Coast Mountain College looks to maximize in-person instruction under new guidelines from province

With the province of British Columbia giving the colleges and universities a heads up that a more traditional return to education will come this September, officials at Coast Mountain College are already getting to work to try and determine what will be the best fit for the Northwest when the fall comes.

As we outlined yesterday, the Advanced Education Minister Anne Kang relayed the government's wishes for the re-engagement with campus life for students, instructors and staff, noting that safety will the top priority as the return program rolls out.

Following the Provincial announcement of Tuesday, Coast Mountain College outlined how they plan to move forward, with what appears to be a mixed approach which will see some of their courses remain in the current distance mode while others return to the more traditional face to face experience of old.

“We will do our best to maximize in-person activities while ensuring that everyone’s health and safety remains the College’s top priority. As we have done throughout this pandemic, we will continue to follow the advice of the Public Health Officer to ensure safety protocols are followed on campus.” -- CMTN President, Justin Kohlman. 

Towards the year ahead, Coast Mountain College notes planning is actively underway across all sectors of the College to determine which programs and courses will return to face to face delivery in the fall, along with programs and courses that will continue to be offered via blended or distributed delivery. 

Among the key courses that will retain the face to face experience in learning, will the Coast Mountain College trades and nursing programs.

Regardless of which element a student's class falls into, the distance mode or in person option, Classrooms will be equipped with updated educational technologies to support hybrid teaching models. 

With the college noting that every effort will be made to accommodate students who do not wish to, or, cannot attend in person to continue their programs at a distance. 

For Students attending the Terrace campus, Coast Mountain College will be offering increased housing options in the new state-of-the-art housing unit opening in Terrace in September 2021. Students can also anticipate seeing many co-curricular, community and wellness activities offered in the upcoming academic year.  

One element of the restart plan towards the more traditional delivery of education will be to ensure that the unionized workforce is onboard with the program, with union representatives already alerting colleges and universities across the province that they will want to be part of the planing process to ensure that their membership is returning to campuses that are safe and have taken all necessary precautions.

For more on the Coast Mountain College path ahead see their information release of Tuesday.

More notes on post secondary education in the Northwest can be explored from our archive page.