COVID-19 Updates and Information

Campus-wide alerts and announcements regarding COVID -19 are posted here.  Scroll down to view prior notices.  Please note that announcements on top contain the most current information and supersede any information contained in previous announcements

APRIL 16 – No-Contact Library Lending
APRIL 09 – AIMC Herbal Pharmacy is now online
MARCH 27 – Open Houses will be hosted as webinars going forward
MARCH 25 – COVID-19 Financial Aid FAQs
MARCH 22 – Graduation Ceremony Postponed
MARCH 22 – Virtual Town Hall Monday, March 30th
MARCH 20 – Suspension of In-person Classes and Clinical Training Extended
MARCH 18 – Emergency Funds for Financial Aid Students
MARCH 18 – Clinic Closure Extended
MARCH 16 – Online Course Instructions
MARCH 13 – In-person classes suspended
MARCH 10 – AIMC Clinic closed for 2 weeks

April 9, 2020: AIMC Online Pharmacy

We’re delighted to announce that our AIMC Herb Pharmacy is now online!

Because these are unprecedented times, we want to be sure that students can get the herbs they need. And now you can!

We have a selection of raw herbs in 100 gram quantities, teapills/tablets, granule formulas, and topicals available for student purchase, all without a prescription.

To get started, create or sign in to your Jane account and make sure you have a valid credit card on file for payments to be processed. Then, sign the safety waiver on our Herbal Pharmacy page to set up your account. Once that’s completed and processed, you’ll receive a password to access the online ordering page and forms.
Access Jane Waiver

March 27, 2020: Open Houses Moved to Webinars

All open houses will be held as webinars going forward. Please join us for our next open house, Acupuncture as a Profession, on April 13, 2020, fro 6:00 – 7:30 pm.

March 25, 2020: COVID-19 Financial Aid FAQs

Students receiving Federal Financial Aid may have questions about how repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic affect their student loans. Here is a helpful link to common FAQs for students, parents, and borrowers. The page will be updated regularly, so you may want to bookmark it for easy reference in the coming weeks and months.

FAQs

March 23, 2020: Graduation Ceremony Postponed

Dear Recent and Soon-to-be Graduates,

I’m sure many of you have been wondering about the upcoming graduation ceremony in light of the current circumstances. Given the uncertainty of government restrictions, health concerns, and the delay some students will encounter in completing clinic requirements, the college decided last Friday to postpone the graduation ceremony until a later date. A new date has not been decided, but we anticipate it will be no earlier than October of this year.

I understand that this news may be disappointing, and I thank you for your patience as we work to decide on a new ceremony date that will take all things into consideration. Any purchased guest tickets will be reserved for the future ceremony.

The school will be in touch as soon as a new date is decided. Meanwhile, please do not worry about registering by April 1st as originally indicated. We will be asking grads to register again as the new ceremony date draws near.

March 22, 2020: Virtual Town Hall March 30th 12 – 1:30pm.

Please join President Tanaka, AIMC Administration, and the AIMC Student Council for this very important campus-wide meeting. Changes to the curriculum and clinic in the wake of COVID -19 restrictions and guidelines will be discussed.

The administration is asking students, faculty, and staff with specific concerns and inquiries to submit their questions in advance of the meeting by clicking the button below. This will help steer the focus of the meeting and ensure the most crucial issues are addressed. Questions related to employment, including work-study, should be sent directly to President Tanaka, who will work with the individuals, the DOE and EDD to mitigate any concerns or issues.

Specific login instructions for the Town Hall will be emailed out and posted on the AIMC website closer to the meeting date, but meanwhile please submit any questions you would like addressed at the meeting by clicking below. Questions will be accepted until 9am Thursday, March 26th.
TOWN HALL QUESTIONS

March 20, 2020: Suspension of In-person Classes and Clinical Training Extended until mid August

Dear AIMC Community,

Today the AIMC Board of Directors unanimously decided to extend the suspension of “in-person” classes, as well as clinical internship training until the end of the Summer Term (Saturday, August 15th). This decision was based on current and projected risks, and the college’s strong commitment to protecting the safety and health of its students, faculty, staff, and patients

Given these challenging circumstances, the administrative team is working hard to provide students with alternative options that will support educational goals and mitigate the effects these changes will have on student completion road maps and timelines. Alternative options include:

• Additional online class offerings, which will allow students to expedite the completion of didactic requirements
• Individualized support plans for those students who need to complete only clinical training before graduation

The administrative team is also actively exploring alternatives to traditional clinic training which fall in line with ACAOM and CAB regulations. We appreciate your patience as we wait to receive guidance from these regulatory and accrediting bodies, who are also navigating unchartered territory.

We know you have many questions and thoughts about the current situation. Please join us for a virtual Town Hall on March 30th to obtain information, to share ideas, and to come together as a community. A separate announcement will go out with additional information about the Town Hall. We look forward to connecting with you all.

Sincerely,
Yasuo Tanaka, President & CEO

March 18, 2020: Emergency Funds for Financial Aid Students

AIMC Berkeley recognizes that many students are facing unexpected economic challenges as a result of COVID-19 . In response, the college is adopting an Emergency Student Loan Plan which is available to eligible current and future AIMC students on financial aid. The conditions of this emergency loan plan are as follows:

What is the Emergency Loan Plan:
An increase in the limit of Grad Plus Loans, up to an additional $5000 per term.
Limits for Unsubsidized Loans remain the same ($10,250).

Who is eligible:
Full-time Students enrolled in 12 units or more are eligible for an additional $5000 per term
Part-Time Students enrolled in 6-11 units are eligible for an additional $2500 per term

Which terms does this apply to:
Summer 2020
Fall 2020

When do I need to apply:
Students in need of emergency funds need to apply on or before May 10, 2020

How do I apply?
Contact Financial Aid Director, Victoria Labrador at faofficer@aimc.edu to apply, or if you have questions

March 18, 2020: Clinic Closure Extended

We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and managing the many challenges that continue to develop in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  With the county-wide shelter in place, the 2 week clinic closure has been extended.  The earliest the clinic will open is now April 7th.  Of course, this date is subject to modification in response to any revised guidelines, and upon assessment by the college to ensure the safety of all AIMC community members.  We will be in contact with any updates as they occur.

Didactic classes are now online and all students should have received emails with instructions on how to log in and attend live-streaming courses.

All campus-wide notices and announcements related to COVID-19 are posted on the AIMC website. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to the appropriate staff member.  Although the campus is closed, all administrative personnel are still working and available via email.

Be safe, be healthy, and be well.

March 16, 2020: Login Instructions for Distance Learning

Your didactic courses are set up in Neolms, our online learning platform.

To log into the system, please follow these steps:

• Go to aimc.neolms.com
• Click on “admin login”
• User ID (all lowercase) = first name initial + last name (for those whose last name has less than 4 letters, use full first name + last name)
• PW = same as User ID.
• Those who have used Neolms before can use their “old” credentials to log in.

It’s best to change the password when you log in for the first time. Please don’t hesitate to contact Thomas (academicdirector@aimc.edu) if you have difficulties logging in or if you are not registered in Neolms for all your courses

ZOOM teleconferences will be your virtual live classrooms for the coming weeks. Classes will be held at their regular hours, except if you get other instructions from your teacher. Instructions on how to access your ZOOM sessions are posted on Neolms under each course. Courses can be accessed via computers, tablets, or smart phones. For ZOOM sessions you will need:

• Internet access
• An electronic device with speakers, and microphone. A camera is recommended but optional.

Hands-on courses: Make-ups will be organized for the hands-on aspects of courses.  Details are still being discussed. Stay tuned.

March 13, 2020: In-person classes suspended starting Monday, March 16th

Dear AIMC Community,

Thank you for your words of support and sound advice during these challenging times. Given the significance and scale of the COVID-19 situation, all in-person classes will close beginning Monday, March 16 until further notice.  We made this decision after lengthy consideration which included guidance from our accreditor, ACAOM, and the US Department of Education.

During this closure, your education will be maintained and supported through distance learning. We have been working on preparing the online platform, and instructions and procedures will be announced once the platform is ready.  Special arrangements will be made for courses which need hands-on training.

During this closure, all extracurricular activities and programs will be suspended including CEUs.

Please know that this is a proactive decision: there are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our school community. We are closing our school to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, patients, and staff. It is important that students stay home and minimize social contact as much as possible to keep family members safe.

Distance Learning Plan

As we temporarily transition to distance learning, our goal is to provide our students with the best teaching and learning experience possible while helping them to feel connected to the school and others. Early next week, students will receive more information about our distance learning plan with detailed instructions regarding how to join online classes. The schedule for implementation is below:

Monday, March 16

• Both the school and clinic are closed to students until further notice
• Distance learning plan shared

Tuesday March 17

• Roll-out of on-line classes
• Courses will run live at their schedule days and times
• If you do not have a device (e.g. computer, tablet, or phone) for your use and internet access, please advise us.

Student Support

We are currently exploring additional ways that we can support our students during this time.
We want to be clear that while our campus is closed to students, the administration will still be working to make this transition as smooth as possible.

We will continue to send updates via email and AIMC’s website, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at aimcclosure@aimc.edu.

During this difficult time, we encourage everyone to keep things in perspective.  Although challenging, these inconveniences pale in comparison to those of individuals undergoing true hardship.  We all will need to make significant modifications to our normal routines, and will not be able to do everything in the manner in which we are accustomed. However, flexibility can help make the best of a less-than-ideal situation. These circumstances can also be viewed as unique opportunities for growth and learning.

Sincerely,

Yasuo Tanaka
President & CEO

March 10, 2020: AIMC Clinic closed for 2 weeks

Dear AIMC Community,

Today the executive administration met to assess the situation regarding COVID-19/coronavirus including the current and future impact it may have on the safety and functioning of the college, the clinic, and the community.  After reviewing guidelines recommended by the CDC, the Department of Education, and local/state governments, it was agreed that the best course of action was to proceed with an overabundance of caution. As a result, the following was decided…

ATTENDANCE
As previously stressed, students,  staff, and faculty who are experiencing any cold/flu symptoms should remain at home and not come to campus. Students who elect to stay home due to illness will not be required to officially excuse their absence or submit medical documentation.  Until further notice, all absences will be considered “excused” with no limit to the number of absences.  However, students will still be required to make arrangements with their instructor to make up any work missed.

DIDACTIC COURSES
At this time, all didactic classes will be meeting as planned.  However, instructors are working on preparing online versions of their courses which would allow students to attend class remotely.  If the need arises, online/remote courses will be implemented.

In addition to frequent hand-washing, students and instructors are also encouraged to sanitize and wipe down desks, tables, and other shared items in class.  We have provided disinfectant spray and paper towels in all classrooms for this purpose.

CLINIC & OFF-SITE INTERNSHIPS
Effective this Thursday, March 12th, the AIMC clinic will be closed for 2 weeks.
The closure is a concerted effort to reduce risk to our students, staff, faculty, and patients.  Allowing the clinic to remain open exposes everyone, especially our student interns, to potentially harmful contagions. This decision was not made lightly and will be carefully reassessed on March 26th after the initial two week period. AIMC is also discontinuing our services to all internship sites (including off-site internships) for the same 2 week period for varying reasons, but mostly to protect those that we serve – cancer patients, low income, the pregnant, and homeless – the most vulnerable.

The college recognizes that this understandably may generate concerns about program and graduation requirements.  Please know that the administration will take the necessary steps to ensure that additional clinic shifts will be made available, including during spring break, for students to fulfill clinic requirements. Students will also not be held to the standard clinic deadlines, and extensions will be made as needed.

As you know, there is a great deal of uncertainty about COVID-19 and so it is difficult to predict what the next two weeks will bring.  We thank you for your cooperation, patience, and understanding as we continue to make the necessary adjustments to protect the well-being of our students, staff, faculty, and patients.