During a special meeting tonight held via Zoom, Northern Wyoming Community College District Board of Trustees adopted a resolution to grant unusual authority to President Dr. Walter Tribley. The resolution outlines Board support for decisions made by Tribley in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and grants him additional authority moving forward.
“During this unprecedented time, we must be able to move at the pace required. By taking this action, our Board is protecting the District,” said Tribley. “Health and safety is at the center of our focus, followed closely by our mission to educate. While this situation is extremely rare, it is also important to ensure we don’t unnecessarily delay a decision while we work to gather a quorum and set up a meeting.”
After an extended spring break, classes will resume online on Monday, April 6. However, in accordance with Gov. Mark Gordon’s plea for the people of Wyoming to stay home whenever possible, all Sheridan College, Gillette College and Sheridan College in Johnson County campuses will remain closed until further notice except to limited personnel. Any face-to-face portion of classes requiring students to travel to campuses will remain on hold.
NWCCD canceled all on-campus events and activities scheduled during the spring semester. Both the Sheridan College and Gillette College spring commencement ceremonies are postponed and will be rescheduled following the fall 2020 semester.
“In the face of these extraordinarily challenging circumstances, I am so proud of our faculty and staff for rising to the challenge and working to continue providing quality instruction and support to our students,” Tribley said. “While we are disappointed that we are not welcoming students back to our campuses, this measure is absolutely necessary to protect the health and wellbeing of everyone in our communities.”
The spring semester will now conclude on May 22 to account for the extended break. Tribley emphasized that the District would continue to do everything possible to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 while remaining committed to the education of students.
