Offerings to mix online and on-campus classes to put safety first
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 4, 2020
CONCORD– NHTI – Concord’s Community College will reopen this fall with great attention to maintaining social distancing while ensuring students have access to the curriculum and hands-on learning required for each particular course. Offerings will primarily be online through a mix of classes offered at specific times and classes that can be self-paced, with the exception of hybrid classes that need access to on-site labs and other campus-based resources.
The college’s Academic Affairs Reopening Committee was tasked with developing plans that factored in technology, safety, instructor, and financial needs of how to best to offer courses in the fall. The committee included four department chairs who worked collaboratively with other departments to assess individual courses and decide how best to offer them this fall. The fall offerings will be listed in the online Student Information System (SIS).
“The decision-making process involved thoughtful and careful consideration of all factors, with the health and safety of our students being the top priority,” said Rebecca Dean, Ed.D., associate vice president of enrollment and student success. “With lab work and hands-on experiential learning serving as critical components of many classes and majors at NHTI, much thought went into ensuring that we could provide these resources safely while enabling our students to take the courses they need and stay on track to complete their degree or certificate.”
The SIS will list three designations: online (asynchronous), remote (synchronous), and hybrid. Remote and hybrid courses have meeting times and days. Students in hybrid courses receive both on-campus and online instruction and have meeting times and days and an actual room location for the in-class component. Remote courses have a designated day and time that the class meets remotely. Hybrid courses are those requiring hands-on learning experiences that are difficult to replicate virtually.
In hybrid courses this fall, several models will be used by faculty. Students may come to campus one day a week and attend lectures online the other days of the week that the class is scheduled. When on-campus instruction happens, students will be required to follow all health and safety protocols. Smaller class sizes are expected to minimize the number of students on site at one time. Faculty members will work with students to break them into smaller groups and assign times for when students can be on campus
“We have spent considerable time and energy determining which technologies will work best for online and remote learning, and there’s been great collaboration across the faculty as well,” said Dr. Dean. “Prior to the start of the semester, there will be numerous additional professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. The NHTI faculty are engaged and excited to have students in the fall to help them meet the learning outcomes and objectives of each course and program that each student is in.”
Academic advisors are available and will offer a full array of flexible meeting options to meet the needs of each student. Most meetings will occur virtually, but NHTI will offer in-person appointments as well. All safety and health protocols will be maintained; students will need to be aware of signage that indicates what protocols are to be followed when entering buildings. For more information, contact Rebecca Dean at 603-271-6484 x4131 or [email protected].
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NHTI – Concord’s Community College
NHTI is a dynamic public institution of higher learning that provides accessible, rigorous education for students, businesses, and the community. We create pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement, and civic engagement, offering 90+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. NHTI is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire and since 1969 has been accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, a nongovernmental, nationally recognized accrediting agency.
Press Contact: Amy Proctor | 603-230-4041 | [email protected]
