Holyoke Community College plans online and distance-learning only for fall 2020 out of coronavirus caution
Holyoke Community College will teach all courses in the Fall 2020 semester online or through remote means with very few exceptions, according to a memo sent to staffers Tuesday. “Unlike residential campuses, some of whom are indicating a commitment to reopen in the fall, we have very limited control over where our students sleep, eat, work, and congregate. Our students are firmly embedded in local community networks, more likely to be older, have children, and be essential workers,” wrote Rachel Rubinstein, vice president for Academic & Student Affairs. “They are more likely to belong to low-income and communities of color, that nation-wide have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. This makes them, and all of us, all the more vulnerable. The responsibility to keep everyone as safe as possible weighs heavily.”