With a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases within St. Joseph County and on campus, Glen Oaks Community College will convert an even greater number of classes to online formats through the remainder of the fall semester.
“We are taking these added measures to help mitigate the spread of the virus and for the safety of the campus community,” said Dr. David Devier, Glen Oaks president. “We will go to minimal staffing beginning next Monday, November 16. Our Student Services employees will serve our students remotely.”
With few exceptions, the campus will only be open for students in face-to-face classes that require hands-on training such as some of the medical, automotive, welding, and electrical classes. All career and technical education (CTE) classes that are held on campus will remain face-to-face and all on-campus classes will continue to run with COVID-19 safety protocols in place.
“We are sending most of the students in-housing home through the end of the semester,” said Devier. “A limited number of students enrolled in the hands-on lab classes will remain.”
“We had a great start to the semester with many protocols in place including a mask requirement, greater sanitization and we rearranged and created new classroom spaces to accommodate social distancing,” said Devier. “It was a good ten-week run; however, challenges were presented to us in the 11th week, and we knew we had to move forward with the transition to online. Our faculty knew the likelihood of this happening and have been working in advance to ensure backup plans are in place to help smooth the transition. The college is working out details with faculty for test proctoring where necessary.”
As of the end of October, there had been a total of two students and staff who tested positive for COVID-19. To date, since the start of the semester, the college has had a total of 13 students who have tested positive and another 37 students who have been or are currently in quarantine due to close contact.
The Learning Commons, including the Library and Tutoring and Testing Center will remain open with reduced hours as follows:
Monday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday: Closed
Student Services employees are working remotely and will advise and address student needs virtually. Prospective students can apply online at Glenoaks.edu, and an admissions representative will be in contact regarding next steps.