All students are encouraged to conduct a self-screening daily prior to coming to campus. This should include an “at home” temperature check and a review of potential symptoms of COVID-19 including cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, and a new loss of taste or smell. Students exhibiting potential symptoms of COVID-19 should refrain from visiting any campus or center and notify the college immediately.

Following the guidance from medical professionals and the CDC, all faculty, staff, students, administrators, and visitors are required to wear face coverings at this time. Acceptable face coverings include surgical masks, N95 masks, cloth masks, or face shields and are required on all campuses and centers. Face coverings must be worn in classrooms, labs, and shared office spaces regardless of physical distancing.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for persons who cannot wear a face covering due to medical conditions. Students should request these accommodations via Student Support Services.

A thorough evaluation of all space on campus that could be used for in-person class instruction has been completed to ensure the college is meeting recommended social distancing guidelines.

All Campus Services cleaning staff have been trained on enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures.

Signage providing instructions on enhanced safety and health measures will be deployed across campuses. Floor markings will be used where needed to indicate proper physical distancing and flow of traffic in dining facilities, residence halls, and other points of ingress and egress.

The College has developed plans for online and hyflex instruction. In-person, hybrid, flipped, and online determinations are made to best meet educational needs safely. Continuous remote delivery will be facilitated for all classes to ensure the ability for students to remain on their academic pathways even if they choose not to return to campus in the fall or in the event that the College must halt in-person instruction at some point during the course of the semester. Additionally, we will actively encourage students who may be feeling unwell to stay home rather than attend an in-person class given the availability of their course content online.

Students who test positive for COVID-19 and/or exhibit symptoms for COVID-19 will be required to follow the directive of their healthcare providers which may include a 14-day self-quarantine.

All residential students are required to secure in advance alternative quarantine living arrangements off campus in the event they test positive for COVID-19 and/or should they exhibit symptoms for COVID-19.

Students who come into close contact with COVID-19 positive cases will be encouraged to self-quarantine for 14 days and self-monitor for symptom development.

Students and their families will experience an extended move-in period, August 16, 17, and 18, in order to allow for the safest environment possible. The College will restrict the number of persons who can assist with move-in activities and students will be provided with a day and time during which they will move into their individual residence hall.

Students who need a specific housing accommodation due to a COVID-19 related concern are directed to Student Support Services.

Housing and Residence Life will require face coverings in all common spaces. Signage will be displayed in the interior and exterior of buildings describing COVID-19 protocols and expected standards of behavior.

Visitors to residence halls will not be permitted. All residential students are required to secure in advance alternative quarantine living arrangements off campus in the event they test positive for COVID-19 and/or should they exhibit symptoms for COVID-19.

The administration is currently working with its dining partners to develop a plan for providing safe food options to our students.

We recognize the difficulty the COVID-19 crisis may place on the mental and emotional well-being of our students. Free and confidential counseling services are provided through Licensed Professional Counselors located on each of our three main campuses Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.

If you would like to reach Student Counseling Services, please email one of our Licensed Professional Counselors:

Jackson County Campus – Lisa Hammons – lisa.hammons@mgccc.edu

Harrison County Campus – Dawn Buckley – dawn.buckley@mgccc.edu

Perkinston Campus – Paula Rainey – paula.rainey@mgccc.edu

In-person meetings and activities are permitted based upon appropriate capacity guidance from the MS Department of Health and/or CDC. Adherence to physical distancing requirements and use of face coverings in campus buildings are required. Attendance tracking at all events will be required as well to enable communication. Student organizations are encouraged to consider outdoor events and/or virtual programming as alternatives.

HyFlex or hybrid flexible classes combine face-to-face and online learning in a flexible format that permits students to attend individual class sessions in person or online, depending on their preference. On occasion, there are a few programs/courses may require attendance in face-to-face classes.

HyFlex classes are like hybrid classes, which allow for a portion of a class to be completed online. However, with HyFlex classes, students can complete any portion of the class online or in class. The ability to change back and forth between the online and in-class environment is completely customizable for the student.

When you register for a class, it will either be an online class or HyFlex. HyFlex allows you to make your week-to-week or day-to-day decisions on whether you will complete the class online or on campus. Online classes are offered online only.

If you choose to take an online class and change your mind, you would have to drop the online class and find a HyFlex version of the class that has not yet started. There are usually classes offered on weekends or second term that can be added. If you choose HyFlex and want to take the class completely online, that is an option within the HyFlex model. You can take any portion of a HyFlex class online or on campus.

You do need to have internet accessibility of some kind to participate in online or HyFlex courses that you choose to complete online. If internet accessibility is a problem at home, there are locations and computers available at each campus that are open to students. In addition, it is highly recommended that students have a laptop or sufficient tablet to complete work online and away from campus.

A general overview of taking college courses online can be found on the eLearning web page.

1. Log into Canvas and check each of your courses for messages from your instructors, updates to your syllabi, and changes to your course requirements. If you have face-to-face classes, they may be moved online with new requirements. Take time to write in your planner or a notebook what your (altered) assignments are from now until the end of the term. Contact your instructors immediately with any questions or concerns you have, or if anything is not clear to you.
2. Make a note of all of your instructors’ preferred methods of communication and their office hours.
3. If you have disability accommodations, message your instructors in Canvas with any information or questions that you have regarding your transition to online. Questions about your accommodations can be emailed to the Special Populations Coordinators on each Campus.
4. If you have any change in your circumstances and/or availability for your classes, communicate with your instructors immediately to let them know your situation and ask what you need to do to for course completion.
5. Log into Canvas every day to check messages, announcements, discussion posts, and assignments.
6. Check your MGCCC email daily to make sure you have not missed any important announcements about classes or MGCCC situations.
7. Make sure your contact information is up to date in Web Services so that you receive all emergency notifications.

Getting Information

The answers to most of the questions students have are readily available on our college website. We recommend all students with questions begin at the My Gulf Coast webpage where you can find information on:

Academic Calendar
College Catalog
Student Handbook
Web Services
Student Email
Canvas
Business Services
Financial Aid Forms
Health Clinics
Assessment Centers
Learning Lab
Library

Taking Action

We also recommend that you check your Web Services portal. Here you can find links that will allow you to take the following actions:

• Order Transcripts
• Apply for Nursing and Allied Health programs
• Apply for Graduation
• Check on your Financial Aid
• Drop and Add Courses

Should you not find the answer to your questions, we have implemented an online chat feature, and a Student Support Representative should be able to assist you.

We understand that some questions may be too specific in nature to be addressed by the general information on our website. In these instances, the College recommends sending an email to one of the offices below. A Student Support Representative or an Enrollment Specialist should respond to you within 24 hours.

See the Student Services Email Directory below for contacts. Please be sure to include your student number (M Number) on all correspondence.

Search by Service or Campus to narrow results.

If you are not able to get the answer to your questions through the website, chat, or email, we do have an answer center available for you to speak to a Student Support Representative or Enrollment Specialist by phone. Know that our Answer Center is experiencing a high volume of calls and you may be placed on hold or asked to leave a message. Should you leave a message, please include your student number (M number) and your email address. You will receive an email response from a Student Services Representative or Enrollment Specialist within 24 hours.

Admissions

• All “Residency” and “Change of Personal Information” documents may be sent via email in a scanned PDF or jpg. format. All documents must be clear/full images of the specific document. Please see the email list above for the admissions office email of your MGCCC campus.
• All official transcript documents should be sent to the Admissions office by electronic format by the official institution or transcript servicer.

Financial Aid

• Please utilize your Web Services account to send in documents through the Verify My FAFSA link when possible.
• When uploading and sending a document via Verify My FAFSA or email, you can take a picture using your phone or camera with enabled WIFI. You can use a scanning app, documents tool on an android phone or your notes app on iPhone to scan a document as a PDF.
• Please be sure the page you are taking a picture of has all four corners of the page in view. You will also need to ensure that the picture is not blurry or cut off before you send it.

How to scan documents in the Notes app

1. Open a new or existing note
2. Tap the + icon and tap Scan Documents
3. Place your document in the camera’s view
4. Use the shutter button or one of the volume buttons to capture the scan
5. If needed, adjust the corners of the scan by dragging, then tap Keep Scan
6. Tap Save when finished scanning or continue on to add more pages

The Enrollment Services Center is located in the Student “U” Building. The building is marked on the map below.

The Enrollment Services Center is located in Dees Hall. This building is marked on the map below.

George County Center

The Enrollment Services Center is located in the Academic Building. This building is marked on the map below.

The Enrollment Services Center is located in the Student Services Center Building. This building is marked on the map below.

I acknowledge that my participation is elective. Further, I agree to follow all oral or written instructions of safety, security, property protection, and other directions given to me by any staff member of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College or that may be posted on the premises or on the MGCCC website. I also agree that while I am on any campus or center of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community or involved in any college-sponsored off campus events, that I will follow and abide by state, local, and federal guidelines to ensure that my behaviors help reduce the spread of infectious disease. If I live on campus, I understand and pledge my personal responsibility to adhere to guidelines to keep myself and my fellow students safe, both inside and outside the residence halls. If I live on campus, I further understand I must secure alternative living arrangements off campus in the likelihood I test positive for COVID-19 and have to quarantine. Details to protect yourself and others can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/.

I understand COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus, and it is possible to develop and contract the COVID-19 disease even if I follow all safety precautions and those recommended by the CDC and others. I understand that although MGCCC is following the coronavirus guidelines issued by the CDC to reduce the spread of infection, I can never be completely shielded from all risk of illness caused by Covid-19 or other infections. I understand that due to COVID-19, various aspects of the Activities could be dangerous and that while participating in the Activities I could sustain serious personal damage, injuries, trauma, illness, loss, disability or even death as a consequence of the actions, and that there may be other risks known or not known to me or not reasonably foreseeable at this time. I further understand and agree that any personal damage, injury, trauma, illness, loss, disability or death that I may sustain directly or indirectly related to COVID-19 is not the responsibility of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, its affiliates, employees, directors, or management, except to the extent of the aforementioned personnel performing criminal acts, gross negligence or willful misconduct. I EXPRESSLY ASSUME ALL SUCH RISKS, KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, INHERENT OR NOT, AND WHETHER DESCRIBED, ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACTIVITIES FOR MYSELF.

I understand that if I begin to experience COVID-19 symptoms, test positive for COVID-19, or become exposed to someone with COVID-19, I will report symptoms, positive testing, or exposure to the Dean of Student Services immediately. I further understand that I should not return to in-person classes or college facilities until I am approved by my healthcare provider. I understand that my personal information would be kept confidential.