Montgomery College will continue in a mostly remote learning format with some exceptions during its summer and fall semesters.
In a memo to the college’s employees and students released Friday, President Dr. DeRionne Pollard cited concerns for students and staff’s safety as factoring into the decision to continue with remote learning. Currently, classes at all three of its campuses are being held remotely.
“There will be some exceptions for a few classes which rely heavily on hands-on experiences,” Pollard said.
According to the memo, faculty and staff will stick with their remote work schedules “unless otherwise notified by their supervisors.”
Heading into the fall, Pollard said, due to “a high level of uncertainty surrounding multiple health metrics,” Montgomery College will begin the fall semester with remote classes. A selection of hands-on learning classes and lab courses will be in person.
The school is also considering what it calls a “pilot return to buildings” during the spring semester.
Under that plan, the college will allow access to “small-scale uses of space,” like a single computer lab on each campus.
If the college decides to go ahead with that strategy, Pollard said, “we will continue to communicate thoroughly and in a timely fashion” for planning purposes.
The school will track metrics used identified by its Coronavirus Advisory Team before making future decisions. Some of the statistics, identified as safety markers, include confirmed cases per 100,000, test positivity rate in Montgomery County, and the percentage of county residents fully vaccinated.
