Richland Community College summer courses are set to begin online June 1, allowing students to stay on track with their educational goals in a safe environment.
Richland offers a low tuition, financial aid and scholarship options and easily transferable credits, giving students the tools they need to complete their education. Dr. Isaac Zuniga, Vice President of Student Success at Richland Community College shared that “students who progress more quickly through the curriculum, even during challenging times, are considerably more likely to complete their degrees than those who do not.”
Although the central Illinois region will be moving to Phase 3 this week, the Richland Community College campus and programs will remain closed until Phase 4 as outlined in the Restore Illinois Plan. Richland leadership is developing a phased approach to reopen campus with a focus on the safety of the campus community.
“The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff is our greatest priority,” stated Dr. Cristobal “Cris” Valdez, President of Richland Community College. “We remain committed to providing our students a high-quality education while following social distancing and public health guidelines.”
In accordance to Governor Pritzker executive orders, the Illinois Community College Board and accrediting agencies, Richland will make it a priority to safely return students and faculty to campus to complete their spring 2020 lab requirements.
“As restrictions are lifted, we will begin to reach out to students unable to complete spring semester due to lab requirements,” Dr. Denise Crews, Vice President of Academic Services said. “Our first priority is to put processes in place to keep everyone safe. To do this, the new normal will require us to shift our daily habits in the learning environment while continuing to provide learning experiences that are at the heart of Richland Community College.”
Richland employees will continue working remotely as the college remains in Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois Plan and phase back onto campus as restrictions allow.
Richland students facing food insecurity will have options throughout the summer months. Free meals will continue to be served Monday-Thursday, between the hours of 11am – 1pm. Meals can be picked up curbsides at main entrance of campus by the flag poles.
The Richland Pantry will remain open for Richland students on Wednesdays only from 11am – 4pm. To access the food pantry all students must enter through the food pantry entrance located in Parking Lot C.
Richland Community College will continue to share updates on operations, as well as provide answers to common questions during this time at www.richland.edu/coronavirus/.