Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQ’s

Students can purchase books online at https://bookstore.lakeareatech.edu/. Follow the directions on the site for each program.

The Stax bookstore is also open for students who are on campus and wish to purchase their books in person. Social distancing will be adhered to while in the bookstore. At this time, tools and laptop purchases/down payments have to be made in the bookstore. An online payment option is in the works.

Lake Area Tech staff has worked diligently to clean and disinfect our campus buildings. Students and faculty will notice hand sanitizer, plexiglass shields, and signage throughout campus and CDC guidelines will be followed.

Everyone will be screened daily upon entrance at various locations across campus. Screenings include taking your temperature and asking questions regarding symptoms.

Students will be advised to wear a mask when social distancing cannot be achieved, especially in common areas. All students will be issued a branded, fashionable cloth mask/facial covering, at no charge. Students are responsible for the daily cleaning and maintaining of their mask. Masks will be available in Stax bookstore for purchase if a second mask is desired or if lost. Once students are physically in their program, program protocols will be followed.

 All students will belong to a “bubble,”a safe zone within their program established to maintain the safety of everyone within it. It is everyone’s personal responsibility to follow the safety protocols established in the bubbles for the safety of all of our staff and students, especially those at high risk.

Yes. Potential student tours and other visitors to campus will be supported by appointment, but with adherence to CDC guidelines and minimal exposure to on-campus personnel.  Tour sizes will be limited, and specific guidance will be provided.

The Lake Area Technical College Market 65 will be open with modifications that will be in place prior to the beginning of the fall semester. The online app can be used for grab and go breakfasts or lunches.  Go to https://www.toasttab.com/market-65-lake-area-technical-College to place your order.

Yes! We’ll offer our students options for fun and entertaining activities throughout the school year. Some activities that we normally offer, like dances, will not take place due to the current situation, however students can still expect plenty of opportunities for fun.

At this point the VA School Certifying Officials have been directed not to change any certifications with the VA.  There are some upcoming webinars in the next week that will provide more guidance. As we have more information, Julie Forman, VA School Certifying Official will share that information with the students receiving VA Education Benefits.

An e-mail was sent on March 24^th to all Work Study students who have been actively working during Spring Semester. Work Study Supervisors were also sent an e-mail explaining the changes due to COVID-19.

The Department of Education is allowing schools to continue to pay students even though they may not be allowed to return to campus. Since students are not allowed to be on campus, those that were working will continue to be paid. Earnings will be based on either scheduled hours or average hours. We will look at each student individually.

If your Work Study Supervisor is able to utilize you by having you work remotely for them, we encourage them to do so! For example, if a student could assist with some computer programming or assist with producing videos for course instruction, etc. and can do so remotely, you could continue to work if your Supervisor wants to utilize you.

If you have questions about the upcoming Work Study pay periods, please contact Marlene Seeklander, Director of Financial Aid.

Even though we aren’t able to meet with you individually and provide the hands-on assistance that we are accustomed to providing, we’re still here to help you! You can complete the 20-21 FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov. Make sure you select the 2020-2021 FAFSA and have your FSA ID and password available. We encourage you to complete it by our April 1^st priority date.

You can still call us at 800-657-4344 or 605-882-5284 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday-Friday). If you’re working on it at night or on the weekend and don’t want to wait to call us when we’re in the office, you can always call 1-800-4-FED-AID (800-433-3243) and they can assist you.

You can go to the fsaid.ed.gov web site and select “Manage my Password.” If you don’t remember your FSA ID, click on “Forgot My Username” and if you forgot your password, click on “Forgot My Password.” If you are still having technical difficulties with your password, check out the Frequently Asked Questions via this link:  https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/pub/faq.htm or call 1-800-433-3243.

You can call or e-mail our office like usual! We’re here to help you!

Our general e-mail is FINANCIALAID@lakeareatech.edu and is monitored by a Financial Aid staff member.

Please call us at 1-800-657-4344 or 605-882-5284. Individual extensions are listed below:

Carrie Jordanger                     Ext. 254

Julie Forman                           Ext. 301

Lisa McPeek                           Ext. 274

Marlene Seeklander                Ext. 255

Tuition payments are to be completed online on MyPortal. Select the Student tab, then the My Finances tab. If you have any questions, please email susan.gaulrapp@lakeareatech.edu.

The Lake Area Technical College IT Department has developed a comprehensive FAQ page addressing laptop and internet support questions:  https://www.lakeareatech.edu/laptop-info-covid-19/

An Emergency Loan Fund has been established for Lake Area Technical College students who are in need of financial help. For more information please contact Lake Area Technical College Director of Enrollment Eric Schultz either by phone: 1-800-657-4344 ext. 228 or by email: eric.schultz@lakeareatech.edu.

Local food pantries and food distribution programs:

The Salvation Army, located at 621 4th Street SE in Watertown, has a food pantry available the following days and times: Mondays 1-3 PM & Wednesdays and Fridays 9-11:30 AM. If you are a vulnerable/at-risk population, the Salvation Army will do home deliveries after an over-the-phone appointment has been completed. Contact Shannon at the Salvation Army to receive that assistance:  605-886-4030.

Free meals:

The Salvation Army sponsors a Free Lunch Program Monday-Friday 11:30-12:30. All lunches are grab-and-go and can be picked up during that hour at the Salvation Army, located at 621 4th Street SE in Watertown.

Access Ministry, 25 West Kemp Ave., provides sack lunches at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The Banquet is served at Grace Lutheran Church, 202 2^nd Street SE, on Mondays 5:30-6:30 PM. Currently, they are serving grab-and-go meals.

As CDC and health department guidelines change, these services and their hours may change. We will try to keep this page up to date; however, changes can happen quickly.

Your mental health is very important to us. We know this is a stressful time, so we will continue to provide mental health services in person or by video-conferencing. We can help with everything from how to deal with social isolation to financial burdens, and anything in between.  Call or text Jessi Whetsel at 605.237.8425 or email her at jessi.whetsel@lakeareatech.edu to set up a time.

Need help immediately with thoughts of suicide? Call 1-800-273-8255 or text 741741.

Here are some great Apps to put on your phone to help your stress: Virtual Hope Box, Breathe, Mindshift, and Moodpath

Yes! Free tutoring services are available to all students. Contact Lori Kwasniewski, Educational Services Coordinator, at lori.kwasniewski@lakeareatech.edu or call 605-882-5284 ext. 399 for more information.

Students can purchase books online at https://bookstore.lakeareatech.edu/. Follow the directions on the site for each program.

The Stax bookstore is also open for students who are on campus and wish to purchase their books in person. Social distancing will be adhered to while in the bookstore. At this time, tools and laptop purchases/down payments have to be made in the bookstore. An online payment option is in the works.

We have automatically extended everyone’s due dates through the end of the semester. For now, just hold on to your items. The library will reopen when campus reopens.

Absolutely! You can contact a librarian with your research and citation questions through email or by phone 605-882-5284, ext. 234 (leave a message and we’ll call you back).  You can also set up an appointment to meet with a librarian in a live, online session. Email Nicki to set up a virtual appointment.

The library’s electronic resources are always open!

Click here for a list of library databases: https://www.lakeareatech.edu/library/all-databases-a-z/

Email the library to request the passwords needed for off-campus access to these resources.

No. Currently, the library has suspended all proctoring services. Check back for updates.

Yes. The library has two main ebook collections:

1. LATC’s Overdrive collection has hundreds of downloadable fiction and nonfiction ebooks and audiobook. Click here for instructions to download Overdrive’s Libby app to your phone or tablet.
2. EBSCO Ebooks provides access to more than 200,000 nonfiction, informational ebooks. Email the library for off-campus passwords.

How do I… https://my.lakeareatech.edu/ICS/How_do_I.jnz    **(Please note you must be logged in to myportal see this page)

Getting started with Jenzabar’s elearning (MyPortal) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA5vS36Bxos&feature=youtu.be&list=PLmGCxvYB8qWPH55G0WMfHD-H8vBKHgP2F

View your grades: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=vi134k6KH10&feature=emb_logo

Complete a Course Forum Assignment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcVH5YqEPBQ&feature=youtu.be

How to Complete a File Upload Assignment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc0P4ieHD1M&feature=youtu.be

How to Take a Test:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTEnWC5J19I&feature=youtu.be

Log in to Lake Area Technical College Email: https://panopto.lakeareatech.edu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=2b2a8828-c226-43f6-b561-7d4070282a66&start=undefined

Take a look at these links! The top link doesn’t require a sewing machine.

• Surgeon General Demonstrates on YouTube
• KELO-Land Living DIY Mask Pattern
• Olson Pattern Mask (This is the pattern requested by local healthcare  providers)

Dual Credit updated registration procedures

March 27, 2020: Here is the latest dual credit information from our Retention and Dual Credit Coordinator directed to school counselors in regard to high school students and dual credit classes:

• Our $25 application fee for LATC programs has been waived until June 1^st. No fee for dual credit.  Our admissions team is also waiving the testing requirement for LATC acceptance and will use other methods to determine acceptance.
• LATC is not giving the Accuplacer on campus or remotely at this time. We are working on a plan to improve our testing capacity when testing resumes since the ACT and Smarter Balance test scores may not be available.  Tina Cloutier will no longer be the test coordinator after next week.  If you have questions, hopefully I can answer them by the time testing is up and running again.

LATC technical courses- Any course NOT marked with a T (ENGL101T, PSYC101T, SPCM101T, etc.) will continue to be registered based on a school officials recommendation that the student is academically prepared, mature and motivated to take college level courses (especially true of online).

BOR transferable courses marked with a T.  I will follow the guidance of the BOR if there are any changes but for now I will register ALL STUDENTS that I receive an online application and approval form.  I will provisionally register those students that have not met the BOR admissions requirements such as GPA, class rank, test scores, etc. and keep track of this in an Excel document that I will provide each school and work through the best we can once things are “normal”.  If a transcript is able to be sent, and the student is now a sophomore with a 3.5 GPA or a junior with a 3.25 GPA or matching class rank, I will register them and once this semester is over, just get an updated transcript to verify.  This will help register students for any class except ENGL101T or MATH114T which will need placement test scores.

Updated registration process– Transcripts and signatures may be difficult since you will not be in physical contact with your students.

LATC’s Dual Credit page: https://www.lakeareatech.edu/academics/dual-credit/

1. Student will fill out the online dual credit registration   https://my.lakeareatech.edu/ICS/Admissions/LATC_Dual_Credit_Application/
2. Student and parent will fill out the approval form with the requested course and section https://www.lakeareatech.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20-21Dual-Enrollment-Approval-Form-fillable.pdf
3. Available Fall 2020 course list https://www.lakeareatech.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2020-FL-dual-credit-courses-to-website-2-28-2020.pdf. Summer courses are on our website.
4. Student may scan or take a picture of the approval from and email to the high school official.
5. High school official approves or denies the student request for the requested course and section.
6. If approved, the high school official forwards the emailed approval form to me (no signature needed). Any changes to the requested course can be made in the body of the email.
7. I will register the student and keep track of any provisional courses and provide that list to you on a regular basis.

Lee Quale, Retention and Dual Credit Coordinator

 (605) 882-5284 Ext. 220 (I am still on campus working or it will go to my cell phone if I am off campus)

(800) 657-4344        Fax (605) 882-6299

Volunteer Helpline 211

The link for volunteers (individuals)- Click Here for Volunteer Opportunities
https://youtu.be/4vA7hDuVdmQ

The link for business and organizations offering services and assistance- www.watertownsd211.com
https://youtu.be/ltbBvSQG-oA

Campus Support Reference: 

• Online Student Success | Darren Shelton
  605-882-5284 ext 230
  605-880-0172 (cell)
  Sheltond@lakeareatech.edu
• IT Support/Service Desk
  605-882-5284 ext 280
  Service.desk@lakeareatech.edu
• Student Portal | Don Armstrong
  605-882-5284 ext 275
  Don.armstrong@lakeareatech.edu
• Jobs/Workstudy | Julie Mollenhoff605-882-5284 ext 256 Mollenhj@lakeareatech.edu
  www.sdjobs.org
• Campus Accounts/Tuition | Susan Gaulrapp
  605-882-5284 ext 298
  Susan.gaulrapp@lakeareatech.edu
• Financial Aid
  605-882-5284 274, ext 301, ext 254, or ext 255
  financialaid@lakeareatech.edu
• Student Services & Counseling/Tutoring
  – Stephanie Danielsen
  605-882-5284 ext 337
  Stephanie.danielsen@lakeareatech.edu
  – Jessi Whetsel ext 216
  Jessi.whetsel@lakeareatech.edu
• Disability Services | Lori Kwasniewski 605-882-5284 ext. 399 lori.kwasniewski@lakeareatech.edu
• Registration/Class Schedule | Nichole Anderson
  605-882-5284 ext 249
  registration@lakeareatech.edu
• Stax Bookstore | Jenna Kannas
  605-882-5284 ext 269
  jenna.kannas@lakeareatech.edu
• Diversity/Student Success | Kristina Pearson
  605-882-5284 ext 244 Kristina.pearson@lakeareatech.edu
• Library | Nicki Yackley-Franken
  605-882-5284 ext 234
  frankenn@lakeareatech.edu

Check into re employment assistance to see if you are eligible:

• raclaims.sd.gov
• Reemployment Assistance (RA) provides temporary financial assistance for people who have lost their job until they find other employment. South Dakota’s reemployment assistance program is financed by employers through payroll taxes; workers do not contribute to this plan.

See all South Dakota job openings at:

• sdjobs.org  

Looking to talk with Lake Area Technical College representative?

• Email: julie.mollenhoff@state.sd.us

You can apply for re-employment assistance, even if you were only working part-time. You may or may not be eligible for assistance, but it is worth applying for. You can do this at https://dlr.sd.gov/ra/default.aspx and select Reemployment Assistance for Individuals. You can file a claim online or by telephone.

See all South Dakota job openings at:

• sdjobs.org  

Looking to talk with Lake Area Technical College representative?

• Email: julie.mollenhoff@state.sd.us