A new school year is just a few weeks away and Cambrian College is ready to partially re-open its doors to students, faculty, and staff.
The fall semester will begin with a hybrid model of delivery, said a press release from the college.
Hands-on learning and labs will be delivered on-campus. Theory components of courses will continue online with faculty-led digital learning. Further restrictions of on-campus activity could be lifted as the semester progresses, depending on the COVID-19 situation at the time.
Cambrian has implemented numerous health and safety measures on campus. They include enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, controlled entrances, pre-screening for COVID symptoms, mandatory wearing of face coverings, mandatory training for all faculty, staff, and students, staggered class start and end times, and reconfigured learning and working spaces to promote physical distancing.
The college has created a Re-open Guide for students, faculty, and staff. It can be found at www.cambriancollege.ca/covid.
“This took a lot of work by our entire team of staff and faculty at Cambrian, in partnership with local public health,” said Paula Gouveia, Vice- President Academic at Cambrian College, in the press release.
“We believe we have struck the right balance of online and on-campus instruction that prioritizes safety while meeting the high standards and academic expectations of our students and partners ”
As part of a province-wide pilot project involving Ontario’s public colleges, select students have been on campus for the past two months, adhering to the safety measures implemented by Cambrian.
This allowed Cambrian to test and fine-tune its safety measures as it prepares to accommodate more staff and students on campus. Some of the students were completing course requirements from the 2020 winter semester in order to graduate.
Others were completing hands-on labs and other learnings from the winter semester in order to advance in their programs, while other students were taking part in labs as part of their 2020 spring semester studies.
“This was a huge undertaking and we’re relying on all our faculty, staff and students to be responsible and safe as we re-open our campus in phases,” said Cambrian College president Bill Best.
“I’m confident in our planning that this is the best and safest way forward. I do believe if we all follow the rules, keep our distance, stay home when sick, and mask up at all times possible, we’ll be that much closer to returning to the full campus life and that college experience we all long for.”
Cambrian College’s fall semester begins September 8. The college is still accepting applications to accommodate potential students who are still considering whether to start their college education.
Cambrian is also introducing, for the first time, a November intake of new students in a number of its graduate certificate programs. These programs are geared to people who already have a post-secondary diploma or degree and want to add to their skillset.
For more information on the school’s re-opening plans or to find out more about how Cambrian is navigating COVID-19, visit www.cambriancollege.ca.
