4-Phase Reopening Plan Set For Mercer County College
MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Mercer County Community College has released a comprehensive plan to reopen the college safely and gradually in compliance with the U.S. Center for Disease Control, the New Jersey Governor’s Office, and other applicable agencies amid the coronavirus pandemic, college officials announced.
“This plan is developed with our mission in mind and aims to provide the most flexibility to meet student needs,” Mercer County Community College President Dr. Jianping Wang said. “But first and foremost, we must plan with the priority of safeguarding the health and safety of our students, our employees, and the public we serve.”
It will be implemented in four phases, with each phase to be triggered through guidance from state and local officials. The first phase includes the continuation of remote learning with limited staff on campus.
In the second phase, there will be limited on-site instruction with major social distancing still in place. Phase Three allows limited opening of the Conference Center, Kelsey Theatre, and athletic events. Phase Four sees the resumption of pre-pandemic operations.
The plan was put together by an extensive, 23-member team made up of faculty, staff, and students from all aspects of college instruction and operations, from both the West Windsor and Trenton campuses.
Mercer County Community College Dean of Health Professions Kevin Duffy and Athletics Director John Simone co-chaired the task force.
They used a research and data-driven approach, as well as thorough surveys of employees and students. They put the plan together in two weeks and then presented it to the entire campus community in a pair of virtual forums. More than 250 people participated in the forums.
“The task force did an outstanding job,” Wang said. “This plan represents a delicate balance of clarity and flexibility that we strive to achieve.”
“This process was completed by a team of hard-working, dedicated professionals that worked day and night to provide the best possible recommendations,” Duffy said. “In my humble opinion, the work done by the task force should be the standard for all future committees — collaborative, transparent, constructive, and proactive.”
The complete plan can be viewed at www.mccc.edu/return. Information regarding classes for Mercer County Community College’s Fall 2020 semester is available at www.mccc.edu/enroll.
This article originally appeared on the Lawrenceville Patch
