Clark State working on reopening plan for fall
Fall schedule will likely have a mix of face-to-face and online options.
Clark State Community College is working on a phased reopening plan to welcome back students, faculty and staff in the fall.
“The safety and security of students and employees is at the forefront of everything we do,” said Clark State Community College President Jo Alice Blondin. “I remain optimistic that Clark State students, faculty and staff will be able to meet together in the fall in some face-to-face settings, with an emphasis on the safety and well-being of everyone.”
If students are allowed to come back to campus in the fall, a lot of planning will go into it and things will look different.
“Bringing students back to campus will involve a great deal of planning, a commitment from everyone to follow safety and hygiene protocols and patience as Clark State phases in a return to full operations,” said Matt Franz, vice president of information technology and emergency management. “Clark State’s fall semester schedule, buildings and classrooms may look different, but the college’s dedication to ensuring success will remain the same.”
Although summer semester will continue in a remote format, the college’s fall schedule reflects both faceto-face and online operations.
“Classes will likely be smaller so enrolling early is important,” Franz said. “In order to protect the health of everyone on campus, we will very likely reduce the class sizes and layout. This may result in fewer people getting into a specific section, so early planning is important.”
Some of what the college is doing could include physical distancing and revised classrooms set ups, enhanced sanitation and cleaning techniques, wearing masks and frequent hand washing, and purchasing new equipment to make sanitation more efficient using hospital-grade tools and cleaning agents.
“We’re social distancing classrooms. We will have hand sanitizer outside every classroom, inside each classroom we actually have spray bottles of hand sanitizer for the teachers and students. We also have alcohol wipes we’re supplying for everybody in each classroom to wipe down tables, chairs, anything they touch,” said Ryan Green, maintenance and custodian supervisor.
Green said after classes end, crews will spray down with Protexus sprayers, which he says kill any type of germs including COVID-19.
“This is going to be the new normal. It’s not just going to be for corona. This is the future of cleaning here at Clark State,” he said. “We purchased multiple ones so every building has their own, every physical plant staff will have their own to perform their duties.”
There are no specific steps and there have not been any decisions on how to reopen, but staff will be available beginning July 6 to meet with students on campus, Franz said.
Franz said when students do return to campus, they will be asked to follow a “Return to Campus Daily Checklist” that follows current guidance regarding the “Responsible Restart of Ohio.”
“Clark State continues to focus on ensuring every student, faculty, staff and community member has a safe environment when they are on campus,” he said. “It is our goal to ensure that not only the academic and classroom experiences are safe and productive but also all of our student support services as well.”
As the college plans to reopen, they will continue to follow guidance from local and state health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
“We continue to engage every day with our colleges and universities as they develop summer and fall education plans that have the safety and health of students, faculty and staff as the top priority. We continue to work with campus leadership, the Ohio Department of Health and other to determine the guidelines and standards that will allow our campuses to be open for learning,” Chancellor Randy Gardner said last week.
Plans and details are still being developed, and the college will continue to keep the community informed, Blondin said.
“Should anything change based on direction from the Governor and the Ohio Department of Health, we will keep our community informed and comply with all laws, regulations and directives,” she said.
Registration for the summer semester will start Tuesday and fall registration begins Aug. 24.