Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

Update 3.16.20, 3:15 PM:

As the state of California battles to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, public health officials have issued a "shelter in place" order that includes all of Alameda County, including Mills College. We are taking the following steps to implement this order:

1. As of 12:01 am on March 17, 2020, the Mills College campus will be closed except to residents, their essential guests, and campus-essential personnel. Residents of the campus will receive a separate communication about the impact of the order.
2. If your position requires that you work on campus, your supervisor will notify you today. Everyone else will work from home, if possible. Mills will fulfill its payroll without changes for exempt and non-exempt employees through the expected duration of the shelter in place order, April 7. Practices explained in earlier emails remain in effect, and Employee Services will soon send useful information, including how to process timesheets virtually, to staff and supervisors.
3. Online synchronous classes will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) as planned. ITS and the Provost’s Office will continue to provide technical and academic support for online instruction. ITS is resolving outstanding requests for tech help as quickly as possible.

We will continue to provide regular updates to keep everyone informed as this situation evolves.

Update 3.12.20, 5:00 PM:

In our ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of our students and community members from the coronavirus, we need to follow a new course of action in response to the California Department of Public Health guidelines. With input from our faculty, students, administrators, and staff, we have determined that we will transition to online delivery of all classes for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester.

Mills College remains open, but all classes will be canceled on Friday, March 13, and Monday, March 16, to enable the College to move to online classes as expeditiously as possible.

Beginning Tuesday, March 17, ALL courses at Mills will be offered online for the remainder of the spring semester. This includes all lab, studio, and Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation (APER) activities. Faculty will offer virtual office hours (and may also offer in-person hours, if possible). Mills will also offer support services to assist students with this transition.

Students, faculty, and staff who live on campus will continue to do so at this time, if they desire. Meals will be served at the Tea Shop, but hours may be subject to change. Please check the MillsGo app, the News Forums, and signage at dining locations for the latest hours. Low-risk, small events (following CDC guidelines) will continue to be held.

We recognize that this is a challenging time for our community. We encourage students to contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 510.430.2111 or Spiritual and Religious Life at 510.430.3123 for help navigating these changes.

Update 3.11.20, 4:00 PM:

In line with other local institutions of higher education and following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we are now taking the following preventative actions:

• Courses with 30 or more students will shift to online delivery starting March 11 through the end of spring break on March 29. Most small classes, including labs, will continue to meet in person. We will reassess at the end of spring break.
• The Provost’s Office will reach out to faculty teaching these classes to provide support for online instruction during the next two weeks. If there are exams scheduled in these classes, they should take place as scheduled using take-home exams or by arranging to schedule students in multiple classrooms.
• The College is currently canceling medium- or high-risk events for the month of March. We will assess April and May events as updates become available. We identify risk based on event size (50 or more individuals), the ability to limit physical interaction, and if attendees from outside the Mills community are included.
• Low-risk, small events (following CDC guidelines) will continue.
• Employees are being given the option to work remotely, when possible, to reduce their health risk, in collaboration with their supervisor. Visit our telecommuting resources page for more information.
• Mills-funded travel is canceled for the month of March, and updates regarding travel will be provided in the coming weeks. Many airlines are allowing travelers to rebook travel without penalties, you will find updates regarding cancellations and bookings on their websites.

Update 3.6.20, 4:30 PM:

Mills College remains open as we monitor city, state, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports on the status of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in our area. Northern California now has a number of confirmed cases, but as of this writing, no one on the Mills campus has been diagnosed with COVID-19 to our knowledge. While this virus has been reported as mild for many people, preparation is important.

In addition to the precautionary steps we have already taken to increase campus housekeeping, add additional sanitizing stations, and post health education signage across the College, our Incident Response Team initiated planning in the event of any potential disruption to academic or administrative services. Campus leadership is assessing what measures would need to be taken if the virus were to interrupt operations, including:

• Remote learning solutions are being evaluated utilizing existing and additional tools such as Blackboard and virtual conferencing tools.

• Remote working solutions are being assessed utilizing existing and additional tools such as the Mills VPN and virtual conferencing tools.

Students, faculty, staff, or visitors who exhibit the symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, and shortness of breath) should not come to the Mills campus. In addition, if someone in your household or someone you have come in contact with is diagnosed with COVID-19, please contact the Alameda County Public Health Department and notify them of your contact. You may have to be isolated for the required number of days, and you will need to be medically cleared before returning to campus. Students will not be penalized for missing class for this reason, and faculty/staff can work with Human Resources on their unique circumstances.

Update 3.3.20, 9:21 AM:

Mills College is open and monitoring city, state, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports on the status of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in our area. We will provide updates to the campus community as they become available.

Mills has taken the following steps to protect the campus community:

• We activated our Incident Response Team as part of our emergency preparedness process. This team will monitor updates, prepare communications, evaluate resources and policies, and provide educational material regarding general influenza protocols.
• Housekeeping has increased its cleaning schedule, including additional daily cleaning with disinfectants in high-traffic areas.
• We are installing more hand sanitizers in high-traffic areas on campus. Quarantine areas will be available in select residence halls if needed.
• We will monitor the study abroad trips, based on their location, to see if they can proceed or will need to be canceled.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the most reliable and up-to-date information on the coronavirus. Here are additional state and local resources:

• State of California: Official COVID-19 Information Site
  • Shelter in Place Information (en Español)
  • Executive Order N-33-20 (PDF)
• California Public Health Department: Fact Page
• Alameda County Public Health: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the coronavirus is a respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in China in 2019. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”).

All Mills community members should remember to follow the guidelines provided by the CDC to reduce the risk of infection:

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water and rub for at least 20 seconds;
• Utilize hand-sanitizing stations or hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol when soap and water are not available;
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or the inside of your elbow (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing;
• Refrain from touching your eyes, nose, and mouth;
• Maintain approximately 6 feet of distance between yourself and other people whenever possible;
• Stay home when you are sick;
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

Patients with COVID-19 have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness. Symptoms can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. Seek medical attention if you experience these symptoms.

Students who are experiencing flu-like symptoms should contact or visit the Vera Whole Health Center located in CPM 117 (510.671.3985), or call your primary care provider. If you have recently traveled to or been in contact with someone from an infected area, please let the medical provider know so they can determine if an assessment or treatment is needed.

If you are ill, do not attempt to drive yourself to seek medical care; instead call the on-duty staff about support to get you transported via Mills College Public Safety. If this is a life-threatening emergency, please call Oakland Emergency Medical Services (911) or Mills Public Safety at 510.430.5555.

Per the Centers for Disease Control, social distancing means remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible. The goal of social distancing at this time is to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus and stop the spread of the disease to protect the public health. 

No, the Grand Princess cruise ship disembarked under strict security miles away from the Mills College campus. NO passengers from the ship were quarantined in Oakland or released into the general public.