Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
January 8, 2021
Unitek Position Statement on Vaccination for Students and Employees
Unitek Learning and its schools Brookline College, Eagle Gate College, Provo College, Unitek EMT and Unitek College, are committed to the health, safety, and welfare of our students, faculty and staff. As a leading educator of nurses and healthcare providers we also support all the efforts being made to address the spread of COVID-19 and prevent further outbreaks. In light of the recent approval and launch of distribution of the vaccine, we wanted to encourage our students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated as it becomes available to them.
With the exception of some limited laboratory and skills check of work required for program completion, we are not returning to in person instruction at this time and as such we are not requiring students or faculty be vaccinated. We reserve the right to alter this position considering government or regulatory guidance or direction from medical or healthcare providers.
We support the vaccination effort and are monitoring the options for providing vaccinations through our healthcare insurance providers and our clinical partners. Currently, we are not an approved vaccination site. We will continue to monitor the vaccine’s availability and ways we can participate in distribution.
Clinical Site Requirements for Vaccination
As you know we have many clinical and externship partners that provide training and educational opportunities for our students. Those partners are establishing their own guidelines regarding vaccination. For students and faculty who may be placed in a clinical/externship setting that requires vaccination, we will make you aware of the requirement and the way to obtain the vaccine through the partner. If you elect not to be vaccinated, you will be removed from the clinical/externship placement and may be placed on an LOA for that term. This will impact your progression and your graduation date. We cannot guarantee that you can be placed at a site that does not require vaccination and we are not able to seek alternate placements for students who do not agree to the clinical vaccination requirements (for COVID or any other of the vaccinations required).
For faculty, in instances where you are assigned to a clinical site that requires vaccination, if you elect not to be vaccinated you will be removed from the teaching assignment at that clinical site and may be assigned non-clinical duties. If non-clinical duties are not available, you will be placed on furlough until an appropriate clinical assignment is available or additional duties are developed.
If a student or clinical faculty member is unable to obtain vaccination due to a disability of underlying condition, they should engage with the ADA/054 accommodations process to evaluate the need for accommodation.
We will provide additional information on vaccination expectations and availability as it becomes available. Until that time, we encourage our students, faculty, and staff to take advantage of any opportunity to get vaccinated. Please visit the CDC website (and/or states?) for current information about the vaccine, its side effects, and the proposed distribution.
November 10, 2020
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
The health and safety of our employees and students has been and continues to be our top priority. Over the past several months, Unitek Learning has implemented several measures to minimize the risk of COVID-19, including remote working, online classes, increased cleaning measures, daily health-checks, and mandatory use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on its campuses. Unitek Learning has continued to follow the guidance from the CDC and individual states and counties, and as cases declined over the summer months and restrictions lifted, campuses were allowed to have more student support services and more skills lab classes physically back on campus as long as safety protocols were followed.
As we enter the holiday season and the colder, winter months, cases of COVID-19 are spiking in most states, including the states where we operate our campuses. In response to this spike in cases, Unitek Learning has made the decision to return to its prior, more stringent approach to minimize the spread of the virus, which includes a return to remote working for all campus operations staff and a reduction in skills lab classes on campus. Therefore, effective Thursday, November 12th, all campus operations staff are asked to resume remote working until further notice. Additionally, Academic Leadership is currently working on a transition plan to resume online virtual skills lab instruction for all applicable programs and courses, except those which are determined to be critical and require on-ground involvement.
These changes will be in effect at least through the holiday season and until further notice. We will continue to monitor the rate of COVID-19 infection across the states we operate in and follow the evolving guidance from the CDC and other agencies.
We believe these actions will help ensure a safer campus community for everyone, and we ask that all students, faculty and staff do their part over the holiday season to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and stay safe and healthy.
In the coming days, all nursing students will receive follow-up communication from either Dr. Abdel Yosef or their Academic Dean. All Allied Health and non-nursing students will receive follow-up communication from either Janet Melton or their Program Director. All students currently attending clinical rotations or externships will continue to attend as normal.
Thank you again for your continued cooperation and understanding, and know that Unitek Learning and its institutions continue to be committed to everyone’s safety and well-being.
Best regards,
Janis Paulson
Chief Executive Officer
August 10, 2020
As all of you are aware, 2020 continues to be a challenging time with respect to COVID-19. All Unitek Learning institutions are continuing to review and follow CDC guidelines, along with state and local directives, regarding safety protocols. This message serves as an update regarding the processes Unitek Learning has instituted to help ensure a safer environment and provide the necessary notifications to affected individuals in cases of potential COVID-19 exposure.
The following processes are not all-inclusive but represent our top priorities to help maximize the safety of our students, staff and faculty:
- All campus locations are continuing with enhanced cleaning measures on a regular basis.
- Campus occupancy is limited to only those staff, faculty and students who are needed to perform essential tasks which cannot be completed remotely.
- Anyone called to campus must complete a Health Check Screen prior to arriving at campus, and no one is allowed on campus who is knowingly positive for COVID-19 or who is exhibiting symptoms.
- While on campus, physical distancing measures are enforced along with the wearing of applicable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as masks, gloves, etc.
- Any individual who is exhibiting symptoms or who tests positive for COVID-19 must quarantine for the applicable time period and present a “negative” COVID-19 test result prior to returning to work or school.
- In the event someone who has been on campus tests positive or exhibits symptoms, contact tracing is performed to notify any individuals who may have been potentially exposed. Effective immediately, only those affected individuals who were potentially exposed based on CDC guidelines and definitions will be directly notified via email or phone. Therefore, if you do not receive a direct notification of such, you were not identified as having been potentially exposed.
The health and well-being of our employees and students continues to be a top priority, and we appreciate your patience, understanding and cooperation through this challenging time. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Campus Director or Sara Cramlet, Senior VP of Human Resources at scramlet@unitek.com.
You may also check the CDC COVID-19 website for additional information and also check the local health department website, https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Guidance.aspx].
Best regards,
Janis Paulson
CEO
Unitek Learning
July 9, 2020
Dear Unitek College, Eagle Gate College, Provo College, Unitek EMT students and staff:
The health and safety of students, staff and community are our top priority. The COVID-19 situation is very fluid which requires us to make frequent changes as new information and recommendations become known.
We currently remain teaching all theory in online modality. At some campuses, we have been able to rotate small groups of students through the facility for hands-on skills lab, while following the mandates of size of public gatherings. We are also limiting access to the facilities for necessary staff and faculty (only those supporting students in the skills lab).
As an organization, throughout all campuses and offices, we continue to take the following preventative measures:
- Questionnaire protocol and temperature checks prior to entering the facility
- Deep cleaning at the end of each day a class is present on campus
- Wiping surfaces between classes throughout the day
- Other sanitary protections: antibacterial wipes, Purell stations, etc.
- For employees – limit travel to only trips that are completely necessary.
- For employees – using Skype meetings wherever possible in place of in-person meetings
We expect all employees and students to also take personal responsibility to mitigate the risk — washing hands, keeping distances, no shaking of hands or hugging, staying home if they are sick, and letting us know immediately if they have had a potential exposure.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf
Consistent with the recommendations of the CDC, to the extent you believe you have been exposed to, or may be symptomatic of Coronavirus, please contact your health care provider immediately and refer to the following Unitek protocol:
- If you are ill, please do not come to work or school and contact your health care provider. Symptoms of the Coronavirus include, fever (over 100.4 degrees), cough, and shortness of breath.
- Should you become ill at work or school, please leave immediately and notify your health care provider and supervisor.
If you are feeling well but have a household member who is sick with Coronavirus, please notify a member of our campus immediately for further instructions.
Best regards,
Janis Paulson
CEO
Unitek Learning
March 16, 2020
Dear Unitek College, Eagle Gate College, Provo College, Unitek EMT students and staff:
The health and safety of students, staff and community are our top priority. The COVID-19 situation is very fluid which requires us to make frequent changes as new information and recommendations become known.
All classes were cancelled the week of March 16 and we are in the process of giving students access to their classes online. We are also following the mandates of size of public gatherings.
As an organization, throughout all campuses and offices, we continue to take the following preventative measures:
- Deep cleaning
- Other sanitary protections: antibacterial wipes, Purell stations, etc.
- Cancellation of pinning, graduation and other ceremonies for at least the next 30 days.
- For employees – limit travel to only trips that are completely necessary.
- For employees – using Skype meetings wherever possible in place of in-person meetings
We expect all employees and students to also take personal responsibility to mitigate the
risk — washing hands, keeping distances, no shaking of hands or hugging, staying home if they are sick, and letting us know immediately if they have had a potential exposure.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf
Consistent with the recommendations of the CDC, to the extent you believe you have been exposed to, or may be symptomatic of Coronavirus, please contact your health care provider immediately and refer to the following Unitek protocol:
- If you are ill, please do not come to work or school and contact your health care provider. Symptoms of the Coronavirus include, fever (over 100.4 degrees), cough, and shortness of breath.
- Should you become ill at work or school, please leave immediately and notify your health care provider and supervisor.
If you are feeling well but have a household member who is sick with Coronavirus, please notify a member of our campus immediately for further instructions.
Best regards,
Janis Paulson
CEO
Unitek Learning
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: March 6, 2020
COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory disease caused by a new coronavirus. The disease was discovered in China in December 2019 and has since spread around the world. Unitek Learning and its institutions (the “Institution”) are carefully monitoring the potential spread of COVID-19 and are committed in the efforts to contain the outbreak and provide a safe and healthy environment for its employees and students. To that end, the Institution follows the recommendations and guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Institution is also consulting with its regulatory agencies to plan for the possibility of class disruptions in the event the virus continues to spread and leads to suggested or mandatory quarantines.
To help in these efforts, students and employees should practice everyday preventative actions to help stop the spread of all respiratory viruses, such as the following:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, then use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cover your cough.
- Sneeze into a tissue then throw the tissue away in the trash. Wash your hands afterwards.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- If you are sick, stay home and don’t go to work or school.
- Get a flu shot. While it won’t protect you against COVID-19, it will help protect you against the flu, which kills up to 61,000 Americans each year.
To obtain the latest and most accurate information regarding COVID-19, including frequently asked questions and answers, please visit the CDC’s website at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
In addition, the following organizations’ websites could also provide useful information:
- World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
- Career Education Review: https://www.careereducationreview.net/2020/03/novel-coronavirus-2019_-the-comprehensive-guide-to-covid-19/
- U.S. Department of Education: https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus
