With fewer courses offered on-ground in the fall, the College will be able to assign more space for social distancing in face-to-face instruction.  “If fall on-ground operations are permitted by the State, we are planning focused, face-to-face instruction in areas such as nursing/health sciences, STEM, culinary arts and other lab courses. These would be offered using safety measures such as social distancing as recommended by the health care community, and in some instances using hybrid and/or alternate timing scenarios,” Dr. Reber explained. The College will fully adhere to all health and safety protocols, including enhanced cleaning, and the monitored use of personal protective equipment.

An HCCC Return to Campus (RTC) Task Force is also evaluating which student support services will return on-ground when a gradual return is permitted and the parameters for on-campus operations are announced by the State and health care agencies. These are likely to include libraries, computer labs, and in-person services in areas such as registration, financial aid, and testing.  Online training for students and faculty will continue to be offered so that all students will be able to maintain full progress in their academic programs.

The HCCC RTC Task Force is comprised of approximately thirty HCCC faculty, staff and students, including health care professionals. The Task Force has five working groups – Academic Affairs/Teaching and Learning; Campus Life and Student Support Services; Health and Safety; Human Resources; and Space and Facilities.

Dr. Reber said the RTC Task Force plans are informed by two guiding principles: ensuring the health and safety of all students, faculty and staff; and maintaining an unyielding commitment to students’ success both inside and outside of the classroom.

 â€œWe look forward to welcoming all students to our campuses when the time is right, hopefully beginning this fall,” Dr. Reber stated. “Our faculty and staff members are working every day to ensure that our students will have the resources and assistance they need to achieve their academic goals in an environment that is safe and focused on the success of our students.”

Additional information on HCCC Fall 2020 courses and programming is available at www.hccc.edu/schedule.

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About Hudson County Community College

Hudson County Community College serves more than 17,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers more than 60 degree and certificate programs, including award-winning English as a Second Language, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Fine and Performing Arts. The HCCC Culinary/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. Over 94% of HCCC Nursing program graduates passed the NCLEX first time out, placing the program’s graduates in the top tier of two- and four-year nursing programs nationwide. In 2017, the Equality of Opportunity Project ranked HCCC in the top 5% of 2,200 U.S. higher education institutions for social mobility.

HCCC has partnerships with every major four-year college and university in the greater New Jersey-New York area and beyond, accommodating seamless transfer of credits for further undergraduate and graduate education.