COVID-19 forces LCCC to go online

Kasandra Brittenburg, The World’s Quarantine,

Acrylic on canvas, 16” x 20”,

2020, Painting I

On March 14, Lehigh Carbon Community College students received an email notifying them that all classes would move online for the rest of the semester as a safety precaution for the campus community.

LCCC President Ann Bieber explains that the decision to move courses online is far from simple.

“There are many stakeholder groups on campus involved in the discussions including the Executive Team (president and vice presidents), Academic Council (faculty leadership), Academic and Student Development Vice President and Deans,” Bieber said. “When the national situation grew increasingly dire, we began planning for business continuity of operations, which required all departments to determine what was needed to continue to provide services.”

While some students may see the shift as a drastic adjustment in their academic lifestyle, Bieber hopes that all students can still perform well in school.

Freshman Elizabeth Cook feels that her teachers have helped her greatly through this transition.

“The transition is not terrible honestly, and teachers are being really helpful for me,” Cook said. “My teachers are keeping everyone calm and being very informative.”

Sophomore Abraham Frear agrees with Cook, but thinks that the transition is certainly one to adjust to.

“The transition is annoying, but all my professors seem technologically capable,” Frear said. “So, it’s not painful for me.”

Bieber sees this as an opportunity for the LCCC community to come together and support one another, much like the support Frear and Cook have received from their professors.

“The students, faculty, and staff at LCCC are the best and I could not think of a stronger team to go through these very challenging times,” Bieber said. “The college team always remained focused on our students – they always have been – and will always be -- at the center of all we do at LCCC.”