Medicine Hat College is seen on Aug. 13. Some students will return to in-person class this semester, but most instruction will take place online. (Photo Courtesy of Ross Lavigne)

By Chris Brown

Back to class ... sort of

College ready for a fall semester like no other

Aug 13, 2020 | 5:06 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Crowded hallways and packed classrooms won’t be greeting Medicine Hat College students when they crack the books on the 2020-21 school year in a few weeks.

Responding to COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions, the majority of teaching and learning will take place online. Only students in programs where face-to-face interaction is required – such as health care, visual communications or trades – will be attending campus this fall.

The college’s Vicky Roy, vice-president academic and provost, says that means only about 500 people will be at the college each day, about 20 per cent of the regular number.

“Normally in a regular fall semester we have around between 2,500 and 3,000 students on campus, not counting the continuing studies, and there’s no way we could have all those students and all those faculty and staff back on a daily basis,” she says.

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With COVID uncertainty hanging over most decisions anyone makes these days, instructors and college administrators did their best to strike a balance between students’ education and the safety of everyone.

“We have students who are going to be in their last year. An example is the bachelor degree in education we teach with Mount Royal University or the other ones with University of Calgary, they need to go to their practicum so they need to have some face-to-face as well,” says Roy.

She also pointed to nursing and power engineering as examples of programs where face-to-face instruction is needed. To accommodate, says Roy, Medicine Hat College pushed business diploma programming online, as did other post-secondary institutions in Saskatchewan and B.C.

Safety precautions are being taken to ensure safety for those learning on campus. That includes masks available for those who want to wear them, and class sizes being limited for instances where physical distancing isn’t possible.

As for students, the Students’ Association of Medicine Hat College is trying to ensure everyone’s college experience is as normal as possible.

Harish Kumar says they’ve been reaching out to students this summer.

“The students’ association, we’re still trying to have events online to maintain the fun environment for the students so they can relax on the weekend or after their classes. Everyone is trying hard right now,” says the SAMHC’s vice-president, external. “No one can imagine what’s going to happen. But the college is still working and everyone is working to make, to follow the health guidelines and still give the best education to the students.”

Both Roy and Kumar say all student services will be available, mostly online but face-to-face where needed.

Roy says faculty have been working since the winter semester was cut short in March to provide the best educational experience possible.

“We’re mainly a face-to-face institution with really few online programming and mainly in continuing education. Our faculty they went through like a very hard time to resume the semester and they’re working non-stop to be prepared for the start Sept. 2.”

More information on how Medicine Hat College is preparing for the fall semester is available at mhc.ab.ca.