Clark State provides fall return dates, plans

Classes resume Aug. 24; virtual courses still available.

Hand sanitizer and Alcohol wipes are available in every Clark State classroom. BILL LACKEY / STAFF

From Springfield News-Sun
By Brooke Spurlock Staff Writer

Clark State Community College students will return to campus for fall semester on Aug. 24, according to college officials.

Staff members will return to campus in rotation schedules starting June 24 and will fully return on Aug. 10, and faculty will return on Aug. 17, said Clark State President Jo Blondin.

Students will also be able to return for in-person services, such as advising, financial aid, enrollment, admissions, testing and tutoring starting July 6.

“This is for the students that wish to come back to campus for those services face-to-face,” she said. “They still have the option to receive services virtually, but some will want face-to-face.”

There will be a mixture of in-person and online courses for the nearly 5,700 students that will attend fall semester, Blondin said. She also said that 38% of the courses are online and all courses have an online component.

“We are ready to pivot to a fully online environment should the situation necessitate it,” she said. “Faculty create a virtual “shell” for every course for additional course materials, grading and teamwork/ collaboration for courses.

Because of this preparedness, Clark State can move courses quickly to an online environment if need be.”

When students return to campus, they will be asked to follow a “Return to Campus Daily Checklist” that follows guidelines regarding the “Responsible Restart of Ohio.”

Some of what the college is doing includes shifting staff to be available 24 hours a day to deep clean and sanitize, purchasing new equipment to make sanitization more efficient using hospital-grade tools and cleaning agents, increasing communication, developing new signs, establishing physical distancing requirements and redesigning classrooms.

“We’ve been working hard on the best possible plans for the safest possible environment,” said Matt Franz, vice president of IT and Emergency Management.

“As you move throughout campus, you will see many of the safety and wellness measures that we’ve implemented, such as reconfigured classrooms that accommodate physical distancing, Plexiglas barriers where staff and students come in face-to-face contact, virtual meetings and even stickers on the floor.”

Franz said individuals on campus are also asked to wear masks, frequently wash hands with soap and water, use the hand sanitizer that is outside of the classrooms as people enter and leave, and stay six feet apart of others.

“We want to do everything possible to remove the barriers that prevent students from receiving the education and training they need to enter employment, get promoted or transfer to a university,”

Blondin said. “We are doing everything in our power to mitigate risk while at the same time ensuring that we meet our mission to serve students.”

Contact this reporter at 937- 328-0356 or email [email protected].