St. Clair College will move to online classes starting March 23 following March Break as a proactive response to the current declared pandemic of COVID-19.
The move from face-to-face classes to online learning stems from the necessity declared by Public Health officials to eliminate the potential of a virus outbreak.
“What we’re trying to do is reduce the population density on our campuses,” said Waseem Habash, Vice President Academic. “And that will hopefully eliminate the potential for a spread of an infection amongst our students should we have a case in our community.”
There are no cases of COVID-19 in Windsor and Essex County or Chatham-Kent near St. Clair College campuses.
Habash said the College is planning on finishing out the semester with online classes, which means they will run through to April 17.
Student labs in areas such as Skilled Trades will continue to operate. “There are no cases, so there is not a safety issue, so the labs can continue,” Habash said. “The labs are normally smaller section sizes, anywhere from 15 to 25 students. So the population density in those labs is small. We can run that now.”
If the Ministry of Colleges and Universities suspends all face-to-face communication, the College will cancel the labs and resume them with Ministry direction.
“The health of our students and staff is of paramount concern to the College,” President Patti France said in a message to Staff and Students. “In this time of uncertainty, this alternative educational format is the best way of safeguarding that.”
St. Clair College will continue to update its website as this evolving situation develops.