GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Community College is looking to get more students back into the classrooms this fall.
“Our community is emerging from the pandemic, and the community's college will play a key role in helping people continue their education and West Michigan getting back to work,” GRCC President Bill Pink said.
During the 2020-2021 academic year about 80 percent of the classes at GRCC were held partially or entirely virtual.
GRCC says that a significant number of Fall 2021 classes will be on campus or through a hybrid format. The school says they will be conducted in a way that provides safety for students and employees.
The number of student services and activities will also be increasing this fall, with remote components and accommodations to connect students and community members.
Last year the college offered hundreds of loaner laptops, Wi-Fi hotspots and other equipment to students that needed them, and it plans to continue that offering into the fall.
GRCC also plans to continue waving online course fees through the fall, saving students $16 per contact hour or about $50 for a three-credit class that is offered online.
“I hesitate to say we’ll be back to normal, because this virus and the racial and social issues we’ve faced as a nation highlighted the inequities in the previous normal." said Pink. "We’re coming back with a new normal, with a greater on-campus presence but also more classes and support services offered in ways that make them more accessible to more students. We will be a better institution because of what we have learned from navigating this pandemic.”
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