Current Update
College Excel facilities are open, and we are working with students in-person to put strict safety measures in place. We continue to offer remote coaching to students studying at colleges and universities across the country.
The following is a short update on Oregon’s Phase 2 reopening plan, and the additional safety measures we have put in place to help our community stay healthy. Please scroll down to our May 19th, 2020 update for details on how we are adapting our services to meet COVID-19 protocols and what our partner college’s plans are for the summer and fall classes.
Oregon’s Phase 2 Reopening Plan
On June 6, 2020 Deschutes County, where Bend is located, was approved for Phase 2 of reopening. You can read about the new Phase 2 guidelines here. These relaxed restrictions will allow College Excel to meet in larger groups and begin to expand in-person indoor and outdoor activities with safety measures in place. We are very excited that we can now schedule more of our student’s favorite College Excel led summer activities!
Additional Safety Measures
While moving into Phase 2 is good news, we still need to be cautious and make smart decisions about maintaining physical distance, practicing good hygiene, and wearing masks in order to keep our community healthy.
We are committed to being part of the solution to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and will continue to strictly adhere to all recommended safety protocols:
- All staff and students are required to wear masks when they are inside of our Academic Center for Excellence, being transported in our vehicles, and during activities where social distancing can’t be maintained.
- We strongly encourage all community members venturing into public or crowded spaces wear a face mask.
- We are providing face masks for all of our students and staff.
- Strict sanitizing protocols we’ve had in place since March 2020 are a top priority in our offices and the student residences.
- We have reorganized and adapted our Academic Center for Excellence facility to meet recommended safety protocols.
- Staff or students are asked to stay home if they are experiencing any signs of an illness. We have a safety plan in place to address illnesses being reported.
- Ongoing education for our students and staff on how to stay healthy and safe is a top priority.
Improved HVAC filters
We are upgrading our Academic Center for Excellence HVAC system with filters that have a MERV 13 rating and will be following a maintenance schedule to assure they are working at their highest efficiency. These filters will help improve air filtration and combined with other measures can reduce the spread of infectious diseases. You can read more about MERV filter ratings here.