STCC Will Remain Online This Spring with Mix of Low-density Labs

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will continue to offer online classes in the spring semester with a combination of on-campus, low-density labs for its health and STEM programs.

In an e-mail to the campus community, STCC President John Cook said operations in the spring semester will mirror the plan made for the fall in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cook and his administration consulted with faculty in making the decision. Classes in the School of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies will be fully online.

“We look forward to one day being back on campus full-time, but we need to safeguard our students, faculty, and staff,” Cook said. “The pandemic has created an unpredictable environment that prompted extensive and thoughtful discussions. After much consideration, we felt a mix of online classes and low-density labs for our technical and health programs, using strict social-distancing protocols, would be the best approach for the spring.”

STCC faculty members are currently working with their deans in the Online Development Program to prepare classes for spring delivery, said Vice President of Academic Affairs Geraldine de Berly.

“I’m impressed with the transition from on-ground to online classes this fall,” she noted. “I applaud our faculty who showed tenacity as they went through training this past summer to develop their fall classes. They are continuing this fall in developing spring online courses, showing a true dedication and commitment to serving our students during a difficult period.”

As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC offers programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) that utilize labs and specialized equipment and offer rewarding in-person experiences between faculty and students, de Berly said. “We have no intention to convert to an online-only institution,” she added. “STCC prides itself on providing a hands-on educational experience that ranges from CNC labs for manufacturing programs to our patient-simulation center used by students in health programs.”