OCTC prepares for stages of on-campus operations

by Bernie Hale

Owensboro, KY (05/29/2020) — The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) received approval from the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) for its plan to begin stages of on-campus operations beginning Monday, June 1. The majority of Owensboro Community & Technical College's (OCTC) faculty and staff have been working remotely since mid-March, and most will continue to do so during this stage of reopening on-campus operations.

All summer intersession classes are online. The regular summer session courses begin June 10 on-line, with on-campus lab components scheduled in July unless current health situations dissallow. The college is currently working with those students who needed to fulfill lab and clinical portions of their courses from the spring semester.

"I am extremely pleased with how the students and faculty have adapted to the new Healthy at OCTC protocols. This was a good way to test our new normal and make some adjustments to ensure a safe and healthy environment for everyone" commented Jeff Hendricks, OCTC's Healthy at Work Officer. Each college in KCTCS has designated a Healthy at Work Officer to oversee the health and safety of students, faculty and staff. All employees are required to take online training on the new health and safety protocols before returning to work on-campus.

OCTC President Dr. Scott Williams added, "Monday's returning employees will be involved in student and business affairs. We will begin to take students who need to come to campus by appointment later in June. We've found that a good number of folks can work from home and be highly productive working remotely and we will continue to serve students that way as well."

OCTC's fall term begins August 17 and classes will be offered in a variety of formats. OCTC will offer fully online classes as well as face-to-face classes and some options that are a mixture of both. All face-to-face classes will have a strong online or remote instruction part, so if in-person classes must move online the transition will be easier for students. The colleges also will offer a variety of scheduling options, including 16-week, and 8-week sessions.

"The on-campus experience will look and feel different. In order to try and ensure everyone is healthy and safe we will be doing things differently. I expect that the protocols will change as we proceed through the stages of reopening, we just ask that everyone is patient and adhere to the guidelines. We want to have a successful reopening in every stage of the plan so we can continue to serve the community," said Williams.

Safety guidelines for all people on campus include temperature self-checks and other health evaluations, physical distancing inside and outside of all facilities, required face covering/mask and other specific recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Extensive signage reminding people of safety practices is placed throughout any open buildings on the campuses.

OCTC will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and update college plans based on any changes from the governor's office, the White House, CPE, CDC, and local health officials.

Students and prospective students can enroll online at Owensboro.kctcs.edu or call 270-686-4400 for more information.

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