Campus Updates

At this level, students are participating in online instruction and are encouraged to do the following:

• Practice good sanitation, hand-washing and additional cleanliness in the classroom
• Limit face to face communications, utilizing email and other technologies when possible
• WiFi access is available to students in campus parking lots
• Communicate any technology needs to your instructor
• College related out-of-state travel is suspended until further notice

All coursework will be communicated via D2L and NPC student email accounts. Visit computer resources tutorial for setting up Microsoft OneDrive.

At this level, employees are working remotely and are encouraged to do the following while working from home:

• Practice good sanitation, hand-washing and additional cleanliness in the office and workstations
• Ensure home computer connectivity in order for work to be performed remotely in the case of personal illness or campus closing
• Limit face to face communications, utilizing email and other technologies when possible
• College related out-of-state travel is suspended until further notice

Additional Information

• Read about NPC's Telecommuting Guidelines for on Campus Positions in Emergency or Adverse Situations.
• Visit computer resources tutorials for employees working remotely.
• Read about NPC's Covid-19 Leave Policy.
• Read about the Department of Labor's leave policy under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

The Arkansas Health Department also has a free hotline to call if you believe you may have been exposed. To be assessed by phone, call 501-537-8969 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 800-554-5738 after hours or on the weekend.

Contact the campus nurse and communicate with your instructors. You can email Sebrena.Lewis@np.edu with documentation of your illness. Nurse Lewis can help coordinate communication with your instructors and with the Dean of Students.

Employees and students who choose to travel out of state during this crisis should be advised that NPC will require a health screening by the school nurse and may recommend a 14-day self-quarantine period before returning to campus.

International Travel

Personal international travel is strongly discouraged, especially to countries with a CDC risk level for Coronavirus (COVID-19) of two or higher.

Be advised that you may encounter health risks and logistical challenges. The Arkansas Department of Health and/or NPC may require self-quarantine for 14 days after traveling to or through an affected area. Customs agents are reporting international travelers arriving from affected countries to state departments of health for this purpose.

Domestic Travel

Personal travel within the United States is also strongly discouraged. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation in the U.S. is changing rapidly. Exercise caution and by reviewing these considerations for travel within the U.S. Check for the latest information available for your specific destination using the CDC’s cases in the U.S page.

In-state Travel

Employees and students should exercise extreme caution when traveling within the state. Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to grow in Arkansas and the situation is changing rapidly.

National Park College provides a list of services to employees and students so we can continue operations remotely if necessary.

If you are locked out of your campus account or would like to update your password, see the instructions on changing your password from home.

Microsoft Office

Students and employees have the option to use our Microsoft Office application through the web browser and/or download the full suite to their personal computers for as long as they are a member of the college. The full download includes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher, Outlook, Skype, and OneDrive. In order to access these services, please go to this link https://portal.office.com or use the webmail link on our home page and sign in with your email address and campus password. You can click on the trimmed down web version of the application via the buttons or install the full suite by clicking “Install Office” towards the upper right of the screen.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is another application that is free for students and employees to use and download to their computers and mobile devices. Teams is an application listed in Office 365 at the top of the screen. This application is great for messaging, file sharing, screen sharing, and live presentations. Staff and Faculty can create custom groups of people to collaborate with. If you need assistance with the setup, please contact the IT department for more information (techsupport@np.edu).

Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft OneDrive is a file cloud based file sharing application. It is also listed in Office 365. You are able to store your files here and access them from the college PCs, personal PCs, and mobile devices. You have the option to download the client to your local computer and access all of your files similar to a network drive. We recommend moving your documents from your PC to OneDrive. To install the application on your computer, select OneDrive in Office 365; next select “Get the OneDrive Apps” from the bottom-left of the screen and follow the instructions. Once installed, you will be able to transfer your documents over. If you need assistance with the setup, you can view a video tutorial or contact the IT department for more information (techsupport@np.edu).

Microsoft SharePoint

An easy way for employees or students to collaborate with services such as group file sharing, group calendars, etc. is to use SharePoint. You can create your own sites and share them out to others granting them specific permissions. For larger, more advanced programs, the IT department can also set up SharePoint Sites for you.

OASIS

Employees and students can access OASIS (https://oasis.np.edu) and Human Resources (https://hcm.np.edu) from off campus. This will provide access to services such as admissions, registration, student accounts, grades, scheduling, personnel, leave, pay, benefits, payroll, job duties, etc.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

In times that employees need specific services that can only be accessed from the internal network (such as Financials, Student Manager, Financial Aid, etc.), the IT department can set up a virtual private network (VPN) connection.

Our facilities staff are taking extra precautions to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces to prevent the spread of illness.

• All custodians are trained/certified using methods designed for educational facilities. This training includes daily disinfecting of common “touch” surfaces including door knobs, desks, etc.
• We utilize two major chemicals for cleaning and disinfecting including a hospital grade disinfectant, virucide and cleaner. We also utilize an aerosol spray disinfectant that is a hospital grade broad-spectrum disinfectant and antimicrobial agent.
• We use a microfiber cleaning rag system with red designated for biohazard areas and gray for all other areas. These rags are always kept separate even after use and during the laundry process. Our procedure is to use separate rags for each room and function. We do not carry rags and germs from classroom to classroom or bathroom to bathroom. We do not use bio-rags on touch surfaces like sinks or countertops.
• At public contact areas (weightroom, computer labs, etc.), we provide Super Sani-Cloth wipes that are bactericidal, tuberculocidal, and virucidal in two minutes.
• We also provide hand sanitizer dispensers on all floors of all buildings. Most are located adjacent to the main entry doors.

Here are everyday preventative actions you can do to help prevent the spread of illness from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
• CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
• Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
• For information about handwashing, see CDC’s Handwashing website.

The CDC has accurate and up-to-date information regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) if you are interested in reading more.

The Arkansas Department of Health has information regarding COVID-19 cases in the state.

UAMS has developed a free online screening tool for COVID – 19 for Arkansas residents.

Visit the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services to learn more about temporary employment benefits available for those who are unable to work during this time.