Fall 2020 COVID-19 student update

Posted: May 26, 2020


Dear Students,

As you are no doubt aware, Northwest College has not been immune to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; and as a result our faculty, staff, and you had to adjust on the fly to successfully complete the Spring 2020 semester. While that was a huge task, it has been handled well by all.

Northwest College remains committed to providing quality academics and a student-friendly environment moving forward. Because we value interaction with students, and because we know students value interaction with faculty and staff, NWC will use a flexible hybrid model to deliver courses this fall. This model will make use of a combination of both synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Synchronous Learning – these components will be taught live during the times indicated in the fall course schedule. Live interaction, whether in-person or through distance methods, allow students and staff to actively engage in the learning process in a real-time environment.

Asynchronous Learning – these components will be delivered in a format that allows students to access these aspects of their courses in a way that is flexible. Examples of asynchronous learning can include access to recorded materials (including previously synchronously delivered lectures) and learning opportunities delivered through Moodle.

The primary benefit of using a hybrid delivery model for the fall semester is that it allows us to provide you with the best possible educational experience while simultaneously ensuring the level of safety necessary to promote student success and well-being. While the final details of how the hybrid model will operate in individual classes will continue to be finalized by individual faculty over the course of the summer, there are several specifics that we can share with you at this point:

  1. Your pre-registered fall 2020 schedule will not change.  Plan to participate in your classes as scheduled (including date and time). However, course participation may take place either in-person or via synchronous distance methods (e.g. ZOOM, telephone conference) based on course content and safety-related conditions and regulations necessary during the fall semester.
  2. Courses that meet in-person will have additional health & safety restrictions.  Expect mandatory social distancing practices and personal protective equipment requirements when you’re in class.
  3. All courses will likely have some online components.  Whether your class attendance is in-person or through synchronous distance methods, there may be online components requirements (e.g. assignment completion and/or submission, instructional material distribution) delivered via Moodle.
  4. Courses with lab components that require in-person participation will be front-loaded.  Expect the workload to be compressed during the first part of the semester to protect against potential disruptions that may occur during the semester if COVID-19 risks escalate.

Based on this, there are several things you should keep in mind as you prepare for the fall semester:

  1. You will need access to the technology and bandwidth required to participate in synchronous delivery and/or internet classes.  Arrangements to meet those needs should be completed before the beginning of the fall semester.  Contact Northwest College Computer Services with questions about those requirements or how to meet them.
  2. Contact the NWC Bookstore early to obtain your books and/or other class materials. Due to shipping delays and/or other shortages, waiting until the last minute to obtain required class materials may cause you to not have materials by the time class begins and negatively affect your ability to be successful in your courses.
  3. You will not be required to physically attend most of your lecture classes. As lectures will be offered through synchronous distance delivery in addition to any potential in-class options, you will have the option to attend lectures via this method. Some instructors may allow you to view recorded lectures of their class outside of the scheduled class time in lieu of attending at the scheduled time, but the default expectation is that you are expected to attend class at the scheduled times. You should consult with your respective instructors for more information on specific course expectations.
  4. Specific lab and lecture/lab courses may require physical in-person attendance. If physical in-person attendance is required, all students enrolled in those courses will be subject to the stipulations described earlier. If you are enrolled in courses with a lab component you should be prepared for a heightened safety conditions and an accelerated level of effort and that will be required to attend and be successful in these courses.

We are excited by the course delivery innovations that are being developed to ensure that the student experience at Northwest College this fall will be a good one. The hybrid model we are implementing will allow live face-to-face interaction with your instructors and classmates as we comply with federal and state health and safety requirements.

Be assured that as additional details regarding the fall are finalized, Northwest College will work diligently to keep you informed in a timely manner. In the meantime, enjoy your summer no matter what your plans are (have you considered taking a summer class to get a jump start on fall semester?).

We look forward to seeing you this fall!

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D