CAMPUS LIFE

Shake-up to winter semester schedule will not affect the end date

“Mask up – vax up” window poster, featuring masked students on campus, in front of the WCC Technical and Industrial building, Sept. 13. Shelby Beaty | Washtenaw Voice

by R.J. HUNT
Editor

While the winter semester start date was delayed by a week, the semester is still scheduled to end on May 2. COVID-19 caused classes to be delayed with a surge of COVID-19 cases in the county. According to Fran LeFort, director of media relations, the decision to delay class a week when compared to a longer time frame was the best way to have a balance between keeping students safe, while not compromising the semester end date.

In a message to students, WCC President Rose Bellanca noted, “The college has made a commitment to offer face-to-face classes, and we are doing everything possible to keep that commitment. With that in mind, our commitment to ensuring the health and safety of our students, employees, and community continues to be our top priority.”

Washtenaw County has had its confirmed COVID-19 rates shoot up in the last few weeks. According to the Washtenaw County Health Department, from Dec. 18, 2021 to Dec. 25, 2021 the numbers more than doubled, as it went from 1,299 new confirmed cases for the week to 2,796 new confirmed cases for the week. The week of Jan. 8, 2022 had 4,852 new cases for the week.

The bad news for instructors is that the semester is still set to end on schedule. Instructors are working overtime trying to squeeze their curriculum into the shortened semester.

Not all instructors are worried about adjusting their schedules. English professor, Bill Abernethy, compared restructuring his schedule to a bad winter where multiple classes were canceled. He was able to retool the curriculum to fit the shortened semester. He’s confident that he can do the same now. “(The schedule) can be compressed,” he said.

WCC will continue to manage building air flow and disinfect high touch-areas around campus to keep everyone as safe as possible. The campus requires masks indoors at all times while on campus, regardless of vaccination or booster status. Masks are provided at every entrance to ensure everyone has one if they don’t have one already. Also, the college is recommending that all staff and students get the vaccine along with the booster. If you contract the virus, please report the exposure to WCC.