(Photo | Courtesy of Central Oregon Community College)
Central Oregon Community College (COCC) today announced an update to its Fall Term reopening plans. After careful consideration of ongoing Central Oregon health trends, and with utmost concern for the health and safety of its students, faculty and staff, the College made several amendments to the Board-approved plans that were originally shared back in July. At the time, COCC noted that those plans were subject to change as the coronavirus pandemic continued to unfold.
Over the summer, COCC implemented a robust set of safety measures, including mandatory face coverings, enhanced cleaning protocols, physically distanced classroom setups, hand sanitizing stations and more. COCC’s Summer term classes were offered predominantly in remote and/or online formats, with the exception of some Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses (Automotive, Aviation, Manufacturing, Nursing/Nursing Assistant and CPR/First Aid). Housing and facilities were closed, with the exception of drop-in computer labs and curbside pickup at the Barber Library and the Bookstore. Student services, including advising, financial aid, tutoring and more were all offered remotely.
With today’s updates to the College’s reopening plans, Fall term — which begins September 21 — will now more closely resemble COCC’s Summer Term. The College will shift its planned in-person course offerings for Fall Term, with 75-80 percent of classes now to be offered remotely or online. The exception will be some CTE classes, labs and practicums that require hands-on learning that cannot be taught effectively in a distance format. The CTE in-person course offerings will expand from Summer Term to include Apprenticeship, Culinary Arts, Dental Assisting, Fire Science, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Outdoor Leadership, Paramedicine, Pharmacy Technician and Veterinary Technician. Select internships, forestry field classes, practicums and science labs will also be held in-person.
Mazama Gym and Fitness Center will be closed, along with dining services, and both the Barber Library and the Bookstore will be physically closed while continuing to offer curbside pickup. Drop-in computer labs will remain open for students on each of the four COCC campuses. Wickiup Residence Hall will be closed, and there will be no students housed on campus for Fall Term. The College’s Housing office is offering resident students the option to defer their confirmed spot in Wickiup Hall until Winter 2021, or receive a refund. Housing staff are also available to help resident students find local housing.
All other details of COCC’s Fall Term reopening plans will remain the same, unless the State directs the College to alter its plans. COCC will continue to work closely with local public health authorities, and will revisit a broader reopening plan for Winter 2021 Term.
Over the coming days, the College will update both its Fall Class Schedule and COVID-19 health and safety website to reflect these changes. Students, employees and the community at large are encouraged to visit the website for the latest information, and email any questions to covid19info@cocc.edu.
