Small labs, in-person support, cleaning & safety precautions all part of plan to reopen campus on Aug. 17
The faculty, staff, and students of Dunwoody College of Technology are responding to the COVID-19 global pandemic the only way they know how — by rolling up their sleeves, getting to work, and adapting to hands-on learning in a hands-off world.
“The spring of 2020 was unlike anything we had ever experienced before,” President Rich Wagner said. “Faculty and staff mobilized quickly to implement hands-on education in a virtual learning environment. Their commitment to our students and their willingness to find new and innovative ways to deliver a high-quality education in an online world is testament to the Dunwoody difference.”
Looking Ahead
At the same time, Dunwoody began preparing for the start of the fall semester and the return to hands-on activities in our labs, shops, and studios in safe and physically-distanced ways.
The College is using guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control along with best practices from other colleges and Minnesota companies that are currently at work or preparing to bring their employees back to work.
Dunwoody’s small class sizes, low student-to-teacher ratios, and large lab spaces gives the College the unique ability to restructure its physical environment in ways that will safely allow for hands-on activities in small group settings.
“We are committed to providing a campus experience that will exceed all safety requirements to ensure we keep our students and employees safe in the midst of this new normal, while still delivering the high-quality Dunwoody education we are known for,” Wagner said. “I am so grateful to have a world class group of faculty and staff who are committed to student success and who have worked tireless hours to provide the best possible education experience in these circumstances.”
All of this work means Dunwoody will be ready for the fall semester starting on August 17, with an education experience that will include:
- Access to hands-on, in-person instruction in our labs, shops, and studios
- In-person and virtual support for students struggling with topics and concepts
Dunwoody has already implemented new cleaning and sanitization procedures, new in-person protocols, and reimagined its learning and working environments.
Enhanced cleaning and safety measures include:
- Sealing the floors in areas of the buildings to make them impermeable and easy to disinfect, to prevent the spread of viruses.
- Using a new backpack unit to spray a commercial grade disinfectant in all areas of the buildings, including classrooms, offices, labs, common areas, and restrooms. This disinfects the air, which helps kill any airborne virus.
- Sanitizing surfaces by wiping down all areas of the building including computers, keyboards, desks, equipment, and elevator buttons on a daily basis. Frequently touched items in common areas are sanitized several times a day.
- Installing protective shields in areas of the building as needed.
- Installing touch-free handles at the doors of the West Entrance of the main building.
- Determining traffic flow to maintain social distancing in hallways and common spaces.
The campus experience will be different as academic schedules are adjusted to limit the number of people in a class.
“The Dunwoody community is certainly living up to its ‘Born to Do’ motto,” Wagner said. “They’ve all taken action, decided to do, to prepare and to be ready for what’s on the other side of this crisis. We’ve been in contact with industry leaders from all of our programs. We continue to hear that jobs will be there. Manufacturing, construction, printing, automotive, computers, healthcare, engineering — all of the programs taught at Dunwoody will be in demand on the other side. We remain committed to safely meeting the demand for skilled workers.”
Information about Dunwoody’s health and safety measures can be found at dunwoody.edu/covid19. You can also review the Dunwoody Safe plan here.