Lane Community College President Margaret Hamilton informed students and staff that the college would keep most classes remote through Oct. 24 as a response to Lane County’s rising rate of COVID-19 infection in a Sept. 7 statement.
LCC plans to hold some classes, like those for health professions degrees with lab sections, in person throughout fall term, LCC Provost Paul Jarrell stated. With the University of Oregon returning to almost fully in-person instruction on Sept. 27, students and staff are eager to see what will come of these two different approaches to starting fall term.
“The health and safety of our students and employees is a top priority. So, where possible, instructors have been asked to incorporate remote instruction for at least the first half of fall term,” Hamilton said of LCC’s decision to maintain mostly remote learning. In the meantime, the main LCC campus will remain open with a requirement for face masks in place.
On UO’s campus, students and staff are beginning to return to in-person classes. UO has provided a set of guidelines aiming to ensure a safe return to campus for students and staff — including mandated face coverings indoors and outside where social distancing isn’t possible, as well as requiring vaccinations and providing case management to those who contract COVID-19.
Other precautions include upgraded air ventilation systems and improved cleaning to reduce chances of viral exposure. According to UO spokesperson Saul Hubbard, the university’s Monitoring and Assessment Program is a key component for the school’s return to campus, as it will allow for a high capacity of COVID-19 testing for students and staff.
“We are confident that our multi-layered safety approach will allow the UO to successfully manage the return to in-person instruction this fall while protecting the health and safety of our campus community,” Hubbard said.
UO President Michael Schill said in a May 10 statement that requiring vaccines “will also allow our campus community to return to the in-person and on-campus experience that is the cornerstone of academic success, student experience, and research innovation.”
LCC’s action plan going into fall term is similar to UO’s, with a heavy focus on high rates of community vaccination, case management and weekly testing for students and faculty with vaccine exemptions. Its decision to require vaccinations and facial coverings on campus was largely influenced by the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, civic responsibility to the community, recommendations from local public health authorities and UO, Pacific University and Oregon State University’s decisions to require vaccinations for their students and staff going into fall term.
For those looking for support during their return to campus, students will have access to counseling, both in-person and online, Hubbard said.
