Hillsborough Community College Begins Fall Semester With Increased Safety Measures

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Hillsborough Community College welcomed students back to campuses Aug. 17 for the 16-week fall term with new safety protocols in place.

HCC identified five key actions to maintain the health and safety of students, staff and the community:

• Physical distancing – This includes staying at least 6 feet apart from other people and not gathering in groups or crowds. Classrooms and common areas at HCC facilities have been arranged to allow for such physical distancing. Schedules for on-campus community members have been staggered as well.
• Wearing a mask/face covering – As recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all faculty, staff and students are required to wearing a mask/face covering while on college property. Students are encouraged to bring their own, but the college has a limited supply of masks available for those who arrive without one.
• Hand washing – Those on campus are asked to frequently wash their hands with soap and water for 20-30 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Signage has been installed to encourage personal hygiene best practices, designate hand sanitizing stations and help the movement of people through public campus spaces.
• Cleaning surfaces – HCC will clean and disinfect high-touch, high-traffic surface areas regularly. The frequency and level of cleaning services to those areas have increased.
• Staying home if you are sick or instructed to isolate/quarantine – If you are sick or believe you have been exposed to an infected person, HCC asks that you stay home.

Whenever the college learns that a person who has been on an HCC campus or site has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Hawk Tracing protocol will be implemented. This process will allow the details of each occurrence to be evaluated and assessed following CDC guidelines, which will allow a specific plan for each case to be developed. Hawk Tracing is not contact tracing. The college will coordinate efforts with the Hillsborough County Health Department for that process.

The college will modify protocols as needed. Click here for updates.

Flexible Start

While the fall semester has begun, HCC is still offering flexible start classes that begin throughout the semester with a variety of start dates and course lengths.

For more information, click here.

Hillsborough Community College serves more than 48,000 students annually at campuses on Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa and in Brandon, Plant City, Ruskin and Ybor City. HCC is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

This press release was produced by the Hillsborough Community College. The views expressed are the author's own.