Coronavirus Updates - May 4, 2020

coronavirus info for webDear Chattanooga State Community, I hope you are all doing well as we wrap up the spring 2020 semester. I am pleased that many students have registered for the fall 2020 semester after registration opened on Friday. I know we all look forward to the future and being on campus again and to something that more closely resembles our normal lives.

Return to Campus Planning

As a reminder, we continue to work on our return-to-campus plan. The information below summarizes a few key points from the current plan and the full document is available here. This information is subject to change based on on-going assessments and guidance from local and state government.

  • Phase 1 (through at least May 17)

    • Campus closed to the public.

    • All classes taught in an online format.

    • All non-essential employees work from home.

  • Phase 2 (Anticipated Dates - May 18 through May 31) 

    • Campus remains closed to the public.

    • Student access to campus will be scheduled by appointment only.

    • College credit classes will continue in an online format for the remainder of the spring semester and at least the first summer term. For students in credit classes (non-TCAT) who have incomplete labs from the spring semester, instructors will schedule time to complete labs during phase two, maintaining social distancing and no more than 10 people in a room.

    • TCAT classes will be held in person beginning May 18, as necessary, maintaining social distancing and no more than 10 people in a room. Instructors will provide additional information.

    • Employees shall continue to work from home until at least the end of May. A limited number of employees, with approval from a supervisor, may return to campus.  

    • Face masks will be required for students and employees when in common or shared spaces on campus. Chattanooga State will provide face masks for students and employees who do not have their own personal mask.

  • Phase 3 (Anticipated Date - June 1)

    • Campus open to the public.

    • All employees permitted to return to work. Some employees, pending supervisor approval, may continue an alternate work schedule.

    • Online classes already in progress will continue online (e.g., first summer term). 

    • Laboratories and other learning spaces will be fully functional.

    • Child Care Center and Food Services open.

CARES Act Update

We anticipate that CARES Act federal emergency financial assistance funds will be distributed to students soon. Eligible students will receive the payments through checks or direct deposit if we have bank account information on file with the college. Payments will be received faster with direct deposit. 

Please check your student account information to ensure bank account details and/or mailing address are accurate and up-to-date:

  • To verify bank account details or set up Direct Deposit/eRefund, follow the instructions at https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/financial/tuition-fees/erefund.  For further assistance, please contact 423-697-4732.

  • To verify your current mailing address, log in to TigerWeb Self Service and click “Personal Information” and then “View Addresses and Phones.”  You will be asked to verify or update your mailing address when you log in to TigerWeb beginning on Tuesday.  For further assistance, please contact 423-697-4404.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the funds are intended to help students cover expenses incurred related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including expenses such as food, housing, technology, health care and child care. 

The college has been working with the Tennessee Board of Regents system office to determine student eligibility under federal guidelines and to set up the processes for making the payments. Payments to individual students will vary, in part because the federal formula allocating funding to each college includes a factor weighted toward the percentage of its students receiving Pell Grants. Students eligible for CARES Act funds are degree-seeking students who were enrolled full- or part-time on or after March 13th for the Spring 2020 semester. Federal regulations indicate the following students are not eligible for CARES Act funds: students not eligible to participate in federal Title IV aid programs (Pell Grant, federal student loans, and other federal financial aid programs); students who initially enrolled exclusively in distance education (online) courses as of March 13, 2020; high school dual-enrollment students; non-degree-seeking students, and employees in special-industry training programs at the colleges.

Reminders

All past communications can be accessed from the College’s COVID-19 information page.

We are almost to the finish line. Keep up the good work. You are going to finish. You are going to succeed. You can do it. You will get through this. We will get through this.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Ashford, Ed.D.
President