HUTCHINSON, Kan. — In response to challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Hutchinson Community College Board of Trustees approved a revised calendar for the fall 2020 semester at its June 11 meeting.
“We’ve been evaluating this opportunity or possibility for awhile,” college spokesperson Denny Stoecklein said. “We thought it would minimize the risk of having the students go home for Thanksgiving then come back to campus for two weeks.”
The revised calendar moves up the start date of classes to Aug. 12 from Aug. 19, it eliminates the scheduled Fall Break Day of Oct. 9 and moves Finals Week to the week of Nov. 30 instead of the previously-scheduled week of Dec. 7. Finals will be conducted online, eliminating the need for students to return to campus after Thanksgiving break. Stoecklein says, at this time, that is the only change to the calendar for the year.
“We thought it was best just to wrap up the face-to-face interactions before they would depart at Thanksgiving,” Stoecklein said. “That would give them an extended break for Christmas, but also not have that potential for going home and possibly being exposed to the virus and then coming back to campus.”
So far, the fall semester is the only change made by the college.
“There are no changes being planned for the spring semester,” Stoecklein said. “We anticipate coming back, we’re scheduled to come back, and moving forward with that.”
Stoecklein added that it’s only June and anything can change.
As far as athletics go, Stoecklein says they are in constant contact with the NJCAA to discuss the fall to winter sports such as basketball, which runs through the normal fall break and into the spring semester.