Weekly Message from Dr. Patrick Tompkins

Dear Your Eastern Shore Community College Students,

Here are this week’s ESCC COVID-19 updates.

ESCC Services Are Available

We want our students and our community to know that ESCC is very much open for business. Until further notice, our buildings are not available to you. However, we can be reached through our webpage, by email, and by phone.

Communication Strategy

We plan to send an email from this healthsafety@es.vccs.edu account each Tuesday to provide updates on ESCC’s response to the COVID-19 virus. We’ll send more frequent emails if that becomes necessary.

In addition, you will continue to receive communications from other areas of the college, especially your instructors, but also dual enrollment, financial aid, advising, and others. Please continue to check your ESCC email account.

Remote Instruction

Yesterday was Day 1 of our implementation of remote instruction for all classes where instruction can be delivered remotely. Each of your instructors should have contacted you to share how remote instruction will function in each class. We are committed to serving you, no matter where you live or what technology you have. Please use email, Canvas, phones, and apps to stay in touch with your instructors.

Please actively engage your courses so that you can complete the semester.

In the next week one of our college success coaches will contact you for a check-in and to offer service and support that will help you succeed. Please take that call. It will come from a number with a 757 area code and 789 as the first three numbers.

For those who wish to access our free WiFi, our front parking lot will be open each week, Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., and Saturday 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

P/F Grade Options

The Virginia Community College System is developing implementation plans for using Pass/Fail for courses that are still running. We’ll have details soon and will update you. For now, stay engaged, stay on task, and stay connected to your instructors.

Withdraw Date

We will allow any student to withdraw from a class with a grade of “W” up until the end date for that class. However, our goal and our hope for you is that you will complete. If you feel you cannot make it through or pass your class, please reach out to your instructors and advisors. In most cases, they can help you solve the problem so you can complete. Please give them a chance.

Summer Classes

We plan to run classes this summer and will begin registration on April 6. We’ll try to have on-campus classes to the extent that the health emergency allows, but will continue with remote instruction for as long as necessary.

Advising

In a week or so, we’ll begin advising for summer and fall sessions. Please do not allow the current crisis to slow down your progress towards your educational goals. Our coaches and advisors will contact you by phone and email to assist you.

Final Thoughts

Please remember that we are Your Eastern Shore Community College. We care about your educational development, but more important we care about you. Please take care of yourselves and of each other. You are our YES!

Sincerely,

p…

Patrick Tompkins, Ph.D.
Vice President
Academic, Student, & Workforce Programs