Albany Tech outlines plan for in-person instruction

ALBANY – Albany Technical College is preparing for a “bright opening” this fall. Officials at the college just released their fall 2021 instructional plan with a focus on designing a plan that will protect the health and safety of ATC students, faculty, staff, and visitors while providing quality technical education and customer service in a learning environment that promotes intellectual and social growth.

As the college cautiously returns to in-person learning in the Fall, the health and safety of students, faculty and staff will remain the top priority.

ATC faculty and staff say they are enthusiastic about the fall semester and look forward to seeing students back on campus while remaining in a state of “readiness” to pivot to social distancing — with a mix of instructional formats of in-person, hybrid, web-enhanced, and online modes of instruction — if the situation warrants such a change. The college continues to follow the guidelines of the Technical College System of Georgia, Department of Public Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The college’s instructional plan is designed to protect students, faculty, staff and administrators from the COVID-19 while offering quality in-person instruction as a preferred option. However, the plan calls for staff to be prepared to implement contingency plans if trends of infection rates are unfavorable.

Contingency plans discussed include:

♦ Option 1 — The college’s preferred and best option for instructional services is to return to a preCOVID instructional delivery model (in-person) with established limits to classroom capacity.

♦ Option 2 — If inadequate trends in infectious rates within our region reach a disturbing level to public health, the college will revert to a hybrid instructional delivery model with modified and limited lab contact.

♦ Option 3 — If infectious rates reach an unacceptable level for Public Health and state officials and a state of emergency is declared that suggests shelter-in-place orders, the college will revert to a 100% online instructional delivery model.

“This fall, we are prepared to ensure a safe learning environment for everyone,” Albany Tech President Anthony Parker said. “Classes will be offered in face-to-face, hybrid, web-enhanced, and/or online formats. We will continue to encourage all faculty, staff, and students to self-monitor for any symptoms of COVID-19 and self-report direct exposure and/or positive COVID-19 to prevent the spread of (the virus).

“The fall plan is encouraging news, provided that we continue to be headed in the right direction regarding regional infection rates and increased vaccinations.”

The region has shown some of the lowest positive COVID-related hospitalizations in recent weeks. Monday’s numbers released by Phoebe Putney Health System showed 19 patients at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital facilities in Albany and two at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus.

From the onset of the pandemic in Georgia, Albany Technical College has followed COVID-19 guidance from the CDC, the GDPH, and TCSG, and will continue to do so. Albany Tech personnel came back to campus in summer 2020 with mandatory thermal temperature screening for faculty, staff, students and visitors. The college is ready to welcome students back for in-person instructions through the extensive fall 2021 instructional plan that is now in place.

To view the full plan, refer to the ATC website at https://www.albanytech.edu/about/academic-instructional-plan.

File Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]