The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Fall semester keeps social distance at forefront
The most recent graduating class for Lake Erie College has done so under unanticipated changes and challenges in the wake of the novel coronavirus and subsequent social distancing strategies, like remote learning.
While certain restrictions for various public organizations are being lifted or lightened, LEC President Brian Posler emphasized the importance of continually examining and modifying their approach ahead of students arriving or returning this fall.
One major alteration LEC employed is moving the academic calendar ahead to occur earlier in the year. It will start its fall semester Aug. 17 and will complete it before Thanksgiving.
The move was done so the holiday season would no longer spill into the semester. By avoiding this, the campus hopes to cut down the amount of travel and exposure students would experience, thereby limited potential spread of COVID-19.
“By doing this we can eliminate two of the big travel windows. We’ll be able to eliminate the fall break and the Thanksgiving break,” Posler said. “By altering the calendar we’re going
to try and help them minimize the odds of students being off campus in significant numbers all at the same time when the virus may still be out there.
“By trading off warmer weather months instead of the height of cold and flu season type of time we think it will also help us on the back end by having students be done with the semester earlier in the fall rather than in December.”
Posler also underscored their intent to make modifications relative to enhanced student safety throughout the campus.
“We’re reducing the capacity of our residential spaces,” he said. “Separate rooms will be set aside as quarantine rooms. Students that test positive or have symptoms will be able to be segregated until they can recuperate and go home. With rooms set aside, we’ll be able to move quickly That comes with some economic factors to our bottom line but it’s the right thing to do in terms of safety for our students.
“We learned a lot by having to go virtual in a week’s notice last spring,”
he added. “We’re going to be better prepared for that going forward should that eventuality ever occur. If we have that big second (infection) spike in the fall we’ll be much better prepared to pivot and offer education remotely.”
One step in this advanced preparation has been the nature of course outlines. Posler said instructors are now composing their material while being mindful of the potential to have to continue remotely for a more seamless transition.
“They are much more thoughtful about designing a syllabi in a way that will allow them to meet course outlines but have the flexibility to go remote should they ever need to .”
Posler underscored the importance of staying ahead of the curve as it relates to the spread of COVID-19.
“The great unknown at this time is just how readily frequent testing will be available and affordable for institutions like ours,” he said. “Certainly, if we are able and those kits are available we will definitely make that part of our regiment. It’s part of our plan that we intend to do that but its subject to availability.”
Congregate areas throughout the campus
where large numbers of students typically gather also needed to be overhauled to meet ongoing social distancing guidelines.
“With the larger group coming back this fall we’ve made some modifications,” Posler said of the campus’s dining hall. “We’re going to increase the safety by not having communal, shared spaces like salad bars. We’ll have more staff and more space.
“We’re also reducing the seating capacity of our main dining hall so we can spread students out.”
Before this fall semester begins the campus will be conducting graduation ceremonies that were forced to be originally postponed. The rescheduled graduation ceremony will take place Aug 1, but will see a much more limited crowd.
“A team has been working really hard to iron out all the plans and logistics” Posler said. “We’ve moved it outdoors, which will increase safety for students and family. We’re going to make it a very brief ceremony. It will take place on the back porch of College Hall. We’ll line up students in a socially distant appropriate manner and they’ll be able to come up and get their diplomas; an important component for all students.”