COVID-19 Precautions in Union

August 12, 2020 by Charles Warner | The Union Times | 2020news

Desks in classroom — Desks for classrooms have fewer chairs to comply with social distance best practices.

The Spartanburg Community College Union County Campus will reopen Monday, August 17 offering the Mechatronics, Welding, Healthcare, and other classes and programs it has in years past but doing so with steps taken to protect students and staff from the COVID-19 Virus.

“Our opening date is Seventeen August and during that time we will have Adult Ed and college classes including dual credit for high school students,” Campus Director Isaac McKissick said. “Although the high school starts on Eight September our classes for high school students will start Seventeen August.”

The reopening of the SCC Union County Campus is, of course, taking place amid the COVID-19 Pandemic and the classroom options it’s offering students taking classes reflect this.

“We are offering multiple options this semester,” McKissick said. “There is the face to face option, primarily in our Mechatronics and Welding labs.”

Then there’s what McKissick said is the “hybrid option” with students taking one day of face to face classes at the campus. On the other days, McKissick said they will take them online. He said that under the hybrid option the instructor will be at the SCC Union County Campus one day of the week and will then be on the other SCC campuses on the other days. That way there will be face to face instruction at least one day a week in a particular class at all campuses with students at other campuses attending via the Internet.

“With classes that meet two days a week you’ll have the instructor here one day and the other day they will be at the Cherokee Campus or elsewhere,” McKissick said. “The classes will be interactive allowing students here to participate when the class is being taught from another campus and students at the other campuses can participate when the instructor is here.”

McKissick said the third option will be Virtual Online Classes offered at the student’s convenience.

In addition to Mechatronics and Welding, McKissick said the SCC Union County Campus will also be offering General Education Classes, Electronics, and Health Sciences. He said the Campus will also continue working with Union Medical Center for Healthcare-related classes and clinicals.

“We have a wonderful relationship with Union Medical Center and we will be doing our clinicals there for a our CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) Program, that’s going on now,” McKissick said. “We are also doing our Patient Care Technician clinicals and classes there right now as well.”

In its classes and educational programs, the reopening of the SCC Union County Campus this year is in many ways no different from any other year, but this is the year of COVID-19 and the Campus has taken steps that reflect that reality.

“We started back in March and April sanitizing the building and we sanitize daily and between classes,” McKissick said. “Class sizes will be limited to no more than twelve students.”

Mitchel Gainey, SCC Union County Campus Custodian, spoke further about the steps the campus has taken to fight the COVID-19 Virus.

“While schools were shut down I went from room to room sanitizing with the usual disinfectants I have plus some that had been brought in like Zep,” Gainey said. “Now it is an ongoing project with people coming in and with rooms sanitized between classes.”

Gainey said that in some classrooms there are now only half as many chairs are there were previously so as to limit the number of students in class at any one time and they are separated in accordance with the need for social distancing. In rooms with computers, Gainey said that half the computers have tape on them so that students will not sit at them thus leaving one station between them and the next student to help ensure that social distancing it practiced. He said that disinfectant and hand sanitizer are in each room.

In addition, Gainey said the the water fountain near the entrance past the reception area has been taped over so that it will not be used.

Masks, it should be noted, are also being worn at the Campus and are available upon request from the receptionist.

Enrollment at the SCC Union County Campus is ongoing. The Campus is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday. In addition, persons who want to register online can do so at sccsc.edu.

For more information call the SCC Union County Campus at 864-466-1060. Campus Director Isaac McKissick can be reached at any time at 864-466-1065.