NIACC planning to have in-person classes this fall

MASON CITY — North Iowa Area Community College is planning to have in-person classes in the fall.

NIACC president Steve Schulz says they’ve tried to outline a phased approach in reopening the campus.  “We have been open in June trying to knock out some technical degrees and certifications that require lab time, and so we’ve had some students and faculty on campus here over the last month and a half. Quite honestly, it’s gone pretty well. We’ve had some tests, and we’ve had one student in a setting off-site test positive, but we’ve been able to manage all of that. We’re just looking forward to the opportunity to do this in a phased approach so we can kind of test it as we go.”

Schulz says they want students in the fall who aren’t feeling well to stay home.  “Same old message, we’re encouraging people who don’t feel well to stay home, and we’re expecting our faculty and staff to be understanding of that. We just know that if we don’t remain healthy that we’re going to get some disruption and change, so we’re working on that.”

Schulz says parents who have kids planning to go away from north-central Iowa for their college education might be questioning that, and NIACC can help fill an option for many students’ needs.  “Parents who have children planning not only to go to college but maybe not go to NIACC, I know there’s some consternation regarding whether we send our kids off to ‘College A, B, or C’ right now. This is a good time to think about a local option. We’re trying to be flexible in our planning , but I think it’s important everybody understands who’s going to enter the higher education or K-12 world this fall that it’s going to be starts and stops, and we’re going to try to keep moving forward, but it’s not going to be a traditional go-to-class everyday that you may be expecting historically.”

Schulz says they are using some CARES Act funds to purchase laptops and wi-fi hotspots for students who may have trouble accessing online classes.