate in the event that one or the other is absent from class. We suggest that if you need to miss class for illness that you stay in communication with your instructor. As is always the case, you can use our available resources on campus (office/student hours with your instructor, tutoring in the Academic Center) when you return to campus. Faculty and staff will remain flexible throughout this time and will communicate any special instructions regarding classes as the need arises. Please monitor your College email often from now until the end of the semester.
Our hope is that this situation does not become a crisis. We always put the health and wellness of our students, faculty and staff above all else. The best precautions include washing your hands frequently and avoiding others who are ill, whenever possible.
We will continue to keep you informed as we know more. Thank you for your cooperation.
As a reminder, preventative health measures that are recommended for avoiding colds, flu, and other respiratory illnesses include:
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information
CDC Fact Sheets:
Travel Related Links:
Information For Carroll Faculty