EverythingGP File Photo

By Shane Clausing

return to campus

GPRC Students’ Association hopeful for return to campus in fall

Mar 22, 2021 | 6:00 PM

The Grande Prairie Regional College Students’ Association is hopeful their classmates will be given the opportunity to return to the classroom this coming fall.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, students at the college have been completing most of their studies online.

“The majority of students are really itching to get back into the classroom,” said Emma Dorris, the President of the GPRC Students’ Association.

“It’s so much harder to engage when you’re doing online classes and I know students are missing that engagement not only with their instructors, but their classmates. Everyone is definitely hoping to be back in person for the fall.”

While the online learning model has been difficult on most students, Dorris says there are some who have actually enjoyed the online model.

“Students with families or who have to work quite a bit during the semester have really benefited from that. Although there is an overwhelming majority of students that would prefer to be back in person, I think it’s important that institutions in Alberta going forward are willing to offer learning opportunities for those students, so they have the opportunity to continue with this life they’ve become comfortable with during COVID.”

According to Dorris, the students’ association has had some preliminary discussions with GPRC regarding potentially giving the students the option of taking classes online or in-person next year. So far, nothing has transpired, but Dorris is hopeful something could be worked out.

“That is something the students’ association continues to advocate for. As we move forward, students want to be back in person, but if there are ways that we can expand our program offering to accommodate for some asynchronous learning opportunities, then we’re fully in support of that.”

Dorris is hoping that by the time September rolls around, every student and Albertan will have had the opportunity to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and distancing restrictions will be in place, which could help control any potential spread of the virus in the facility.