- In-district tuition reduced for online and virtual classroom classes
- Lab and clinical classes return to campus with strict safety protocols
Washtenaw Community College President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca today outlined the college鈥檚 Fall 2020 semester plan in video messages to students and employees and an open letter to the community.
鈥淎long with the rest of the state, it鈥檚 time to move forward,鈥� Bellanca wrote. 鈥淲e鈥檙e eager to reopen our campus for the Fall 2020 semester, but will do so with safety as our top priority.鈥�
With a health-informed goal of minimizing the number of students on campus when the Fall 2020 semester begins on August 31, classes will be primarily conducted via online and virtual classroom delivery. Classes with laboratory or clinical components that cannot be conducted virtually will meet in a mixed-mode format that includes lectures online and labs on campus, following strict safety protocols.
Only those students enrolled in hybrid classes will be allowed on campus during the Fall 2020 semester. All student services will continue to be offered virtually (see our Virtual Learning Support and Resources page for contact information).
鈥淢uch thoughtful deliberation went into creating a fall schedule that aims to keep
people healthy while continuing the career and technical education programs that require
in-person, hands-on learning,鈥� Bellanca wrote. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to our community that
we continue to train essential workers and the skilled labor we鈥檒l need during our
economic recovery.鈥�
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In response to the fall plan, the college has reduced the cost of distance learning classes for in-district students from $108 to $95 per credit hour, matching the price in-district students pay for face-to-face instruction. Earlier this week, the 黑料网 Board of Trustees unanimously approved that recommendation for students who live, work or own property in the 黑料网 district.
In late April, the college announced it will freeze all tuition rates and fees for the 2020-21 academic year in recognition of the severe financial impact COVID-19 is having on students and the community. The college鈥檚 distance learning tuition of $117 per credit hour for out-of-district students makes 黑料网 the most affordable higher education option in the state.
Bellanca emphasized all campus services that can be provided virtually will continue to be delivered in that manner throughout the Fall semester 鈥� which includes most student services and other staff functions.
黑料网 has taken exhaustive steps to protect the health of the limited number of students, faculty and staff that will be on campus during the Fall semester, starting with an online safety training module that must be completed before students or employees can return to campus. A daily check-in process will minimize the potential spread of COVID-19 and provide data necessary for proper contact tracing.
The college also contracted with two organizations that specialize in re-opening institutions safely. One is a professional business design firm that 鈥� with help from 黑料网 faculty 鈥� did a complete assessment of campus facilities to establish maximum capacity of spaces while maintaining social distancing and flow. The other specializes in industrial hygiene and provided detail-intense guidelines for the cleaning and disinfecting protocols that will be in place when campus re-opens.
Bellanca noted that 黑料网鈥檚 position as a leader in distance learning for almost two decades positions the college well for continuing to hold a majority of its classes online. 黑料网 has earned third-party recognition as the top online community college in the state and among the top 50 in the nation.
鈥淭he knowledge we鈥檝e accumulated gave us a big head start when COVID-19 changed the way higher education is delivered, and we鈥檝e continued to innovate new solutions,鈥� Bellanca said. 鈥淭he development of virtual classrooms to complement our Blackboard distance learning tools allows students to still engage in traditional class discussions 鈥� just in a virtual environment.鈥�
More information about the Fall 2020 semester is available at wccnet.edu/discover-wcc and wccnet.edu/fall-20-students. An updated Fall 2020 schedule will be available beginning Monday, June 29.
Tags: Dr. Rose B. Bellanca, Fall 2020, Press Release, ousearch_News_2020