OLDS — Olds College (OC) will welcome students back for on-campus classes this fall after the provincial government gave the go-ahead to do so last week.
However, in an email, OC president Stuart Cullum said some classes may still be conducted online.
Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides gave the green light for post-secondary institutions to begin offering in-person education via a news release issued March 18.
He said his ministry is working with Alberta’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, to draw up plans for students and instructors to return to campuses safely in September.
Post-secondary institutions – including Olds College – began delivering classes online after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown began a year ago.
"We are looking forward to the full return to campus in September and our academic team is currently reviewing what that will look like,” Cullum wrote. “More details will be provided shortly.”
Cullum added that while it’s expected that the majority of classes will be delivered in-person again, some may continue to be offered online.
“We will take advantage of the innovation that occurred within our learning environments this year and some programs may continue to offer virtual learning options. In some cases, this actually allows us to serve more students," he wrote.
He noted that currently, some OC courses are already offered in-person while others are delivered in a blended format with online lectures and hands-on labs. Still other programs are now offered completely online.
“That said, over 80 per cent of our students have had an on-campus experience this semester,” he wrote.
But he’s noticed the difference on campus, compared to the years before the pandemic hit.
“Many of our staff have been working remotely for much of the pandemic, so the campus is definitely quieter," he wrote.
Cullum was asked if the college has a back-up plan if the province changes its mind and requires campuses to go back to online courses again, due to surging COVID cases.
Cullum indicated that won’t likely be an issue.
“Throughout the pandemic our team has been flexible in responding to an ever-changing environment,” he wrote, stressing the health and safety of staff and students remains top priority. “We will continue to be flexible with the return to campus in the fall.”
