Breaking: Fall classes to be primarily taught online

Due+to+the+spread+of+COVID-19%2C+the+Dallas+County+Community+College+District+has+announced+most+of+its+Fall+classes+will+be+taught+online.

Mykel Hilliard

Due to the spread of COVID-19, the Dallas County Community College District has announced most of its Fall classes will be taught online.

Mykel Hilliard, Managing Editor

Due to the spread of COVID-19, the Dallas County Community College District has announced most of its Fall classes will be taught online. Chancellor Joe May made the announcement in emails to students, staff and faculty May 7.

In the emails, May explained the reasons behind this decision. May said across the district’s seven campuses there are normally 40,000 students and staff members on site daily. “To provide a safe, instructional environment in the midst of COVID-19, we would have to individually screen every one of these students and employees upon entering campuses each day,” May said. “It is simply not possible to accommodate this volume of daily temperature taking and health monitoring.”

May said he understands that many higher education partners have announced that they will return to in-person classes this fall but the schools within DCCCD do not have the space to adhere to social distancing practices. “For context, a total of 160,000 students attend DCCCD colleges,” May said.

May also said in the event of local high schools resuming in-person instruction in the fall, the district would accommodate early college high school students, dual-credit students and students in the P-TECH programs on campus.

In a separate email to students, May gave updates on returning to campus. “I understand that you are eager to return to campus, and this decision may not be the one you hoped for,” May said. “However, your safety is paramount. With so many unknowns surrounding COVID-19, I believe this is the best decision to protect us all.”

May said the district is working on making plans for classes that need to be taught in person such as welding, nursing, automotive and other technical classes.