MAINE, USA — With the school year right around the corner, Maine's community colleges announce a plan for the fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each of the seven community colleges will have its own fall plan, the president of all the colleges announced a few things that will be consistent at all the schools.
At all the colleges, there will be a hybrid of in-person and online classes and many employees will continue to work remotely. The courses that need to be completed in person due to hands-on learning will be, but there may also be online aspects to those courses. Courses that can be online, will be, according to a press release.
The residence halls at the five schools that have them will be open, but with fewer students. There will be a one-person per bedroom limit and priority will be given to students taking in-person classes.
Fall and winter sports will be suspended until at least January 2021.
Some of the college-specific guidelines are still being finalized.
“These measures allow us the most effective path for delivering and completing education and training our students desperately need in this economy, while upholding our commitment to protecting the health and safety of our students, employees, and the broader community,” said Maine Community College System (MCCS) President David Daigler.
“Our plans need to account for the fact that roughly 95 percent of our students commute between campus and their communities, many with jobs and families. We have taken prudent steps to minimize the threat of transmission of this highly communicable virus while affirming our commitment to delivering the skills our students need to compete in today’s economy,” Maine Community College System (MCCS) President David Daigler said in a press release.
“Our deepest commitment is to providing opportunities and skills to Maine people. This pandemic has made it clear that Maine’s community colleges are needed now more than ever,” Daigler added. “We have the programs, the faculty, the support system, and the low tuition and fees that put a great education in the hands of any Mainer who wants it.”
MCCS serves more than 27,000 people each year through degree programs, customized training, and credit and non-credit offerings. Its workforce numbers roughly 1,600.
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