CBC delays start of spring quarter. Classes move online to slow coronavirus spread
Thousands of Columbia Basin College students opened their computers Tuesday morning instead of driving to campus.
The Pasco-based college joined dozens of others across the state in offering as many of their classes online as they possibly could.
The college announced during the weekend that they canceled Monday classes and planned to start classes online Tuesday.
“CBC already offers face-to-face, online and hybrid classes,” said Anna Tensmeyer, the college’s marketing and communications director. “The good news is that majority of our courses can be taught through either a hybrid or online format.”
The move follows a Friday executive order from Gov. Jay Inslee “restricting activity at all public and private universities, colleges, community colleges, technical schools and private career schools and apprenticeships” until at least April 24.
It was part of a series of orders aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 that also included shutting down public schools for six weeks as well.
Columbia Basin College has about 7,300 students enrolled, with about 1,400 high school students participating through the Running Start program.
While many of the classrooms are moving online, students need to be present at science labs, welding and machining classes and health programs.
Those classes will be practicing social distancing strategies.
“This will allow us to continue serving students without fostering the potential spread of the virus,” said school officials.
Students should have received information from their instructors about what to expect for the rest of the quarter. The shutdown came as students were finishing up their winter quarter.
Spring quarter delayed
The college is also planning an extra week of spring break.
The college plans to start spring quarter on April 13 instead of April 6. The majority of classes will be converted to online courses, and instructors should be providing students with more information about what to expect.
“We are putting together information about successful online learning to help students who aren’t familiar with taking online classes,” the college said. “We are also developing ways to help support students who may not have their own computers or internet access.”
Before to the closure, the college’s custodial staff was already doing more disinfecting of places people commonly touch, especially in the high traffic areas. And they put surface disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizing wipes in common areas.
On top of making sure the wall mounted hand-sanitizer stations were stocked, they bought 45 additional stations that were put into the busiest areas.
The college also stepped up precautions inside Sunhawk Hall. The residence hall can house up to 124 students.
They put hand sanitizer in the lobby and ordered more stations to set up throughout the building.
“Custodial staff are doing additional walk-throughs of the building on a daily basis to sanitize high-touch points in the building,” officials said.
In addition, they are asking students and employees with shortness of breath, coughing and a fever to stay home for 72 hours until their fever is gone.
WSU Tri-Cities
Early last week, Washington State University announced plans to move to online classes following spring break.
University leaders made the decision to cancel in-person classes starting on March 23 at all campuses, including WSU Tri-Cities in Richland.
And University of Washington already had switched to online classes for the rest of the quarter before Inslee’s order.