Coronavirus (COVID-19)

COVID-19 is the disease caused by a virus strain that began spreading in people in December 2019. The virus is contagious and potentially fatal. It is suspected that it is transmitted through coughing and sneezing of infected individuals. Learn more about the coronavirus at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice. Learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html.

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html  
• https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/covid-19.htm
• https://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/2019-novel-coronavirus

The Rock County Coronavirus Response Hub provides information, maps, and resources about the coronavirus response in Rock County. For more information, please visit https://coronavirus-response-rockcountylio.hub.arcgis.com/. 

• Practice social distancing.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. If a cough or sneeze sneaks up on you and no tissue is available, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.

If you are sick with influenza symptoms, it is recommended you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone. You must take the time to recover and not spread illnesses to others. In the event of absences, please work directly with your instructor or supervisor. 

Social distancing means minimizing any congregating of large groups, canceling non-essential meetings or events, and maintaining a distance of six feet from others. View the Social Distancing Guidelines at Work from the Society for Human Resource Management for more information.

Vaccination options and locations may be found at RockCountyShot.com.

The College does not require students or employees to be vaccinated. However, some clinical and intern sites may have placement requirements depending on the nature of the work done at those sites.

BTC Campus Safety and Security Office has take-home testing kits available for students and employees.

In addition, testing locations are available throughout the community. Visit the Rock County Public Health Department website for more information at www.co.rock.wi.us/publichealth.

Anyone who thinks they have been exposed to COVID-19 should notify their health care provider for guidance.

• Employees should notify Campus Safety and HR.
• Students should self-disclose to their instructor and Campus Safety.

An investigation and assessment of risk will be conducted before a decision can be made regarding return to campus. For employees, any work from home arrangements will be approved by the supervisor in partnership with HR. All investigations are confidential.

If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 or are sick, please notify your immediate supervisor or instructor and stay home. You should monitor your symptoms and notify your health care provider for guidance.

Employees should notify their direct supervisor, Campus Safety, and HR. Students should selfdisclose to their instructor and Campus Safety. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are not permitted to return to campus until they receive a negative test result or are released by their health care provider. You may continue to work from home only if approved by your supervisor and HR.

• Fully vaccinated individuals: wear a facemask in all indoor public settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result
• Unvaccinated individuals: quarantine for ten days without testing or seven days after a negative test on day five or later

If there is a confirmed case of coronavirus involving a Blackhawk student, faculty, or staff member, the College does not intend to close campus locations. The College will follow the guidance of county and state public health officials. The College will continue to follow strict safety and cleaning protocols to keep the Blackhawk community safe.

For more information about outbreaks in the State of Wisconsin, please visit https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/outbreaks/index.htm.

Blackhawk is continuing to monitor what is happening around our nation and region regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19). All updates will be sent via email to Blackhawk students and employees. In addition, updates will be shared on our website (www.blackhawk.edu) and made available on our Coronavirus (COVID-19) web page (www.blackhawk.edu/coronavirus). Students and employees are also encouraged to sign-up for SAFE Alerts. 

• Issue a SAFE Alert message (emergency notification system for BTC students, faculty, and staff)
• Post information on our website (www.blackhawk.edu)
• Post information on Facebook (www.facebook.com/blackhawktech)
• Send notifications to the local media, but cannot guarantee coverage or listing. Please note: BTC is listed as Blackhawk Technical College, not Blackhawk Schools or Black Hawk Schools.

The College requires face masks for all individuals in BTC classrooms and labs. Face masks are also required for in-person gatherings where physical distancing is not possible.​ Learn more about the masking policy. 

For additional information, review the Fall 2021 COVID-19 Response FAQs.

Based on CDC guidance, wearing masks in smaller spaces helps decrease the opportunity to spread the highly transmissible Delta variant. While indoor activities pose a low risk to those who are fully vaccinated, those individuals can still experience breakthrough infections and unknowingly transmit COVID-19 to others. Individuals should continue to practice physical distancing.

Hallways and common areas are large, open spaces with more airflow; therefore, there are decreased opportunities to spread COVID-19 in these spaces. Individuals should continue to practice physical distancing.

Individuals should continue to practice physical distancing.

No. Please eat and drink in designated spaces on campus that allow for better airflow and physical distancing.

Hundreds of laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots are ready to be deployed to Blackhawk Technical College students thanks to a cooperative effort between the College’s Library and Information Technology Services teams. The equipment loan program will allow students to borrow laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots at no additional charge to the student.

• Email library@blackhawk.edu
• Call (608) 757-7705
• Use Starfish student request (raise a hand) or advisor/instructor referral
• See the Equipment Loan Frequently Asked Questions Page

Learn more about the Laptop Loan Program here.

• Central Campus: park in Parking Lot K as well as the lot directly north of the Administration Building.
• Monroe Campus: park in the lot outside door MO-3.
• Hedberg Public Library: use password "community" and park in the covered parking lot for the strong connection. Learn more at https://www.hedbergpubliclibrary.org//covid19.html. 

 Any Blackhawk student in need can email btcstudentcupboard@blackhawk.edu to request a prepacked bag of food. The Student Cupboard team will follow up to arrange a time for you to pick up your food. You do not need to be a current confirmed user of the Student Cupboard to receive a bag. The Student Cupboard is currently offering curbside pick-up on Central Campus.

• View resources in Rock County at https://rockcountyresources.org/resource-categories/food/.
• View resources in Green County at https://swcap.org/community-services/swcap-food-pantries/

Did you know we provide free, online tutoring services? It’s true – Tutoring Services are available remotely via Brainfuse. If you have any questions about Brainfuse, or any other tutoring needs, please contact testingcenter@blackhawk.edu.

1. Login into MyBTC
2. Select Blackboard Courses (under Quick Links)
3. Click on the tools menu within your course
4. Click on "24_7 Online Tutoring" from the left
5. Follow the Brainfuse prompts to upload your papers for review or receive tutoring help for specified listed courses

While the College is open for students, we understand that COVID-19 remains a threat in our community. Therefore, in addition to in-person services, our Student Services team continues to offer their services virtually.

• Academic Advising: Advisors and others are still available by email, phone, and Zoom. You can easily schedule an appointment with your Academic Advisor through Starfish (available through your MyBTC login). Once you are on Starfish, you can set up or update appointments with your advisor, connect to your advisor via email, and locate your advisor’s phone number. Your advisor should appear as one of your “Connections” in the “My Success Network” tab.
• Counseling Services: We're here to help you manage stress and anxiety, get linked to community resources, and apply for emergency funding. Counseling services are free and available for all current students. For more information, please contact Laura Becker, School Counselor and Case Manager, at (608) 757-7642 or counseling@blackhawk.edu.
• Technology Resources: Our Information Technology Team has you covered. There are training videos and resources available in the Student Technology Services Yuja Library (available through MyBTC). The trainings are designed to help you set-up and access Zoom meetings with your instructors and other college staff, including your advisor. You can even use Zoom to collaborate with other students and conduct meetings and study groups.

The College requires face masks for all individuals in BTC classrooms and labs. Face masks are also required for in-person gatherings where physical distancing is not possible.​ Learn more about the masking policy. 

For additional information, review the Fall 2021 COVID-19 Response FAQs.

• 211 Wisconsin: When you need help and don't know where to turn, 211 is your one-stop connection to the local services you need, like utility assistance, housing, food, elder care, crisis intervention, alcohol and other drug recovery and much more. To learn more, visit https://211wisconsin.communityos.org/.
• FindHelp.org: Find food assistance, help paying bills, and other free or reduced cost programs, including new programs for the COVID-19 pandemic. To get started, visit https://www.findhelp.org/.