Provost Communication Regarding Upcoming Spring Semester

Dear Campus Community,

It is hard to believe we are approaching mid-October already and that registration for the spring 2021 semester is just around the corner!  There has been some understandable concern regarding how academic instruction and operations are going to be organized for the spring semester.  The optimal arrangement would naturally be if we could return to regular in-person instruction, which is the learning experience we know both our students and our faculty are looking forward to getting back to.  However, in light of the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing health and safety precautions aimed at protecting both our students and our employees, we foresee no significant changes being implemented anytime soon. 

The current plan is for the College to maintain its current academic operations in the spring semester of offering courses through three modalities: online asynchronous instruction; real-time remote synchronous instruction; and for those courses that require it by virtue of their subject matter and necessary learning practices, in-person on-campus instruction.  We remain committed to providing a premier two-year college experience, and to our mission of serving our learners by providing high-quality, accessible educational opportunities and services.  For the time being, the best means for achieving all these ends is to continue with our current academic operations and all our efforts for ensuring the health and safety of our campus community. 

Our hope is that this will allow us to reach as swiftly as possible a point when we may confidently return to a more traditional instructional/learning platform. Your understanding, cooperation, and support in this effort are all greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Michael A. Oriolo
Provost