2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

With Summer Semester registration open, and given the expected COVID-19 curve and its anticipated impact over time, a decision has been made to deliver summer classes in the virtual or remote formats that have been adopted for the latter half of Spring semester. Exceptions may include labs or other classes that require in-person instruction that can be delivered with appropriate social distancing.

Yes! We’re so excited you’re considering Columbus State. It’s a smart choice. Our Admission team is working remotely for the time being, and we are ready to answer any questions you have about the College. In fact, coming next week, we’re launching virtual daily briefings next week for prospective students. Sign up to visit (virtually), and we’ll reach out with an invitation, link and instructions. Or visit our Admissions page to request information, apply or contact us.

Recognizing that shifting to online learning at an accelerated pace is a huge change for everyone, we are providng you the option to choose between pass/fail or the standard A-E grading processes for Spring Semester courses shifted to remote delivery. A “Pass” grade equates to a grade of C or better and does not affect your GPA.

For each class in which you are considering the pass/non-pass options, it is critical that you work closely with your instructors and with your academic advisor to understand:

• What pass/non-pass means in the individual course
• How pass/non-pass could affect transfer credit
•  How pass/non-pass may impact financial aid
•  How pass/non-pass may affect admissions to selective programs

COLLEGE CREDIT PLUS STUDENTS: Please work with both your school counselor and your CCP advisor to talk through your options. The pass/non-pass grade is not an option for anyone who wants to participate in high school athletics due to OHSAA and/or NCAA athletic eligibility rules. Contact ccpadvising@cscc.edu or reach out to your individual advisor with specific questions.

If you need more time to complete your coursework, we’ve retooled the option to take an incomplete grade. This option would be negotiated with your instructor, creating another way for you to complete course content, lab, or clinical requirements without having to drop and re-take a class from the beginning.

Additionally, we have extended the date by which an Incomplete grade must be finished to August 8, 2020. In some case-by-case instances, this can be extended beyond that date if clinical or work-based learning cannot be completed by the end of Summer Semester.

Even though lab courses have been converted to online delivery, there are still fees associated with delivering the courses and helping students complete them successfully. So, lab fees will not be refunded for courses that have been converted to online delivery and that are completed by students. However, if your lab course has been canceled, lab fees will be refunded for the Spring 2020 term and re-assessed when you re-enroll in the course in a future term.

Under normal circumstances, in-person courses are actually slightly less expensive ($10/credit hour) than those originally designed to be offered online. In these circumstances, since all courses have been converted to online delivery temporarily, we have chosen to waive that extra fee for courses that were originally offered in person and had to be converted as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. So, there’s no tuition to refund since you’re still enrolled in the course, and the course is still being delivered.

Millions of people are filing for unemployment for the first time, including students. Most of this can be done online, but when you’re prompted to have the College verify your enrollment and satisfactory progress, simply type “see attached enrollment verification" in those fields, and continue with your application. Then upload an enrollment verification before you submit you form. Complete your enrollment verification via the National Student Clearinghouse following these steps:

• From the CSCC enrollment verification page, click on the first option "Request an Official Enrollment Verification"
• On the National Student Clearinghouse page, log in with your Columbus State credentials
• Click on "Obtain an Enrollment Certificate"
• That can be saved as a PDF and uploaded as part of the unemployment application/verification process.

We want our student employees to be engaged in meaningful College work and training as much as possible. We are working closely with supervisors to guide them on how to help student employees telework during this time. In general, Federal Work Study students can work their normal schedules (remotely) through the end of the semester, and College Work Study students can also work their normal schedules during this time (remotely). Please work with your supervisor to ensure you continue doing meaningful work and training, track your hours, and report absences appropriately. 

We are committed to transparency, timeliness and accuracy in our communication. We will use the website, cscc.edu/about/coronavirus, as a primary communication tool, along with your @student.cscc.edu email.

Columbus State resumed all classes in remote format on Monday, March 23, and all College operations are serving students online, over the phone and through email. We will remain in remote format through the end of spring semester. Arrangements for clinicals, labs and off-site work-study courses are being handled on a case-by-case basis, so please check Blackboard and your Columbus State student email account, or reach out to your instructor for specific directions.

Students who meet graduation requirements by the end of spring semester will graduate as planned. Our May 8 Commencement, the formal ceremony that celebrates our graduates, has been postponed. We will share our plans for this important occasion when details have been finalized.

The College is limiting in-person interaction to slow the spread of COVID-19 at the urging of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton. Face-to-face operations, such as Admission, Student Central, Academic Advising, payments and billing, Library Services, Bookstore, tutoring, career services, Student Engagement and Leadership and more can now be handled remotely through email, telephone and the web.

To support student needs and support their success, we have expanded the services typically offered by Student Central (records, registration, residency, financial aid, and other enrollment-related questions) to include academic advising, peer advocacy, and more. In keeping with recommendations for social distancing, Student Central will transition to a remote/virtual service that can be reached by email at information@cscc.edu or by phone at 614-287-5353.

Hours are:

• Monday and Tuesday 8 am to 5 pm 
• Wednesday and Thursday 8 am to 6:30 pm 
• Friday 9:30 am to 4:30 pm

Here is a list of key offices and the best way to access their services:

• Student Central (enrollment, registration, financial aid, academic advising, residency, and student forms) information@cscc.edu or 614-287-5353
• Academic Advising: You can contact advisors via phone or email.
• Tutoring Services are available remotely through NetTutor’s Pisces. Students will have remote access to the college tutors they’ve become accustomed to meeting. Access these services through any course you are currently enrolled in (now or for an upcoming semester) by logging on to Blackboard. For more information, please contact Lynn Giese at lgiese@cscc.edu or 614-287-2474, or Teddi Lewis-Hotopp at tlewisho@cscc.edu, 614-287-2866.
• Admissions (high school students, transfer students, College Credit Plus, working adults, international students, immigrants and DACA students), information@cscc.edu, delaware@cscc.edu or (614) 287-5353
• The Bookstore remains accessible online, with contact information and hours for virtual support available on its website. Students, order your books online as soon as possible to allow time for shipping, which is free with UPS.
• The Mid-Ohio Market will remain open for curbside service. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays; 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays.
• Disability Services can be reached at disability@cscc.edu for testing questions or dsdocumentation@cscc.edu for Advocate or departmental questions.
• We strongly encourage all payments via CougarWeb. Payments by check can be sent by U.S. Mail to P.O. Box 1609, Columbus, Ohio 43216-1609. Payments can also be dropped off at Columbus Campus at the Madison Hall entrance drop box, or at Delaware Campus at the Moeller Hall drop box. Cashiers and Student Accounting can be reached at 614-287-5658 or stuacct@cscc.edu.

We are here to support you in the successful completion of your classes this semester, and always, to help you reach your educational goals. We also understand these are extraordinary circumstances, and we want to be flexible and supportive. If you find that the alternative delivery of your class is not the best fit for you, you can request to be withdrawn up until April 19, 2020. Fill out the COVID-19 Withdrawal Form to submit a COVID-19 Withdrawal Request. College Credit Plus students, please DO NOT fill out this form. Instead, work with your high school counselor and then with your CCP advisor before withdrawing from a class to make sure you remain on track to graduate.

As Columbus State migrates to primarily online and remote instruction and student service effective March 23, we recognize that consistent broadband Internet access is a challenge for some of our students. If you have access to a computer but not consistent Internet connectivity, the College urges you to consider establishing free home Internet service at this time.           

Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access is available for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students, who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription, and at any service level up to 100 Mbps. To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395. Installation fees will be waived for new student households.

No, the semester will not be extended. Coursework will be compressed to fit within the existing academic calendar for spring 2020.

If you’re taking an in-person lab, clinical, practicum or internship spring semester, your chairperson and/or instructor will communicate directly with you by Friday, March 27, about when you will resume in-person coursework. In general, these courses will be delayed an additional two weeks from Monday, March 23. All other classes will resume online March 23. Check Blackboard, your Columbus State email, or check in with your instructor for the latest.

At this time, the testing center services are moving to an online environment. While our classes are transitioning from in-person to alternative forms of delivery, the testing center will no longer engage in:

Academic testing

• All online and hybrid classes will assess students in an alternative manner/environment, including all final exams.
• All in-person classes converted to online classes will assess students in an alternative manner/environment, including all final exams.

Your instructor will contact you directly with additional information.

Placement testing

• Math placement testing (ALEKS) will be administered online through CougarWeb . Take the math placement test online by accessing CougarWeb with your Columbus State username and password. Select “ALEKS” under the “Placement Testing” link, and complete the math placement test.
• Reading and writing placement will be determined in other ways temporarily since these tests can’t be taken online. To find the right course for you, we’ll use your ACT/SAT/GED scores, Advance Placement English, COMPASS test scores, Accuplacer scores, or your performance in college courses you’ve already taken. These test scores give you more course options. If you don’t have these test scores, don’t worry. Our first term advisors will show you how to register for our Fundamentals of College Writing (ENGL 0199) / College Composition Workshop (ENGL1101), where you’ll learn in a small-group, teacher-directed environment that will set you up for success through the rest of your college journey. An advisor will contact you after you complete our online New Student Workshop. Sign up today with your Columbus State username and password.

Community and Professional Testing

• The center will not proctor tests for other institutions. For department-required tests for program admission and graduation, exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Proficiency, CCP and ESL testing

• Proficiency testing and College Credit Plus testing are suspended. English as a Second Language students, we’re creating a new process for your placement test, so continue to check our ESL placement testing webpage for updates.

No, Columbus State remains open, and employees are at work teaching and supporting students online, by email and by phone. Classes have been canceled through March 22 and will resume in online format Monday, March 23.

All events with 50 people or more have been canceled through April. We are reviewing all other events, including events organized by external partners and held at our College locations, to determine appropriate arrangements. We will communicate event cancellations through their event organizers.

Our registration process hasn’t changed, so if you know what classes you’d like to take, the easiest way to register is to do that online through CougarWeb. Here is a link to an instructional video. You can also call us at 614-287-5353 if you’d like some help with the registration process. If you aren’t yet sure what classes you should take, you should talk with an academic advisor first so that you can get some help with course selection.

Absolutely! We suggest that you reach out to your advisor via telephone or email. If you already know who your advisor is, go ahead and reach out to them. If you are a returning student and you aren’t sure who your advisor is, here is a link to the advisor directory. If you are preparing for your first semester at Columbus State, you can actually call 614-287-5353, and a representative at that number can set up a time for you to have a phone appointment with an advisor in our Center for Advising Support and Exploration.

Financial aid and scholarship eligibility will not be impacted by the transition from in-person classes to online classes.

Columbus State’s Counseling Services has psychological tips for dealing with the coronavirus posted on their website: Psychological Tips for Managing Coronavirus Concerns. You can request a counseling appointment or get mental health referrals to community counseling services by visiting Counseling Services or calling (614) 287-2818.

If are experiencing an emergency concern and a quick response is needed, call 911 or go directly to the nearest hospital emergency room. 

Before returning to the College, you are asked to practice social distancing and stay home for a period of 14 days from the time you left the area of risk if you are returning from:

• A cruise 
• A country at a Level 3 Travel Health Notice, or  
• Europe (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland) 

Visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html and https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/home for the latest travel warning information.