Gov.
Ned Lamont joined state and community college presidents at Gateway Community
College on Monday to announce plans for this year’s fall semester.
They
are each hoping for a more normal college experience for students in a
post-COVID-19 setting.
Thomas
Coley, president of Shoreline-West Regional Community College system, says the
state's community colleges will provide in-person learning and services this
fall.
Several
other presidents, such as Joe Bertolino, of Southern Connecticut State
University, said their goal is the same.
"The
fall semester will have a familiar pre-COVID look with faculty and staff
resuming in-person teaching and working,” he said.
A total
of 70% of classes are scheduled to be in-person or hybrid with the remainder
online.
At
Quinnipiac, most students were on campus last year learning in-person or
hybrid. However, many experiences will not be as limited as last year.
“Students
will be able to visit each other in residence halls, dining halls will go back
to normal,” said Judy Olian, the university’s president.
Olian
says she's confident this can happen and it will be successful. She says the
university administered over 60,000 tests this school year and has a .5%
positivity rate.
Students
are not required to get a vaccine to return to QU or Connecticut's state
schools. Gov. Lamont, however, is encouraging all student to get
their shots.