Central Penn College announced that in-person classes will return in the fall term with enhanced safety protocols to protect students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The college operates on a quarterly, year-round schedule, with the fall term beginning on Monday, Oct. 5.
The institution, based in Summerdale with an additional location in Lancaster, converted to an all-online format in mid-March, as per the orders of the governor's office. Having offered online courses since 2004, the college was able to quickly transition to an all-virtual environment. In 2019, Central Penn College was voted the No. 1 college or university in the region for online education by the readers of the Central Penn Business Journal.
The fall reopening plans are dependent on the capital region remaining in the green phase. Should Cumberland County and/or Lancaster County return to the yellow or red phase, the college has alternate plans in place.
The summer term, which began on July 6, is being conducted entirely online, with the exception of some health sciences courses which require in-person labs and clinical components. In addition, the college is in the process of gradually phasing in residential students. They will be housed in single-occupancy rooms for enhanced safety. The majority of students will have their own private bathrooms.
On July 5, some health sciences students moved back to campus. Other residential students are expected to return during the coming months, including in-season student-athletes, full-time summer term students, and new full-time students who are starting in the fall.
During the fall term, Central Penn College will return to its regular offerings of face-to-face, online, and hybrid classes. On Aug. 1, on-site health services became available to students and employees through a new partnership with UPMC. Access to all buildings, classrooms, and student-facing offices will require scanning a QR code via the Central Penn app to bolster contact tracing.
As the campus reopens, the college will follow the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health's recommendations for social distancing. The recommendations include wearing masks; class sizes limited to 15, with students spaced at least six feet apart; increased hand-sanitizer stations and increased cleanings throughout the college, especially of common areas; a screening form that must be completed before returning to campus; and personal contact logs that must be kept by all students and employees.
For more information about the college's reopening plans, readers may visit http://www.centralpenn.edu/COVID.
Leave a Review