Christian post-secondary schools plot online course

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This article was published 22/05/2020 (2023 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MANITOBA’S Christian universities and colleges are planning a mix of fall online and in-person classes in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Depending on guidelines from the provincial government, Winnipeg-based Canadian Mennonite University will offer online and in-person instruction for the fall and winter terms, said president Cheryl Pauls.

No matter what format is offered, “Every class will engage professors and students with one another in a real learning community,” she said, adding, in all its on-campus activities, CMU will pay attention to safety and appropriate physical distancing.

Regarding dorms, food services, labs, music ensembles, and athletics, the university will decide by mid-July what it will do, keeping in mind Manitoba health directives “may change the course of that decision,” she said.

Providence University College in Otterburne is planning for an on-campus opening in the fall — barring any public health directives preventing that option.

“Our location and size provide us a unique opportunity not available to the larger public universities,” said provost and vice-president academic Cameron McKenzie, adding the school will proceed cautiously.

The courses will also be designed to be offered fully online as well, he added.

“This will permit Canadian students from out of province and international students to begin or continue working on their degrees, even if personal concerns about living on campus or travel restrictions prevent them from coming to our campus.”

Providence is planning to operate its residences “in ways that are safe,” McKenzie said, noting residences will be at 50 per cent capacity, as all rooms will be single-student spaces.

Additionally, the school will adopt enhanced cleaning and sanitizing routines. This includes extending the daily schedule by 45 minutes to allow for larger breaks between classes so rooms can be sanitized between each use.

All courses this fall will be online at Booth University College, according to vice-president academic and dean Michael Boyce.

“What we’re exploring is whether we could do some face-to-face instruction, within whatever restrictions are in place at the time,” he said.

While Booth is still working on the details, “We’re working with faculty to develop strong, engaging virtual classes,” he noted.

Booth, which is located in downtown Winnipeg, has not yet decided about residential living.

“We’re currently exploring whether that’s feasible and looking for more information,” Boyce said. “Part of the uncertainty is how likely will it be for out of province students to travel in September.”

Rob Reimer, president of Steinbach Bible College, said the school is planning to offer in-person classes. As for dorms, SBC is planning to have one student per room, which would give it a maximum of 50. (Last year there were 65 students in dormitories.)

Reimer noted it is all contingent on guidelines from the provincial government. “Should we not be allowed to have any students on campus for September, we are also preparing for what the fall semester would look like, likely online or a hybrid,” he said.

All the schools noted their small class sizes — none have classes larger than 50 students — makes it easier for them to provide in-person classes, if permitted.

As well, CMU and Providence both have spacious campuses, relative to the size of their student bodies.

“We have ample space to spread out and accommodate physical-distancing requirements,” Pauls said.

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