Fall 2020 Semester Plan

The following plan is based on the known facts and predictions as of June 25, 2020, and is subject to change at any time.  The pandemic will be closely monitored for the remainder of the year.  CDC, IDPH, and ICCB guidelines will be followed, such as wearing masks, social distancing, wellness checks, etc. Special accommodations may be required. If at any point we reach Phase 5, consideration will be given to lift current restrictions. 

 Instruction

Fall classes will begin as scheduled as either online or hybrid. Students will not be on campus for the first two days of the semester, August 17 & 18, to allow time for faculty direction via Canvas. 

All hybrid classes will meet virtually via Zoom for the first class session at the regularly scheduled date/time. The Zoom meeting ID/link will be placed in Canvas announcements/calendar by the instructor. The session will be recorded and available in Canvas for students who are absent or enroll after the start date. Faculty will give instructions and the schedule for any approved face-to-face (F2F) meetings at that time. 

Online courses: 16-week session 

• The majority of Lecture classes will be offered fully online following the 16-week semester as previously scheduled.  The semester midterm and financial aid refund dates will remain as scheduled.
• Some Lecture/Lab courses will also be completely online as permitted. Lab requirements for IAI courses have been approved for online delivery during fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters.

Lecture/Lab and Lab courses: 12-week session

• All classes with face-to-face (F2F) meetings will be offered as 12-week courses.
• A percentage of face-to-face time will be allowed for select courses with a lab component (CTE, art, music, science and dev ed).
• All Lab classes will have a combination of online and F2F. The percentage of F2F time will vary depending on the course.
• The instructional VP and AVP’s will coordinate and approve F2F meetings including the location, date(s), time, and number of students allowed.
• Faculty should prepare to go completely remote at any given time. F2F time should be heavily scheduled during the first 8 weeks of the semester in preparation of a stay-in-place order.
• 12 week classes will start August 17 and end November 6.  Final exams will be held November 9-13, excluding Veterans Day on November 11.  Students will not be allowed on campus after November 13.
• 8-week courses with F2F meetings will change to 6 weeks.

Dual Credit:

• Face-to face dual credit classes scheduled at RLC will be available online via Canvas (RLC’s learning management system), if possible. No charge to school/student.
• Face-to face dual credit classes scheduled at RLC that cannot be offered completely online will be cancelled, such as auto, CAD and welding.  High schools will be provided with alternative online courses as an option.  No charge to school/student.
• Dual credit classes held at the high school and taught by RLC faculty will be available. These classes will be online via Canvas.  It will be up to the faculty member as to whether there will be synchronous class meetings. High schools are invoiced for the instruction.
• Dual credit classes held at the high school and taught by high school teachers will be at the discretion of the high school administration. RLC’s online learning management system (Canvas) is available for all dual credit courses.

Other:

• All online/hybrid fees are waived
• Provide a full refund for courses dropped within the first quarter
  • 16 week courses – 4th week
  • 12 week courses – 3rd week
  • 8 week courses – 2nd week
• Financial Aid refund date remains as scheduled
• Drop date extended to last day of class
• Fun Fest cancelled—students have class as scheduled
• In-Service moved from October 13 to the week of November 16.  Faculty and staff will be scheduled on different days by department as needed.  Students will have class on October 13.

Modes of Instruction for Fall 2020

• Online
  • Classes conducted online through Canvas. Students will work through course materials with communication and direction of RLC faculty.
• Hybrid
  • Classes meet partially on RLC’s campus and partially online. The percentage of time spent online will vary by course. If needed, classes will be transitioned to fully online.
• Hybrid Flex
  • Classes with a combination of online and flexible, hybrid meetings. For class meetings, students may come to campus as assigned or attend remotely. Faculty may also approve students to watch a recorded session in Canvas Studio prior to the next scheduled meeting.

Delivery Methods for Remote Instruction

• Synchronous
  • Class meets virtually during scheduled time
• Asynchronous
  • Class is recorded for students to watch by posted deadline
• Online
  • Instructional materials and assignments posted in Canvas
• Virtual Lab
  • Simulation/special software
• Hybrid
  • F2F and online
• Hybrid Flex
  • F2F/synchronous/asynchronous and online

Timeline

---

June 25   

Notify faculty and staff of plan for fall semester
Notify ICCB and HLC of plan for fall semester
Advisors inform students upon registration re: changes that are coming and that finalized schedules will be mailed the first week of August
Post update regarding fall semester on website 

June 29   

Direct mailing to students already registered notifying them of changes that are coming (include fall statement)
Notify high schools regarding changes to dual credit
AVP’s work with Deans on F2F meeting requirements using worksheet
VP & AVPs meet with IR/IT; visit classrooms and determine capacity

July 6   

Division worksheets due to AVPs
VP & AVPs begin meetings to determine and approve F2F time for each class and assign F2F meeting dates/time/location/students

July 15   

Notify deans/faculty of F2F assignments and make changes in PowerCampus 

July 27-30   

Print student schedules/statement and prepare mailing (include textbook info, announcements, important dates, hot spots, RL-Cares, meningitis letter, etc)

August 3   

Mail fall schedules/info to all students
VP & AVPs work with Physical Plant on signage for building entrances/exits and traffic flow, as well as classroom needs (moving furniture, barriers, cleaning and sanitation, etc)

August 10-14   

Virtual/Small Group Faculty Orientation and Student Success Day (TBD)

August 17   

First day of fall semester

August 17-18   

All classes meet virtually—no students on campus

August 18 - November 13   

F2F class meetings as scheduled (students look in Canvas for direction)

November 6   

Last day of 12-week classes

November 9-13   

Final exams for 12-week classes (no exams on November 11 - Veterans Day)

November 16-20   

Virtual/Small Group Faculty & Staff In-Service (TBD)

December 4   

Last day of 16-week classes

December 7-10   

Final exams for 16-week classes

Athletics & Extra-Curricular Activities

Athletics and extra-curricular activities for fall will follow the guidelines of Rend Lake College. Each activity is being evaluated and specific guidance developed. 

RLC Student Services

Student services will be provided either virtually or on campus following CDC and IDPH guidelines.  

RLC Employees

As guidelines and circumstances change, monitoring who is on campus and their location is important due to capacity limitations and contact tracing. The President’s Executive Leadership Team (PELT) or their designee will work closely to assign and approve the presence of faculty and staff on campus. Employees are required to wear a face covering/mask while working within six feet of others or moving about. Whether remote or on campus, staff and industrial faculty are expected to be available and perform job duties during the college’s business hours. Any exceptions to standard business hours must be approved by a PELT member. Duties performed remotely will be reported by the employee to the supervisor using the remote work report. Faculty are expected to perform job duties related to teaching schedule and hold office hours as assigned. Absence requests must be approved in advance by the employee’s supervisor. All employees are required to self-monitor their health status and notify supervisor immediately of COVID symptoms or exposure.

Effective: June 25, 2020

+ Fall Payment Deadline

Greetings Warriors, 

Paying your bill is one way we are adjusting our business practices to account for COVID-19. We are not accepting payments in-person or by phone at this time. Details on how to pay your bill are below. 

Don't lose your Fall 2020 classes. Make your payment for Fall classes, or set up a payment plan for Fall classes, by July 15. 

HOW TO PAY

By mail - Mail a check to our Business Office. 468 N. Ken Gray Parkway, Ina, IL 62846. Please include warrior tag with all mailed in payments. Mailed in payments will not be accepted after the payment deadline.

Online - Create a payment plan or make a one-time payment online at www.MyCollegePaymentPlan.com/rendlake. If payments have not been scheduled as established in the Nelnet Payment Plan then you may be administratively withdrawn for nonpayment. If the first installment has been paid and/or financial aid has been awarded, you will be responsible for all remaining charges on your account unless you officially withdraw from the course(s) by the last day to officially withdraw for a 100% refund of tuition and fees as indicated in the Fee Refunds Table elsewhere on this page. The Nelnet Payment Plan does not apply to students enrolled in Community Education courses or unless otherwise indicated for a specific program. 

Questions? Email us!

Self-Service - 

Financial Aid - 

Statements & Payments -  

+ Summer Drop Date

Hey Warriors!

We just wanted to drop in and remind you that the deadline to withdraw from a class this summer, and get a full refund, has been pushed back one week to give you more time. The deadline is Thursday, June 18. To drop a class, please email .

+ Cap & Gown Pickup

Hey Warriors! Grab your cap and gown, join the graduation giveaway!

Graduation may not have gone as originally planned but Rend Lake College students can still flaunt their accomplishment this spring.

RLC will be hosting a drawing for 2020 graduates who post a photo/video on social media with the hashtag #WeAreRendLake. Those that post will be entered to win a Visa gift card depending on which social media channel they use.

+ CARES Distribution Report

The CARES legislation, which provided funds for student and institutional assistance, requires that certain information be posted for the public.

1.   An acknowledgment that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used, or intends to use, no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. We have signed and returned the certification and agreement, and have used more than 50 percent of funds on emergency financial aid grants to students.

2.   The total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. Total Received: $1,182, 264.

3.   The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. Total Amount Distributed as of 5/20/2020: $779,332

4.   The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. Estimated 820

5.   The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. 817

6.   The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. The initial distribution of $591,132 was divided among PELL recipients based on qualifying percentages (full-time, 3/4-time, half-time, part-time). The second distribution of $191,200 was distributed to Title IV-eligible non-PELL recipients, also based on those percentages.

7.   Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants. Prior to each distribution, information was sent out by email and posted to our website to alert students that the funds had been received and that we were formulating a distribution method. Information subsequently was posted to our website announcing that the first round of funds would be allocated to PELL recipients based on their qualifying percentages and that our third-party provider, BankMobile, would be handling the distributions. Similar information was posted to the website regarding the second distribution, going to non-PELL recipients.

+ Summer Books & Supplies

Stay at home and get your summer textbooks & supplies. It's simple.

1. Sign in to your student account at https://rlcforms.rlc.edu/ 

2. Select your textbooks & supplies.

3. We will ship them to your door.

The last day to order is May 29. If you have any questions, email us at . 

+ Business Office Drop-In

There will be a Business Office Drop-In on Zoom from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 14. Business Office staff will be there to walk students through things such as how to view their balances, make payments, etc. For those wanting to attend, the meeting will be on Zoom, ID 933 1082 8658, or use this link: https://rendlakecollege.zoom.us/j/93310828658.

+ Summer Textbook Ordering

The summer textbook ordering process is in development. Plans are for an online order form to be available this Friday, May 15, with books being shipped to students. More information on this will be released later in the week.

+ Cares Funding / BankMobile

The second round of the CARES funding, about $200,000, will be distributed later this week. This will be distributed to students who are Title IV-eligible, have a FAFSA on file but did not receive a PELL grant, and who do not have disqualifying issues such as lack of satisfactory academic progress, being in default on loans, etc. By statute, those students who were exclusively online prior to the shift to remote learning are not eligible for these grants. The amount of the grant will depend on your qualifying attendance percentage (full-time, 3/4-time, half-time, part-time). For those in this category, you will need to log into BankMobile and set your account preferences for how you receive this distribution, if you have not already. Don't recall if you filled out a FAFSA? Contact . Set your BankMobile preferences at www.refundselection.com. Questions about refunds? Contact .

+ Book Return

Dear Students,
Due to COVID-19, the process to return your Spring 2020 textbooks will be modified. Your return options are as follows:

Curbside Rental Return- May 27th, 28th and 29th (9:00am-2:00pm)
The Bookstore will be conducting curbside rental returns near the 15 minute and handicap parking area behind Warrior Way on the dates listed above.

Mail-In Rental Returns- Your returns must be received by June 19th or they will be billed to your student account.
If you are unable to make it to the curbside return days you may mail in your rental books and your deposit refund will be placed on your student account.
(Please include your NAME and WARRIOR TAG in your package)
The return address is as follows:
Rend Lake College
Attn: Bookstore
468 N Ken Gray Pkwy.
Ina, IL 62846

Textbook Buyback- Unfortunately there will be no buyback for your purchased textbooks this semester. We hope to resume our buyback for the Fall 2020 returns.

+ Summer 2020 Hybrid Dates

Below are meeting dates for summer hybrid courses in the Arts & Science Division.

Summer 2020 Hybrid Lab Dates All labs will meet from 8:00 - 4:30.

BIO 1100        -           7/1 & 7/15      

MICR 1101     -           7/9 & 7/16

ZOO 1105       -           7/2 & 7/23

ZOO 1106       -           7/1 & 7/22

CHE 1101       -           7/2 & 7/30

+ RLCF Children's Center Closed for Summer

In order to align our operations with the Illinois plan for phased reopening, the Rend Lake College Foundation Children’s Center will be closed FOR THE SUMMER.

+ PSB Testing

The last day of PSB testing for the nursing program will be May 14th at 9 am and 1 pm. Only students applying for the 2 year Associate Degree Nursing program may test on this date.  

The nursing application deadline is May 14th at midnight.

+ Drop Date

Dear students,

We are sending this email to remind you that the last day to drop a class is Friday, May 8. You can do so by emailing . RL-Cares is also here for you if you are experiencing any difficulties during this time that are not tech-related. For tech-related issues, please email .

One more thing. Online tutoring is available to you. Detailed information about this is below.

We have received many questions about the CARES Act funding. It is planned for distribution soon via BankMobile. Funds will go to PELL recipients based on their qualifying percentages.

Have a great evening.

- Rend Lake College

+ BankMobile & Stimulus Funding

Dear students, 

You received an email yesterday from BankMobile with the subject "Important Information About Your Emergency Financial Aid Grant." It was a legitimate email. Below is important information about it.  
 
A week ago, we sent you an update about the Federal Emergency Stimulus Funding (CARES Act) for Colleges and Universities. CARES is enabling Rend Lake College to distribute nearly $600,000 in cash grants to help students in need pay for housing, food and other essentials. This will be distributed to PELL grant recipients based on their qualifying percentages (full, three-quarter, half, or part-time).
 
IF our formula finds you to be a student eligible to receive money from the grant, BankMobile will be responsible for getting the funds to you. So it will be very important that BankMobile knows each student's preferred way of receiving the funds and the correct bank account information for electronic transfers. 
 
Feel free to check your settings and information with BankMobile at any time by going online to https://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoices. Expect another email from BankMobile tomorrow. 
 
Thank you for trusting us. We are here for you. Email the Rend Lake College Business Office at  with questions.
 
- Rend Lake College
 
#WeAreRendLake

+ Online Fee Waived for Summer & Fall

Dear students, 

+ Fed CARES for RLC students

You have likely heard news about the Federal Emergency Stimulus Funding (CARES Act) for Colleges and Universities. The stimulus package Congress passed recently will enable Rend Lake College to distribute nearly $600,000 in cash grants to help students in need pay for housing, food and other essentials during these pressing times.

Our team is currently working on a distribution method and we will provide more information as soon as we have it formulated.

We also want to make sure you received our message that the 2020 Commencement ceremonies scheduled for May have been postponed. Our aim is to have an in-person ceremony at a later date. We will provide an update on that as soon as we have more information to go by.

Have a great evening.

- RLC

#WeAreRendLake

+ Important Message from the RLC Business Office

Dear students,

We wanted to take a few moments to provide you important information about the upcoming summer semester.

First, since Rend Lake College employees are working remotely, students will not be receiving summer tuition statements in the mail. Students can access summer statements through the Self-Service portal.

Second, the summer payment deadline is Friday, May 15. Students must pay their tuition in-full or be enrolled in a Nelnet payment plan on or before this date.

Since campus offices are closed, we encourage students to take advantage of the convenient payment options available through Nelnet. Nelnet offers the option to either pay your bill in-full using a secure online portal OR establish a convenient monthly payment plan. If you choose to pay-in full using your bank account information, there is no additional charge for this service at this time. However, if you establish a payment plan or use a credit or debit card, additional fees will apply. For more information, please visit https://mycollegepaymentplan.com/rendlake/.

Tuition payments may also be mailed to the Rend Lake College Business Office. However, processing of checks will be delayed during this time.

Please do not hesitate to email the Rend Lake College Business Office at with questions.

Sincerely,

Rend Lake College Business Office

+ Important Message from RLC President Terry Wilkerson

+ Textbook Rentals / Returns

We’re working on a plan for returning spring textbooks. Keep your textbooks until we send you more details. Students will want to make sure to keep track of rented textbooks so that deposit fees can be returned to them.

+ Deadline to Drop Classes Extended

The drop date for spring has been extended to May 8. This will allow students additional time to adjust and to seek any assistance they need from their instructors or from RL-Cares () as the semester goes along.

+ Summer Tuition Statements Delay

Due to social distancing guidelines, Rend Lake College staff is working remotely. As a result, the mailing of summer tuition statements will be delayed. Students can access their up-to-date summer statements by logging on to their self-service accounts at https://sserve.rlc.edu. 

For questions about your statements, contact Emily DeForest at .

+ Nursing application deadline extended

At this time PSB testing has been suspended due to our current mandate from our Governor. We are currently working on a plan to extend out our Nursing application in order for everyone to have time to apply.

+ Non-Tech-Related Questions go to RL-Cares

If you are a student who has a question or needs help with any issue that is not tech-related or that your instructors can't answer (scheduling, advisement, payments, counseling issues, mental health, or others); please send an email to .

+ Virtual Advisement Coming

Tomorrow we will launch virtual advisement sessions. From our website, you can make an appointment to meet virtually with one of our advisors and register for summer and fall classes. Stay tuned.

+ Update on upcoming events

Due to ongoing health concerns with COVID-19, Rend Lake College has canceled the following events. RLC is committed to the safety of students, faculty, staff and the public and is working to limit large gatherings during this time. For up-to-date information on the college’s plan moving forward, visit rlc.edu/coronavirus.  

Warrior Showcase

Student Art Show

3/31 Jon Garrett | Gateway Men's Chorus

4/2 Musical Performance

4/2 West Frankfort CTE Day

4/2 Transition Summit

4/3-5 "Little Women" Spring Musical

4/5 Musical Performance

4/8 Agriculture Banquet

4/8 Art Demonstration: Carrie Gibbs

4/8 Ag Banquet

4/15-16 Rend Lake Music Festival

4/16 West Frankfort CTE Day

4/16 Studio RLC Open House

4/16 Phi Theta Kappa Induction

4/17 Welding Contest

4/23 Children’s Health Fair

4/23 RLC Job Search Party

4/23 Lake Reception

4/24 Future Business Warriors

4/25 Hall of Fame Banquet

4/29 Wellness Resource Fair

4/29 Stop the Bleed Training

4/30 STARS Banquet

5/1 Flummoxed Performances

5/2 Spike Down Cancer Volleyball Tournament

5/6 State FFA Ag Business CDE

5/7 Spring Concert

5/8 Jefferson County Chamber Women's Conference

5/12 Faculty and Staff Awards

+ Important Message from RLC President Terry Wilkerson

All employees should move to completely remote and online work.  All instruction will be delivered remotely the remainder of the semester. We will continue to work with faculty on creative ways to deliver educational outcomes for laboratory portions of the curriculum.

No one is allowed on campus without permission from an Associate Vice President or higher. All previous permissions must be re-established after evaluating their absolute necessity.

This action comes with the safety of all employees, students, and our community being the highest priority. 

Thank you for understanding.

Terry Wilkerson

President

Rend Lake College

+ Check Warriormail spam

Dear student, 

The transition to online classes is well underway. During this time, it is possible that some emails being sent to you are landing in your Warriormail spam folder. Please have a look in your spam folder for any messages from the college. If you find any, right click and tell it it's not spam. 

If you are auto-forwarding all incoming Warriormail to another account, the spam filtering is done before that takes place. So any messages that Gmail considers spam will end up in the forwarding account's spam folder. Go into the Warriomail account, tell it that it's not spam, and from that point on, new messages will be included in the auto-forward.

If you are a student who has a documented learning disability, and you encounter any learning issue related to your disability in the online format, please contact our disability services specialist, Susan Cunningham, at . Sue will assist you with any problems you may encounter.

We are all in a constantly changing situation. We are all learning and adapting as we go along. You can be confident in the fact that college leaders are working with the best information we have to make decisions moving forward. You will finish. We will all move forward together. 

+ Nelnet Payment Date Extended to 4/20

For those students on a Nelnet payment plan, the next payment date has been extended from 4/5 to 4/20. We hope this will offer some relief and add flexibility for you during the coronavirus situation. The health of our communities continues to be a top priority at RLC. 

+ Online format will begin March 23, 2020

College leaders were busy this morning preparing for Monday, March 23, when all classes go to online instruction. 

To get ready for online classes, all students need to:

1. Log in to your Canvas account. Go to the MyRLC web page and log in using your Warriormail address and password. Need help? Call the Help Desk at 618.437.5321, Ext. 1259 or email .
2. Log in to Warriormail. Go to www.gmail.com and log in using your Warriormail address and password. This will be a primary way we communicate with students. Once you are logged in, if you prefer, you can have emails to that account auto-forwarded to another account. Here are instructions to forward your Warriormail to another account of your choice.   

Academic Advisement and Testing Appointments
Rend Lake College will honor existing appointments for Academic Advisement and Testing. The college is not scheduling any new appointments at this time.

Spring 2020 Refund Disbursement
Rend Lake College Spring 2020 refunds will disburse March 18^th as scheduled. Students who are expecting a refund are reminded to have their BankMobile accounts set up. For more information about getting your refund this spring, visit www.rlc.edu/financial-aid/getting-a-refund.

Cancelled Events

• Warrior Showcase suspended until further notice
• All Great Rivers Athletic Conference events are canceled
• All NJCAA Spring Sports
• 3/17 Advisory Board Meetings
• 3/17-18 Lunch on the Lake
• 3/18 Nursing Informational Meeting
• 3/18-20 & 3/25-27 Studio RLC Esthetics Services at Waugh Gym
• 3/19 Student Art Show Reception & Awards
• 3/19 Land That Job
• 3/20 Active Shooter Training
• 3/22 Lions Club All-Star Practices
• 3/23 Blood Drive
• 3/23-27 All Diversity Week Events
• 3/25 Nursing Informational Meeting
• 3/25 Career Connections
• 3/27 Lions Club All-Star Games
• 3/31 Jon Garrett | Gateway Men's Chorus
• 4/2 West Frankfort CTE Day
• 4/2 Transition Summit
• 4/3-5 "Little Women" Spring Musical
• 4/8 Agriculture Banquet
• 4/8 Art Demonstration: Carrie Gibbs
• 4/16 Phi Theta Kappa Induction

 

+ Important Message from RLC President Terry Wilkerson

All regularly scheduled personnel should report to the college as planned Monday. This will allow faculty and support staff to work together to move as much instructional content online as possible. Online instruction will begin in earnest on Monday, March 23. Administrators also will use that day as a planning and triage day to determine any further needed actions.

Employees should consult with their respective Vice President or Associate Vice President to determine whether to work in person, remotely, etc., from that point.

Gov. Pritzker announced Sunday that all bars and restaurants will be closed to the public by the end of business Monday, March 16, and lasting at least until March 30, which is one of the reasons for this move. We expect that our regional community college partners will be taking similar actions. We are taking this situation on a fluid basis and will be regularly re-evaluating when we can return to a normal working schedule.

We want to thank all of you for your hard work, dedication and flexibility during this time, and we truly appreciate the way you have come together to deal with this situation. The RLC team is truly one-of-a-kind, and this is just another example that proves it. Keep your eyes on your email and the website for more updates as we go.

In the meantime, please continue to keep yourself safe and healthy. Take all the appropriate measures to keep yourself safe from infection, and if you are sick, stay home. As always, if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Thank you,

Terry Wilkerson

RLC President

+ To the Rend Lake College community:

Due to the effects of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Rend Lake College is taking the following measures to help protect our students, faculty and staff, and to do our part to reduce risk of spreading the infection. All updates will be posted on our website at www.rlc.edu.

1. Spring Break will be extended an additional week, through Saturday, March 21. The faculty, staff and administration will use this period of time to move as much class content as possible to Canvas, RLC’s online learning platform.
2. We will move to online instruction via Canvas for all classes beginning Monday, March 23. This is for the time being, and we will continue to evaluate when we can return to face-to-face instruction. Some formats, such as labs and clinicals, may need to be handled on a case-by-case basis. IMPORTANT: Students, please ensure you have access to Canvas, which can be reached from the MyRLC web page using your Warriormail address and password. Call the Help Desk at 618.437.5321, Ext. 1259, if you need assistance with that.
3. On-campus college events will be cancelled during this time, unless otherwise noted. Communication will be ongoing with the appropriate audiences.
4. The campus itself, as well as the RLC MarketPlace in Mt. Vernon and the RLC Murphy-Wall Pinckneyville Campus, will remain open.
5. The RLC Foundation Children’s Center will remain open at this time.
6. Support staff and the IT Help Desk (618.437.5321, Ext. 1259, ) will be available to assist students.
7. Follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines, which include avoiding crowded situations, remaining six feet away from others when possible, regular hand-washing with soap and water, use of hand sanitizer, avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands, etc.
8. Questions may be directed to the front desk at 618.437.5321 or to .

Additional notes for STUDENTS

• Warriormail will be an important method of communication. Please make sure you have access to your account. If you prefer, here are instructions to forward your Warriormail to another account of your choice.
• Financial aid refunds will be distributed as originally scheduled.
• All Great Rivers Athletic Conference events are cancelled.
• If you feel ill, do not come to campus.

Additional notes for FACULTY & STAFF

• Employees will need to coordinate their attendance (physical vs. remote) with the appropriate Vice President.
• If you have travel plans on college business in the near future, consult with the appropriate Vice President to determine if you should cancel those plans.
• A separate communication will be sent to faculty regarding work hours and duties from Lori Ragland, Vice President of Instruction & Student Affairs.
• If you feel ill, stay home.

We will continue to monitor the situation and will post updates on our website. We also will alert you of updates to that page via Warriormail, social media, Canvas and the Canvas app, and any other appropriate outlets.

We are taking these actions out of an abundance of caution, with the well-being of our students and employees in mind. We have been in contact with state and federal sources, as well as educational partners in our area.

The Centers for Disease Control has information about the coronavirus at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/.

+ Important Message to Our Students

We have been monitoring the situation with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and we want to let you know how we are responding. There have been no reported instances of COVID-19 at Rend Lake College, and no classes are being cancelled at this time. However, we have amplified our cleaning and disinfecting efforts and have begun contingency planning in the event classes should have to be cancelled.

IF there were a closure that lasted only a few days, instructors and administrators would determine how best to make up the content without having to extend the length of the semester.

IF classes should have to be cancelled for an extended period due to the COVID-19 situation, it could become necessary to extend the semester beyond the originally scheduled end dates in order to allow you the time needed to complete coursework. It would be likely that the college would have select staff members on premises as needed to handle critical functions.

IF that should occur, we would transfer all our face-to-face classes to Canvas, which would allow you to remain in contact with your instructors. This would not be a fit for some laboratory classes and similar situations; those would be handled on a case-by-case basis. There is the option of holding virtual class meetings using the Zoom integration in Canvas as well.

We would get status updates to you in the various methods available, including our website, social media, Canvas and its app, etc. We suggest that you ensure you have access to your Warriormail email account, or are forwarding those emails to a personal account of your preference, because this is the fastest avenue for us to reach all students quickly. Additionally, if you have not signed up for WENS, our emergency alert texting system, you can do so at www.rlc.edu/wens. If you need assistance with either of those, call the Help Desk at 618.437.5321, Ext. 1259.

Again, no classes are being cancelled at the present time. We will continue monitoring the situation and will inform you of any significant developments. Even if a closure of some type should happen, be assured we remain committed to helping you succeed.

In the meantime, continue to use common sense measures to help protect yourself such as regular hand washing, using hand sanitizer, keeping your hands away from your face, etc. 

Enjoy the rest of your spring break and we’ll see you next week!

— The Rend Lake College Team 

More about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) — including risk, symptoms and prevention — can be found at www.cdc.gov.