MCCC Re-Opens Campus for Limited In-Person Classes
07/17/20
West Windsor, NJ – After months of remote learning, facilities planning and logistical preparation, Mercer County Community College (MCCC) welcomed a limited number of students from select courses back to campus on July 6.
MCCC conducted on-campus chemistry labs while aviation students returned to the Trenton -Mercer Airport for in-flight instruction. The courses are MCCC’s first foray into bringing students and faculty back to campus on a limited basis.
“The team at MCCC is taking extraordinary steps to ensure a safe environment for returning students and faculty,” said Dr. Jianping Wang, President of MCCC. “This is a challenging time, and our ability to safely bring a limited number of people back to campus speaks to the dedication and determination of the entire MCCC community,” expressed Dr. Wang.
Pathology program student Jenna Myers-Kane and her classmates have been learning entirely from home since mid-March. She explained that the crux of the pathology program is centered around practices that make social distancing nearly impossible. “Learning to work with patients and run laboratory tests is difficult over Zoom,” Myers-Kane said. She is glad that Mercer’s move toward limited in-person courses allows her and her classmates to get back into the laboratory.
The Facilities team at MCCC is focused on ensuring a clean and safe environment for returning students and faculty. Extra hand sanitizing stations and additional signage with reminders about masks and CDC guidelines have been strategically placed around campus. The college’s cleaning contractor has been directed to sterilize classrooms before, during and after use, with a special focus on “high-touch” areas, like door handles, elevator buttons and railings.
Taylor Tavarez, now in her second year in Mercer’s biology program, is one of the 40 students taking one of the in-person chemistry sections offered this summer. “I feel fine,” Tavarez said of coming back to campus. “Everything seems very sterile,” she added. Tavarez, her classmates and professor are all given MCCC-manufactured medical grade face shields as an added layer of protection.
Tavarez’s professor, Phil Macias, noted that once the students are in the classroom, there are added precautions. Every student has separately labeled lab kits and supplies, preventing them from needing to share another classmate’s materials. “It’s been great coming back,” Macias said enthusiastically. “The students are clearly benefitting from receiving a holistic education including both lectures and labs.”
The successful first two weeks of these courses are a positive sign for MCCC, which will incorporate more in-person classes following local, state and CDC guidelines in the fall. Earlier this summer, Mercer announced its plan to return to campus, which includes three types of courses: online, remote and hybrid.
To learn more, visit Three Ways to Learn For Fall 2020, a College Education Has Never Been More Convenient at MCCC!
Established in 1966, Mercer County Community College (MCCC) is a publicly supported comprehensive educational institution that provides opportunities for higher education through an open-door admission policy. MCCC is home to 70 associate degree programs and numerous credit and noncredit certificate programs. The college also offers many educational experiences, leadership opportunities and the chance to interact with other students and faculty/staff members in an informal setting.
More than 40 clubs offer students the opportunity to explore special interests. Many of these clubs are directly affiliated with fields of study and augment classroom experiences.
In addition, art exhibits, dance productions, dramatic presentations, musical productions, and performances by guest artists are sponsored throughout the year. Music organizations include the college chorus, jazz band, symphonic band, dance ensemble, and stage band.
For more information about student life, visit: https://www.mccc.edu/student_services_clubs.shtml
Taylor Tavarez prepares her lab materials during one of MCCC's first in-person courses since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March.
Students in MCCC's on-campus chemistry labs are seated diagonally from one another in keeping with CDC social distancing guidelines.