HARTFORD— Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) President Mark Ojakian has announced that summer classes at Connecticut’s community colleges will be offered online-only until at least August 1.

In a letter addressed to colleagues, Ojakian states:

I am writing today to provide you with an update on the community colleges’ plan for the summer session. As you know, while there have been some encouraging signs that social distancing has slowed the spread of the virus, the COVID-19 outbreak in Connecticut continues to disrupt our daily lives and threaten the health of individuals and communities. While I know all of us crave a return to normalcy, it is clear that the reopening of our campuses will need to be a well thought out and deliberative process in line with the state’s recovery framework.

To that end, summer classes will be offered online-only until at least August 1, with the exception of some of the on-ground courses for students almost ready to enter the workforce in immediately critical non-credit and credit programs — such as CNA, Paramedic, Nursing, Medical Assisting, Phlebotomy, Respiratory Care, Radiologic Technologists, Advanced Manufacturing, and Electro-Mechanical courses — which could begin as early as July 20.

All other on-ground/skills-based courses should be scheduled for the hands-on components/ lab classes after August 1, including hands-on laboratory courses that were not completed in the spring. The lecture portion of the course can be scheduled online prior to August 1 with the hands-on component scheduled starting August 1. If the pandemic prevents the colleges from being opened by August 1, we are exploring options for the hands-on portion to be offered in condensed sessions at the start of the fall semester. Additionally, the number of students allowed in a laboratory classroom may be limited by social distancing guidelines. This may necessitate offering multiple laboratory sections with a small number of students.

This was a difficult decision, and please know that it was not taken lightly. At CSCU Provost Gates’s direction, we convened a Remote Teaching and Learning Crisis Team to develop a comprehensive set of recommendations, which our campuses will adopt.

We will continue to keep you apprised on the state’s plans to reopen non-essential businesses and the implications for the colleges.