DALLAS — Dallas College classes will remain "primarily online" for students through the fall semester of 2020, according to a news release sent out Thursday.
Chancellor Joe May made the decision after meeting with the Dallas College board of trustees on Tuesday.
With 40,000 students and employees on-site a day, May said he would want every student and employee individually screened when they step on campus. He said it is "simply not feasible" to do this every day.
Unlike larger colleges, May said Dallas College campuses don't have the "physical space" to establish social distancing. He also said many of the school's courses involve face-to-face instruction such as nursing, welding and automotive tech.
There is currently a task force working to figure out how to return to limited campus operations in phases. Some of the issues include:
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) for all employees
- Controlling the number of people who enter and go into a building at one time
- Temperature checks
- Staggering work schedules
- Social distancing in buildings
This March, the school's board of trustees approved the name change from Dallas County Community College District to Dallas College starting in the fall semester of 2020.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges will give final approval in June.
