St. Clair College is preparing to welcome some students back to campus for an adjusted summer term.
The Ontario government announced Wednesday afternoon that in-class training at colleges may resume as early as July 2.
"We are, of course, elated by the Minister's announcement," said St. Clair College President Patti France said. "We're especially happy for our 2019-2020 students in the various programs that were unable to fully complete their mandatory clinical training and other hands-on requirements due to the pandemic's interference with the Winter semester. This means, now, that they should be able to complete their programs, graduate, and enter the job marketplace within a matter of a few months."
The focus will be on opening labs for students who require time to finish their winter semester classes. All students in the affected programs will receive instructions from their program coordinators.
The limited opening will also allow the college to plan for the fall semester.
“No one really knows what COVID will bring. But it’s really important for us to hope for the best and plan for the worst, " said France. "I remain hopeful that the Fall semester will include some component of in-person, on-campus instruction for many of our post-secondary programs. Most lectures may continue to be delivered in on-line fashion during the Autumn, but our preparations during the impending pilot project phase should allow many of our hands-on labs, clinics and workshops to be delivered in an in-person manner."
The college is still developing plans for students who need to finish placements to earn their diploma.
