NBCC Adjusts To COVID-19 Restrictions

Post-secondary institutions have had to make big changes during the pandemic, and New Brunswick Community College is no different.

NBCC’s vice-president of academic and research said staff have really pulled together to keep programs up and running.

Ann Drennan said they quickly moved 90 per cent of their programs to virtual delivery, which she said was a huge undertaking.

“That was really possible because we had a lot of the groundwork already done with flexible delivery models and I have to say with the dedication and resilience of our faculty and staff,” said Drennan.

While most of the programs have moved to online, Drennan said in-person learning is taking place where needed.

She said the province allowed the practical components for some trades and health care programs to continue.

Drennan said she is impressed with how well students at all six campuses responded to the changes.

“They were frightened that they were gonna lose their year, lose their education, and that was not gonna happen for us. We were willing and prepared to do whatever we had to to keep students learning,” she said.

Classes will go ahead at NBCC in September, but how they will be taught is not yet known.

Drennan said she expects the situation will be pretty similar to what it is now.

“We don’t plan on all virtual but certainly a large part of the delivery will be online,” she said.

This is the time of year when thousands of college students would typically prepare for graduation ceremonies.

Drennan said they are working on putting something together, but she does not want to give away the details just yet.

“It will be in June and I believe it’s going to be an awesome experience for students,” she said.