Amarillo College today entered Phase II of its COVID-19 Action Plan and therefore will pause classes for one week following spring break in order to fully migrate to an all-remote delivery system.
AC, which is currently observing spring break, will resume classes on Monday, March 30 – a week later than originally planned – and all classes at that point will be delivered remotely, through a variety of modalities.
The decision to enter Phase II is based on President Trump’s request that gatherings be limited to no more than 10 people, and because AC’s minimum class size is 12. To conduct standard in-person classes is now untenable.
Additionally, two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed March 17 in Lubbock.
“We have no higher priority than to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, our workforce and our community,” AC President Russell Lowery-Hart said.
“We have a prudent, solid plan that supports our workforce, keeps people out of harm’s way and helps our students complete their courses and stay on track to graduate.”
During Phase II, on-campus services will be limited, but students will continue to have in-person access to advising, disability services, financial aid, social services and technology resources and support.
For students lacking adequate technology, The Underground – a well-equipped computer center on the Washington Street Campus, will continue to observe normal hours of operation.
Social distancing will be observed in locations that remain accessible, and the College will continue to be informed by CDC guidelines.
The College will not be moving solely to online classes, Lowery-Hart said, but to tech-supported learning. Instructors will employ a variety of modalities (high and low-tech), and class meetings will be conducted at the specific times they are scheduled.
“Amarillo College will continue to be open, and the wealth of our resources will continue to be within easy reach of our students by one means or another,” Lowery-Hart said. “All of us are in uncharted territory, but we’re moving forward with confidence, unity, hope – and a decisive plan.”
-Amarillo College
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