DULUTH, MN (KDAL) – The College of St. Scholastica plans to reopen its Duluth and extended campuses this fall.
President Barbara McDonald announced the decision today to St. Scholastica faculty, staff, students and parents. The College will reopen its campuses, including residence halls, for the fall semester.
Courses will be taught using a mixture of in-person and virtual methods. Students in fully online programs will not experience any change to the delivery of their courses.
McDonald says classes will begin September 8th although the plan could change if pandemic circumstances require it.
The announcement comes at the recommendation of the College’s Rapid Response Team, an appointed group of faculty and staff charged with determining the College’s best course of action for a safe return in the fall.
The team studied a range of scenarios, taking into account guidance provided by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
College leadership reviewed the recommendations and approved moving forward with reopening its campuses.
Meanwhile, the College of St. Scholastica’s graduate program for aspiring teachers will move to 100% online delivery starting this fall.
The Graduate Teaching Licensure program is for people who already hold bachelor’s degrees in areas other than education and want to become teachers. It can be completed in less than two years.
Program organizers say the shift online is in keeping with their emphasis on accessibility and convenience for working adults, and fits with the current environment of virtual learning brought on by COVID-19.
Online education is already solidly within St. Scholastica’s academic enterprise, according to Chery Lucarelli, PhD, chair of the School of Education’s graduate programs.
