CORONAVIRUS

UPDATED: This page was last updated on March 27, 2020 with a link to WCUI’s Spring Education plan for students starting our Spring 2020 term.

UPDATED: This page was last updated on March 24, 2020 with an announcement on Student Loan relief provided by Studentaid.Gov

UPDATED: This page was last updated on March 20, 2020 with an announcement for New WCUI Students under the WCUI COVID-19 Plan

UPDATED: This page was last updated on March 19, 2020 with an update to the latest WCUI COVID-19 Plan. WCUI will be closing all physical campuses until March 29, 2020 and our California Campuses until April 19, 2020 as ordered by California Governor Newsom.

UPDATED: This page was last updated on March 16, 2020 with an update to the latest WCUI COVID-19 Plan for Vocational Nursing students at our Los Angeles and Ontario, California campuses.

UPDATED: This page was last updated on March 15, 2020 with an update to the latest WCUI COVID-19 Plan for final exams and final presentation in the remaining Winter 2019 quarter.

UPDATED: This page was last updated on March 14, 2020, with an update on the latest WCUI COVID-19 Plan for lecture/laboratory classes remaining in the Winter 2019 quarter and the beginning of the Spring 2020 quarter.

UPDATED: This page was last updated on March 13, 2020, with an update for WCUI students in Externship or going into Externship for the Spring 2020 term.

UPDATED: This page was last updated on March 12, 2020, with the latest WCUI COVID-19 Plan for the end of the Winter 2019 quarter and the beginning of the Spring 2020 quarter.

Dear WCUI Community:

We have created a Coronavirus web page for all our web sites: wcui.edu/coronavirus and we will be updating this page as we receive new information.

We encourage WCUI students, faculty and staff to check this page routinely for updates.

We understand that the Novel Coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, is causing much anxiety in our community, country, and the world. Following is a brief overview of the current situation. For more information and FAQ’s, we recommend you visit www.cdc.gov.

WCUI COVID-19 PLANNING

WCUI has released our Spring Education plan for the 2020 Spring term. For details please visit: https://wcui.edu/springeducation/

WCUI is participating in slowing the spread of the Coronavirus by closing our physical campuses through April 19, 2020. However, WCUI will still be fully functional as our faculty and staff are working remotely and available to you via Canvas, Microsoft Teams (direct messaging and video conferencing), emails, and phone calls. We will reach out to you with specifics for your campus. We will always continue to educate our students and we greatly appreciate your continued feedback. We encourage you to shelter in place and not come to WCUI until further notice.

Please stay tuned for more specific communication from your instructor, Program Director, or Director of Education regarding your coursework and final exams for the remainder of the WI-20 term. We will keep you updated as to our modified structure for SP-20.

We will bring the education to you. Please contact support@wcui.edu for any technology concerns. We will work with you to make sure that your education continues productively. 

Vocational Nursing Exception: Depending on your current status, select Vocational Nursing Students will come to campus on a per appointment basis, not to exceed 1-2 students at a time. The Nursing Department will communicate directly with these students.

Ultrasound and MRI Students: If you are attempting to obtain any signatures for year ends, final lab testing, etc, please communicate with your faculty member first before coming to campus. Attempt to do this remotely.

Stay Tuned: We will start classes for all students as scheduled on March 30th (AM and PM Schedules) and April 4th (Weekend Schedule). We will be in touch with additional details regarding lecture instruction, clinical lab instruction, and externship. 

Have a great rest of the week. Stay safe. Keep in Touch. We will be surveying you to continue to improve our education delivery and encourage you to provide us with your feedback. 

CONTACT SHEET FOR EACH CAMPUS

LOS ANGELES

ONTARIO

PHOENIX

NEW STUDENTS

Dear New Students:

We wanted to assure you, WCUI is well-positioned to extend our education remotely in the Spring 2020 term. We are continuing to learn and innovate and are excited about the new tools that we are putting in place to enhance your education. One thing is certain, we will not postpone your education. Although the method of delivery may change, we will continue to educate, with the creativity and passion WCUI students and graduates have come to expect.

This means, come the start of your program, you will be able to access your classroom and administrative information through our online platforms:

Canvas: Our Learning Management System. Classes have been streaming online this week for current students and it has been going smoothly. You will be able to virtually raise your hand to ask questions, get real-time feedback from instructors, interact with your fellow students, take your exams online, and many other interactive learning experiences.
Microsoft Office 365: As a WCUI student you will get a @my.wcui.edu email address and access to the Microsoft365 suite of applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive and more.
Orbund Student Portal: You will gain access to our online student portal where you can view your schedule, grades, attendance, make payments, etc.
Campus Ivy: You will have access to fill and view real-time financial aid information.

WCUI is participating in slowing the spread of the coronavirus by encouraging our staff to work remotely. But we are working, and all of WCUI’s staff can video conference, take phone calls, and continue processing all necessary items for all students. If you have not yet attended an orientation, you will receive orientation information from your specific campus on how to attend orientation online.

So that we can communicate and field any concerns or thoughts directly, we have created a new email address: coronavirus@wcui.edu. If you have any concerns about connecting to our online platforms please email support@wcui.edu.

Please see the above WCUI Contact Sheets if you have any questions for any of our WCUI Departments. We are looking forward to starting with you on your educational journey. Stay safe, stay healthy and know that we are here for you!

ALL PROGRAMS & CAMPUSES

In addition to these guidelines for lecture and laboratory classes WCUI is still upholding the following plan:

All non-essential events (high school events, conferences, etc.) will be canceled as of now for the next 30 days.
Orientations and Open Houses will be held online.
We are implementing plans to take all didactic classes online for the Spring 2020 quarter. We will do this by outfitting all current classrooms with video-enabled software. Faculty will project live classrooms online via Canvas and Microsoft Teams with support from IT, training and resources to come. This temporary solution will also allow students to attend class remotely or in person, depending on campus and circumstance.

The spread of the coronavirus remains a fluid situation. As we develop the appropriate next steps for WCUI, we will keep you informed of any changes. This is a complex and quickly changing situation that reminds us that we are all part of a broader community and have a responsibility to look out for one another. We thank you for your patience and understanding and commitment to the WCUI community.

If you would like to communicate any concerns or thoughts please email: coronavirus@wcui.edu

EXTERNSHIP

Students currently in externship or going into externship for the Spring 2020 term:

As a part of our emergency response plan, WCUI has outlined a few items that students in externship or going into externship need to know:

We ask that you continue at your clinical site unless you are dismissed from your site. If you are dismissed, please contact your Externship Director immediately.
As ultrasound or MRI students, in a hospital setting, you are removed from the areas of your hospital where COVID-19 patients would come in for testing.
If you feel sick, have a fever, or dry cough, or shortness of breath, we ask that you remain home from your clinical site. Please see this document from the CDC for guidance.
If a clinical externship site does not allow a student to attend the clinical site, please contact your externship director immediately. WCUI will work to help you complete your clinical externship hours through the following options:
- On-campus laboratory,
- An alternative clinical site,
- WCUI’s on-campus clinics, or
- Clinical simulation.
WCUI will attempt to provide masks for all clinical externship students that can be picked up at WCUI campuses. Please contact your clinical externship director before requesting one as it is very difficult to obtain inventory right now.

Externship Director Contact Information:

Los Angeles Campus, Yoli De Paz: yoli@wcui.edu
Ontario Campus, Bryn Logan: bryn.logan@wcui.edu
Phoenix Campus, Jason Grabham: jason.grabham@wcui.edu

As we develop the appropriate steps for WCUI, we will keep you informed of any changes. This is a complex and quickly changing situation that reminds us that we are all part of a broader community and have a responsibility to look out for one another.

STUDENTAID.GOV STUDENT LOAN ANNOUNCEMENT

WCUI Alumni, through this time we want to ensure we provide you the information you need that could lend any benefits or relief. We’ve recently received details from Studentaid.gov about student loan payments during the COIVD-19 outbreak and have sent out a notice to all of you regarding the information we’ve received. In the letter below we provide details on this order and how you could qualify:

Please see the letter we sent out to WCUI alumni for details: HERE

What does this announcement mean for you? A wealth of benefits, which include:

Your student loans interest rates set to 0% for at least 60 days
The option to suspend your payments for at least two (2) months
Greater flexibility during the national emergency
An opportunity to increase your emergency savings
Peace of mind

Should you have any questions, your WCUI family is an email away. Please view the following links to contact your respective campus representatives:

*The above is based on information release from studentaid.gov. For full details and to confirm you qualify for this benefit, please refer to https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/coronavirus

WHAT IS KNOWN

The virus causing COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified and causes a respiratory illness ranging from a mild cold-like illness to severe pneumonia.
Most (81%) of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in China had mild disease, including most children.
Similar to influenza, the people who are most likely to have severe disease and complications from COVID-19 are older individuals (>60 years old) and those with other medical conditions like heart and lung disease or diabetes.
There is no vaccine or treatment currently available for COVID-19 but the National Institutes of Health is evaluating treatments and developing a vaccine already.

TRAVEL

We recommend that WCUI students, faculty and staff refrain from non-essential travel, including business or personal, to international and local areas which the CDC has determined to have experienced a “widespread sustained(ongoing) and sustained(ongoing) community transmission” of the COVID-19. If you travel to an area that had previously or during the course of your travels becomes an area of widespread sustained or sustained community transmission, you will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days following your return home by WCUI. For a list of countries with travel advisories, visit travel.state.gov and the CDC website.

Students who self-quarantine as a result of travel to impacted countries will be excused from classes during this period. However, as WCUI School of Medical Imaging and Nursing remains operating as normal, these students will be expected to complete their coursework upon their return.

Students who have or are going to travel must contact your Campus Director:

Los Angeles Assistant Campus Director: Mieke Wibowo, mieke@wcui.edu
Ontario Campus Director: Brian Chilstrom, brian.chilstrom@wcui.edu
Phoenix Campus Director: Sophia Perkovich, sophia.perkovich@wcui.edu

HOW THE VIRUS SPREADS

COVID-19 is believed to spread primarily the same way the common cold or flu spreads—through respiratory droplets that are produced when someone coughs or sneezes.
People who are most at risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 are those who have been in close contact (within about 6 feet) with someone who has the disease.
People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest).
Some spread of the virus might be possible before a person has symptoms; there have been reports of this with COVID-19, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW

If you are ill, especially with acute respiratory symptoms (not allergies or chronic conditions), you should stay home and not return to school until you are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the help of any fever reducers. See the CDC’s tips for what to do if you do become sick.
Always cover your cough and sneezes with a tissue or elbow. Immediately throw the tissue away.
Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after you touch your face, use the restroom and before and after you eat.
If you are not able to wash your hands, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol until soap and water are available to wash your hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay at least 6 feet away from anyone showing signs of illness.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Should you have specific concerns or questions about your health, please contact your health care provider.

CONFIDENTIALITY

While we are cognizant of our role in aiding to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on our campus, we want you to know that maintaining your confidentiality is paramount. Should you discover that you have been diagnosed with Coronavirus, we ask that you let us know so that we may be proactive in addressing the possible spread of the virus. While we would notify the staff, students, and faculty who may have been exposed to the virus, we will not reveal your identity.

NO RETALIATION

WCUI will not retaliate, or tolerate retaliation, against a student, staff or faculty who is diagnosed with, or may have been exposed to, the Coronavirus, or who may miss school or work due to possible contraction of, or exposure to, the Coronavirus, or to take care of a family member who has become ill from the virus. Should you have specific concerns or questions about your health, please contact your health care provider. Otherwise, please contact us with additional questions – we are here to assist. Everyone at WCUI is working hard to be proactive and ensure that everything is being done to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff.

WCUI’S SANITATION POLICY

WCUI is requiring all students, staff, and faculty to regularly wash their hands.
WCUI’s staff will be wiping door handles down, and wiping classroom tables and chairs down between all class periods.