SLC: 20-25 per cent of student body may be on campus for fall 2020

St. Lawrence College (SLC) announced that planning for the 2020 fall term has begun and revealed some of those plans on Thursday, May 14, 2020.

According to a press release from SLC, preliminary plans include offering “a mix of alternate delivery and in-person classes, with priority for on-campus delivery going to health sciences programs and programs involving applied components like labs and other hands-on simulations.”

The College said that individual program delivery methods are still being confirmed, and that SLC is deciding what will be delivered based on “input from sector and community partners, as well as local and provincial workforce and economic needs.”

SLC President and CEO Glenn Vollebregt explained that making this decision now helps to ensure the academic, support, and operating teams at the college have an appropriate amount of time to prepare and plan.

“These plans remain fluid and we will be flexible and adapt where needed to best support our students and the teams involved with program delivery,” Vollebregt said in a statement.

According to Vollebregt, early planning indicates that 20 to 25 per cent of the student body may be on campus.

“We are committed to delivering students an educational experience that equips them to succeed while continuing to prioritize the health and well-being of our communities,” he said.

At the same time, SLC is laying out the return-to-work plan for its employees, as well as programming considerations. Those measures are expected to be communicated in the coming weeks and will be based on physical space and distancing requirements, as well as general operational needs, such as what is needed to support a partially open campus, and how many people can safely work in shared spaces. 

“SLC will ensure proper physical distancing on our campuses can be observed, and we will continue to follow public health protocols in how our buildings are opened,” Vollebregt said. “Our number one priority is our students’ safety and providing a learning experience that equips them to succeed. I thank everyone involved in arriving at these decisions; our work isn’t done yet, and we remain committed to arriving at the best solutions for our students, faculty, staff, and communities.”