Last spring semester, when classes began at Coconino Community College, students were busily passing through the halls of our campuses on their way to classes. Their attention was on their studies and on achieving their educational goals.
Then, just before Spring Break, the world started to take notice of the virus that was making its way across the globe – COVID-19. The world went on lockdown to try to halt the spread of the virus. Safety measures were put into place at CCC. Our halls and classrooms grew quiet. Faculty and staff, dedicated to delivering a quality, affordable education to students, worked long hours to offer classes online and through Zoom videoconferencing to keep the machinery of education moving so students could keep working toward their goals. Events were canceled, or they were held “virtually” in the digital world. A new kind of normal developed. Some of our students decided to wait until they could rejoin their fellow students and faculty in the classroom. Many of our students adapted to taking classes virtually, even if that was not what they preferred.
This spring, our halls and classrooms are still mostly quiet. All classes, except for ones that absolutely require an in-person component, continue to be online and through Zoom. Big events like the Commencement and Nurses Pinning ceremonies will again be virtual this May. Our signature fundraising event for the CCC Foundation, Palette to Palate, which supports the Fine Arts Department at CCC, will reimagine itself as a virtual event this April.
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