Fall 2020

STORMER SAFE + READY

MATC’s Plan for Safety and Learning During COVID-19
Fall 2020 Edition 1.6 - Released October 5, 2020
Effective October 5, 2020 unless otherwise noted

para Español, visite PREPARACIÓN Y SEGURIDAD STORMER 2020 - Español

At Milwaukee Area Technical College, the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and administrators is our top priority. MATC is listening to the needs of our students, employees and community in preparing for the months ahead.

This Fall plan reflects our health and safety priority – and our work to meet needs in these key areas:

• Planning for possible changes
• Classes offered online/virtually, in person or a mixture of both
• Services for students available virtually and in person
• Campus access for students and employees – including parking and public transportation
• Health and safety protocols
• Financial planning

PLANNING FOR POSSIBLE CHANGES

This document reflects our plans as of October 5, 2020. MATC is committed to monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on the community we serve and making adjustments to our plans based on this information. The plan will be updated and the updated plan will be shared as any such changes are made.

CLASSES OFFERED ONLINE/VIRTUALLY, IN PERSON OR A MIXTURE OF BOTH (Hybrid/Blended)

MATC continues to improve our classes – offered in flexible ways to meet student needs. Students shared feedback about their Spring experience and we listened. We are offering:

• Enhanced online and virtual options with interactive technology and stronger communication tools (about 60% of classes)
• Courses that mix face-to-face and virtual learning (about 10% of classes)
• Fully in-person courses tied to career-specific hands-on skills where needed – with safety measures that meet and exceed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) standards (about 20% of classes)
• The remainder of classes, such as apprenticeships and clinicals, take place off campus and may take place in person or online based on program requirements (less than 10% of classes)

The college is offering options in semester-long and eight-week formats. Based on changing health conditions and public health recommendations and requirements, course type, location, dates or times may need to be changed. Students enrolled in courses will be notified if changes are made.

Ready to register? Visit matc.edu/register or see the registration section on this page.

Looking for specific course types? You can search in Self Service or INFOnline for online, blended or hybrid courses.

Online classes are taught fully online. Students work on the class on their own schedule but adhere to due dates listed on the course syllabus. If an online course includes a scheduled meeting time with “VIRT” listed as the classroom, this means that students are required to attend virtual live lectures at a set date and time.

Hybrid classes are presented with a mix of online and in-person instruction, with 50% or more of the course happening online.

Blended classes are presented with a mix of online and in-person instruction, with 50% or more of the course happening in person.

For in-person classes, we’ve installed more safeguards, sanitation stations and signs to help people follow proper social distancing and other U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols.

What hasn’t changed? Our commitment to provide students a high-quality education from experienced instructors. Earn a high-quality, affordable degree and land a high-paying job right away – or complete your first two years of college and finish at a four-year university. MATC offers 170+ degree, diploma and certificate programs with industry-experienced instructors who make sure you’re ready to work on day one. We also connect you to 35+ four-year transfer partners, including our guaranteed admission agreements with Marquette University, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Parkside.

Concerned about costs? Connect with Financial Aid at finaid@matc.edu or Student Accounts through Self Service to make an affordable payment plan. MATC also offers scholarships for eligible students. For emergency resources, visit our coronavirus resources page.

SERVICES AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN PERSON

Standard Office Hours
8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday
8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday
Unless noted otherwise below

CAMPUS ACCESS FOR STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES

For Students

• All students must complete a health form before entering a campus at affirm.matc.edu. If there is a change in any of the answers provided after the form is completed, students must report this to studentcovidresponse@matc.edu.
• All students entering an MATC campus must compete a temperature check and ID scan each time they enter the building.
• Students must bring their student ID and will swipe or tap their ID at entry. The swipe or tap will indicate whether a student completed the health form. If the student did not complete the health form, a laptop will be available to help the student complete the form. Students will not be able to access an MATC campus without having completed this form.
• No ID? The college has an online ID request form with a photo submission tool at https://www.matc.edu/student-life-resources/student-life/stormer-pass.html. There is an ID station at each MATC campus; students will be permitted to complete the health form at entry (or show that it was already completed by visiting affirm.matc.edu) and proceed to the ID station.
• Students with a course on campus in Fall will also complete required training to ensure they are familiar with health and safety protocols.

For Employees

• All employees must complete a health form before entering a campus at affirm.matc.edu. If there is a change in any of the answers provided after the form is completed, employees must report this to employeecovid@matc.edu.
• All employees entering an MATC campus must compete a temperature check and ID scan each time they enter the building.
• All employees are required to complete training on COVID-19 safety prior to returning to campus. This will be assigned to employees via SumTotal.
• The training is presented in two parts:
  • (1) COVID-19: How to Be Safe & Resilient
  • (2) Check Your Understanding: How to Be Safe & Resilient
• To access the training and other important information, employees visit the Safety During COVID-19 dashboard in SumTotal. They can reach out to Nick Brayton in Human Resources at braytonn@matc.edu with any questions pertaining to the required training.

For more information on safety and health protocols, see the health and safety protocols section.

Entrances

The following entrances will be open for Fall 2020 as of the publication date of this plan.
Please note that specific entrances are for employees only; employees should use those entrances.

Downtown Milwaukee Campus

• M Building, Entrance 2
• M Building, Entrance 7 (Approved Employees and Contractor Access Only)
• C Building, Entrance 1
• C Building, Entrance 5 (Employees With Card Access Only)
• S Building, Main Entrance
• T Building, Entrance 1
• T Building, West Entrance (Employees With Card Access Only)
• H Building, Main Entrance
• H Building, Child Care Entrance (Child Care Staff and Families Only)
• H Building, Lot Entrance (Employees With Card Access Only)
• FH Building (Employees With Card Access Only)
• HEC Building, Main Entrance

Mequon Campus

• Main Entrance 1
• Entrance 3
• Entrance 7 (Employees With Card Access Only)
• Entrance 9

Oak Creek Campus

• Main Entrance 1
• ECAM Entrance 7
• Entrance 10 (Employees With Card Access Only)
• Aviation Center (Approved Faculty, Staff and Students Only)
• Loading Dock Entrance (Employees and Contractors Only)

West Allis Campus

• Main Entrance 1
  
• A Building (Approved Faculty, Staff and Students Only)
• 1205 Building (Approved Faculty, Staff and Students Only)
• Child Care (Child Care Staff and Families Only)
• Alley Entrance/Loading Dock (Employees and Contractors Only)

Walker's Square Education Center

• Main Entrance

Elevator Access
Elevators are restricted to a specific number of riders as indicated on signage. Due to capacity, we ask individuals who can to please use the stairs.

Parking and Public Transportation

Students enrolled in six or more credits can obtain a U-PASS for access to the Milwaukee County Transit System. Students pick up a U-PASS at any on-campus ID station inside the Student Life office:

• Downtown Milwaukee Campus, S Building Atrium
• Mequon Campus, Room A102
• Oak Creek Campus, Room A107
• West Allis Campus, Room 133

The Downtown Milwaukee Campus shuttle runs Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-9:30 p.m., with capacity limits to ensure social distancing. Riders must wear a mask.

Student parking fees for the Fall semester have been discounted by 50%. Additionally, the daily in/out rate of $1.50 will be waived for all students with a valid permit. Students can purchase permits for Fall 2020 in person from any MATC cashier for $12.50. Spring semester parking permits will be sold later.

Parking for students with permits will be available at the following locations:

• Downtown Milwaukee Campus -
  • 8th & State Street (no charge)
  • Highland Avenue Parking Structure, formerly known as Bradley Center Parking Structure, (no charge)
  •  Brewery (no charge)
• Oak Creek Campus - Students can park in any student lot with a permit.
• Aviation Center - Rear lot with student permit.
• Mequon Campus - Students can park in any student lot with a permit.
• West Allis Campus - Students can park in any student lot with a permit.

Employees were invited to apply for parking in the July 20 issue of The Week Ahead. Parking locations will be determined when permits are issued.

Health and Safety Protocols

• All employees and students entering a campus must complete the temperature check and ID scan each time they enter the building.
• Masks must be worn on campuses at all times by employees, students and contractors; this includes outdoor spaces when social distancing cannot be maintained. A face shield is an additional protection option (available upon request) but is not a substitute for a mask
• Building access is limited to designated, staffed entrances (see entry procedures)
• Individuals’ temperatures are taken (see entry procedures)
• Employees and students complete training prior to entering campus as required (see entry procedures)
• Classes are taught following social distancing and protective equipment guidelines including a mask that covers the nose and mouth
• Enhanced OSHA-compliant cleaning protocols are used
• Plexiglass barriers in high-traffic areas and hand sanitizer stations have been installed
• Cleaning wipes and antibacterial stations are made available throughout the college; employees and students are asked to use these and wipe down areas they touch
• Procedures are used to report positive tests and for contact investigation; contact form is at matc.edu/coronavirus

MATC's Comprehensive Health and Safety Plan [link] provides additional details.

Students
Students are not to return to campus if they feel ill. They are to contact their instructor prior to the start of class to report their absence.

Students will be required to comply with the above safety protocols. Masks will be provided or students can choose to wear their own appropriate mask that complies with the MATC Student Code of Conduct. As noted above, face shield is an additional option for protection but is not a substitute for a mask that covers the nose and mouth. Students will not be permitted to return to campus for class if they do not take these required steps. Students can contact their Academic & Career Pathway office or instructor if they have any questions.

Student Accommodation Services
Students who have underlying medical conditions or a mental health diagnosis that may be affected by COVID-19 should contact Student Accommodation Services to apply for accommodations, 414-297-6750, accommodationservices@matc.edu.

Employees
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
To avoid duplication and ensure the best possible process, please consider requesting PPE as a department. The department leader can make a request for their entire department with Facilities Management. This includes masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes or any other requests for specific protective items. Face shields are available upon request and required in some areas (such as food service).

Accommodations for Employees
As schedules are determined for needed employees to return to campus, individuals needing accommodations as a result of a qualifying COVID-19 reason should contact the Benefits Department at benefits@matc.edu to start the request for accommodation process. This includes those who are immunocompromised or have child care needs.

Employees are to reach out to their supervisor with any additional questions about their first day back to campus.

For more information about MATC Protocols & Procedures during COVID-19, employees can visit the Human Resources COVID-19 page on myMATC.

Financial Planning

MATC’s budget is driven by student enrollment for revenue and by fiscal management for expenses. To meet or exceed our enrollment goal will require innovative enrollment and retention strategies.

Managing costs in the upcoming 2020-21 fiscal year will be critical.

With 90% of our budgeted expenses dedicated to employee wages and benefits, we have implemented an external hiring freeze. Rare exceptions would be made for roles considered critical and positions fully funded by grants.

We have reduced discretionary spending – which makes up the remaining 10% of MATC’s operating expenses – to the lowest levels possible. This includes a significant reduction of budgeted travel expenses.

The budget reflects the likely scenario that state support to the technical college system will be reduced because of decreases to state revenues.

In addition, MATC is offering an additional opportunity for eligible employees to select a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP). The next offering will be effective December 18 and eligible employees were notified in early August. Election forms will be due by November 2.

The college will use enrollment data to inform whether additional cost-saving measures are needed. Enrollment is the single most important driver for MATC’s budget.

All employees should share with others the importance, value and quality of the education MATC offers, and aid enrollment and retention efforts. All employees must consider the realities our students are experiencing so we can best serve them.

MATC’s leadership team is monitoring enrollment daily, while considering additional cost-saving measures that may need to be put in place if enrollment goals are not achieved.