Harlan Kirgan
LSUE will hold a summer session and plans are moving forward for fall session.
While classes have moved online for the current session, the summer session is usually about 80% online, Chancellor Nancee Sorenson said.
The difference is science classes that have been moved online may return to the campus with the summer session, she said.
But the operative word is “maybe” The requirements such as social distancing put in place to slow the spread of CLOVID-19 are complicating planning.
“I can’t say with a 100% certainty we won’t offer some of them in person,” she said of the science classes.
Typical enrollment for LSUE’s summer session is about 800 students, she said.
Sorenson is in her first year as chancellor. In the fall semester the campus was hit by a ransomware attack. The spring semester changed as classes moved from the campus to online in March due to the coronavirus.
“From my perspective it has been very positive from how quickly people were able to adapt and try to make this work given the very limited time we had,” she said. “I’m very proud of the students and how they have kind of leapt in with both feet to help this go, and the faculty.”
She added, “I think the jury is out on how well it went overall. The reason is we still have a significant number of students that don’t have the right access to technology because of the limitations in this rural area. They either don’t have internet access or they don’t have the technology at home to be able to participate. I would say for some students they didn’t miss a beat. I know for others it has been a struggle.”
For students in class that transitions licensed practical nurses to become registered nurses, the challenges increased, she said.
Many of the students are working and when the virus response started they were deemed “essential” workers and their schedules changed.
One of the coming challenges is transition students to the campus with social distancing requirements.
The science labs that normally have 24 spots may be reduced to 12 slots due to spacing needs.
The plan now is to start the fall semester on time in August. It is likely there may be limits on class sizes and everyone will wear masks, she said.