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Sometimes there’s nothing like a crisis to bring about something good.
Though Sault College’s classrooms and offices have been all but completely cleared of students, staff and faculty due to COVID-19 precautions, with most of the school’s students continuing their education online, one group of Sault College students is having the hands on learning experience of a lifetime amid the lockdown of all but essential services.
“We have some nursing students who have continued their placements. Our fourth year nursing students are still at the hospital, or whatever assignment they have,” said Rick Webb, Sault College human resources and communications director, speaking to SooToday.
“They’re getting an invaluable learning experience and they’re also helping a lot of our care providers in providing care. They’re having probably one of the best experiences they’ll have. Even though it’s a difficult time, it’s a great learning experience.”
“I was talking to one of our nursing faculty and she brought up the fact when she was a student she was on placement for the SARS epidemic and she said it was one of the best learning experiences she ever had, something she’ll never forget.”
Also of note, Webb said, is the fact the college’s nursing program reached out to Sault Area Hospital (SAH) and provided the facility with the loan of a ventilator the nursing program normally uses for teaching purposes, along with N95 masks and other supplies.
On the downside for other students is the fact student flight training for the college’s aviation program is suspended until further notice.
As far as apprenticeship classes go, most programs have been suspended, but training is being delivered remotely for students in the general machinist, parts technician and cook programs.
The vast majority of the college’s students are finishing the semester through online instruction.
“The students are doing a variety of different activities to get them through to the end of the year. Because we’re close to the end of the semester, different programs were able to do a variety of different things,” Webb said.
Some faculty members are delivering video presentations to students, others changing evaluations to assignments and going with online testing.
“It’s really a mixture of creative solutions depending on the course they’re taking. There hasn’t been a cookie cutter approach,” Webb said.
Webb said essential services are on site at the college, including security, information technology and maintenance staff, keeping an eye on a building which supports 4,000 people at its peak.
Approximately 20 students, a combination of international and domestic, are still in residence, planning to leave as soon as they have completed their studies.
The residence facilities, which normally house 120 students, are almost completely empty as most students have been able to return to their homes (mostly in other Ontario communities) and study online.
Webb said he doesn’t see any obstacles to students being able to complete their school year in the spring.
“Our plan is to see everyone through to the end of the semester and we think we’re going to be able to do that. Our faculty have worked really hard and creatively in getting semester completion and at this time we anticipate that will occur. Fortunately when this (COVID-19) situation took place we were closer to the end of the semester, to be able to modify the semester and it looks like everyone will be able to complete as they should.”
As the COVID-19 crisis continues, there has been talk from some quarters of a tuition rebate for students whose school year has been affected by anti-virus measures.
That shouldn’t be necessary, Webb said.
“We don’t anticipate students will have any problem completing the year...that’s not something we believe is necessary or being contemplated, as we’ve made arrangements for students to complete their semester.”
Sault College has stated it has an expected reopening date of April 8.
